seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 33:7 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.
This is from the easy English site.
The tent where Moses met God was a simple tent. Moses had not made God’s special tent (the Tabernacle) yet. Moses placed that tent a distance away from the camp. The cloud showed that God was present there. And the people worshipped God while Moses was in the tent. The people knew that they had sinned. Moses talked to God as a person speaks to a friend. God spoke clearly and directly to Moses (Numbers 12:8). Jesus said that a friend understands. When God is your friend, he may tell you to do things. But we know why God gives orders to us (John 15:15). God allowed Joshua to be in the tent with Moses. This was a great honour. And the young helper probably heard Moses’ prayers. So Joshua was learning how to be a leader. This was before Moses knew about the future. Later, God told Moses that Joshua would be the next leader (Numbers 27:15-18).
The blueletterbible.org site offers these words.
By making the place of worship outside the camp, Moses clearly drew a line to see who really wanted to draw close to the LORD.
