I think we are tempted to think more about our responsibility in meeting with God rather than God wanting to meet with us.
Why?
We gravitate to things we can touch or see more often than spiritual realities.
Plus, making it about our actions means we can check off that box on our to-do list and feel we’ve accomplished something tangible.
I also think we often miss when God is present with us.
Why?
We don’t have the obvious sign of a pillar of cloud showing God’s presence like the Israelites did back in Exodus.
But God wants to meet with us.
How can Exodus 33:7-11 and supporting verses help us grasp this today?
Does God Meet with You? | Exodus 33:7-11 Study
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and 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.[1]
Why did Moses pitch the tent of meeting far off from the camp? (Review Exodus 19:20-25)
Back at Mt. Sinai, the Lord warned Moses to have the people consecrate themselves and to stand at a distance due to the Lord’s holiness. Coming too close to the Lord in that moment, except for Moses, would have resulted in death.
What incident happened in Exodus 32? Could this also have something to do with where Moses set up the tent? Why or why not?
The Israelites had seriously broken the covenant they had agreed to with the Lord by fashioning a fabricated object to worship instead of the Lord.
They needed to have another period of consecration to make amends with the Lord.
Who else could approach the tent of meeting?
Here we see the Lord’s grace and mercy balanced with his holiness in that anyone, male or female, could approach the tent of meeting.
8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent.[2]
What is the significance of the people standing at their tent door when Moses went to the tent of meeting? (See Exodus 33:1-6)
The people acknowledged Moses as their intermediary with the Lord by standing at their tent doors while Moses approached the tent of meeting.
9 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. [3]
Look back at the picture I chose for this post and imagine those clouds spiraling down to stand at the entrance of a tent. How do you think you would react if you saw this happen?
10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door.[4]
Why do you think the people stood and worshiped at the door of their tents? (Also see Exodus 20:18-21)
Again, the people are making amends for having been disobedient.
11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. [5]
Describe the relationship between the Lord and Moses.
Why do you think Joshua stayed at the tent of meeting after Moses returned to the camp?
Scripture does not elaborate on why Joshua stayed at the tent of meeting. It could simply be a foreshadowing of Joshua taking over the mantle of leadership after Moses.
Joshua may have been staying there to either protect the tent from potential harm or to ensure those who approached the tent had properly consecrated themselves before entering to meet with the Lord. (See Numbers 27:18-23)
Does God Meet with You? | The Good News
Before the Israelites disobeyed and made a golden calf to worship, the Lord said the following to Moses:
8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.[6]
This was the Lord’s initial plan for the Israelites. He wanted to dwell with them.
But then they bowed down to a golden object instead of worshipping Him.
If we skip to Numbers 2, we also learn:
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 2 “The people of Israel shall camp each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ houses. They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side.[7]
The tent of meeting or tabernacle was to be in the middle of the Israelite’s camp. Not outside of the camp and far removed from them as described in Exodus 33.
This episode in Exodus 33 reveals the need for a mediator between us and the Lord.
Who is that mediator today?
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.[8]
16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.[9]
Does God Meet with You? | Questions for reflection
Briefly Review Exodus 3:1-22. Who sought Moses?
How do you know God is seeking you today? (See Acts 2:36-39)
Describe what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit and experience friendship with God.
Heavenly Father, we thank you for desiring fellowship with us Your creation.
We acknowledge our failures to see You are always in our midst.
Open our eyes, ears, and hearts to see, hear, and trust You are with us.
Amen.
Blessings,
Barbara Lynn
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 33:7.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 33:8.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 33:9.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 33:10.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 33:11.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ex 25:8.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Nu 2:1–2.
[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 1:14.
[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Jn 1:15–17.