Today’s Bible passage focuses on the Tent of Meeting. Moses constructed this for a meeting with God outside the camp of the Israelites.
The Tent of Meeting was different from the Tabernacle and was a temporary structure, used until the more permanent shelter was constructed.
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp (Exodus 33.7).
I wonder if Moses placed the tent outside the camp to remind the people that their sin with the golden calf had separated them from God.
Yet, the tent and Moses’ meeting with Jehovah would show the people that they could renew their connection with God if they were to repent.
Response to God’s Presence
It must have been an awesome sight for the two million Hebrews in the wilderness to see the pillar of God’s presence descend upon the tent. The obvious response to that event was to bow in worship.
Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise and stand, each of them, at the entrance of their tents and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.
When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses.
When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise and bow down, all of them, at the entrance of their tent (Exodus 33.8-10).
Think for a moment about an encounter with God and how worship is the only proper response to his presence.
When the veil is lifted, and we are in the presence of the greatness of God, profound awe and reverence is our response. Worship is the acknowledgment of God, who is infinitely greater and more majestic than anything we can think of.
When comparing ourselves to other humans, we can become proud.
However, standing in the presence of God, our pride and self-sufficiency vanish. We humbly recognize that we are nothing more than creatures in need of their Creator.
In the presence of God, we encounter a love that surpasses all understanding. Worship is our response where we receive and strive to return to God His abundant love.
Face-To-Face
One of the great truths of the Hebrew and Christian faith is that God is personal and He desires a personal relationship with His people.
Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp, but his young assistant, Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the tent (Exodus 33.11).
If I hadn’t become a pastor, I would have been a salesman. One of the things I learned in college, while studying sales, was that you have to have a good product. Only then, are you able to truly sell it with all your heart.
If I were to try to sell us on having a daily intimate relationship with God, I would first say this: the Greatest Being of all is willing to meet with us. He invites us to encounter him in a personal way.
I would discuss how a meeting with God is an invitation to present our sorrows, burdens, and fears before the One who understands our deepest pain. In this encounter, we learn His profound love for us and realize His knowledge and understanding of our lives.
Our meeting with God allows us to join in with what He is doing in the world. Henry Blackaby is so right when he talks about how God is active in the world and how He invites us to join Him in His work.
As we meet with Him daily, we learn what God is up to. This enables us to align ourselves with His purposes.
Why Not?
When I think about how God has graciously provided a meeting place where we can connect with Him and experience friendship with Him, I ask myself, why don’t we take advantage of that offer more often?
Why don’t we establish a time, no, not just a time, many times every day to meet with Him, connect with Him, worship Him, align ourselves with His purposes, and experience His gracious love?
Let’s do that today.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Whispering Danny, and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 