MONDAY
Last week we went through the Golden Calf incident in chapter 32 into the beginning of chapter 33. Verses 7-11 provide a brief interlude to the rest of the narrative. Throughout this narrative we’ve seen mountain top experiences of the presence of God—the burning bush, the 10 plagues, the covenant ceremony on Mt. Sinai. These experiences are rare in our lives and only at the initiative of God. This week we get glimpse into the more “normal”, everyday experiences in the presence of God. These experiences revolve around what the text calls the “tent of meeting”.
Exodus 33:7–11 (NIV)
The Tent of Meeting
7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp. 8 And whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. 10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance to the tent, they all stood and worshiped, each at the entrance to their tent. 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
The tent of meeting described here is different than the tabernacle. The tabernacle can also be called the tent of meeting (Ex. 40:34), but what is described here is prior to the building of the tabernacle. This tent isn’t described thoroughly and it is outside the camp. The details of the tabernacle will be given by God and it will be in the camp.
In these few verses the term for entrance occurs four times. This emphasis implies the tent of meeting was about access to God’s presence and a longing to enter his presence. God’s presence is here signified by a cloud. We have seen this throughout the narrative as the pillar of cloud lead the people out of Egypt by day and a pillar of fire led them by night. The presence of God is really what the tabernacle is all about. It is the location where God’s more concentrated presence dwells. God’s presence fills the earth, but the tabernacle is a place where God’s presence is more concentrated.
Exodus 25:8-9 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
The term sanctuary means “a holy, set apart, place”. This tabernacle is holy because God’s presence is there. It is here, the physical manifestation of God’s presence, where God is said to “dwell”. This will change in the New Testament as we will see on Friday.
In verse 11 the text says that Moses spoke with God “face to face, as one speaks to a friend”. This is what is known as anthropomorphic language—that is to say it describes something that isn’t human with human terms for understanding. God the Father is spirit (John 4:24), he doesn’t have a literal face. So this phrase is simply describing the intimacy of their relationship.
When Moses would leave the tent Joshua would stay. At this point all we know of Joshua is that he led the army in battle in chapter 17. If we continue reading in the story he is the one who leads the people into the promised land and fights the battles with the native inhabitants. Joshua is a tough dude! He is a warrior, but first and foremost, his is a worshipper of God. He delights in God’s presence and, if we were to continue reading in the story, he, like Moses, is fully dependent on God to lead the people.
Reflection
For many of us the difficulty in talking with God as a friend is learning to listen for God. We are generally better at talking than we are at listening in all of our relationships. So today work on learning to listen for God in your prayer time. Spend time imagining that he is with you. He really is with you in the Holy Spirit so it shouldn’t take much imagination. Just ask him to speak and listen for him.