THE TENT OF MEETING
Key verse: 11a
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.”(A) Anyone inquiring(B) 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,(C) watching Moses until he entered the tent. 9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud(D) would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke(E) 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.(F) 11 The Lord would speak to Moses face to face,(G) as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua(H) son of Nun did not leave the tent.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Tent of Meeting
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and (A)he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who (B)sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and (C)each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the (D)pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord[a] would speak with Moses. 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. 11 Thus (E)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 (F)assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 33:9 Hebrew he
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. The tent outside the camp (7)
This Tent of Meeting had to be outside the camp, for as yet, the sacrificial system was not in place. God wanted to dwell in the midst of his people, but he would not do so until provision was made for their sins to be atoned for. So only Moses and young Joshua (11b) were permitted to meet God in this Tent of Meeting. Later, there would be another Tent of Meeting--inside the camp (Ex 4
:1-7; Nu 2:2).
2. Moses meets God (8-11)
When Moses went out to the Tent of Meeting to meet God, the pillar of cloud descended to the entrance of the tent. All the people would stand and worship until Moses returned to the camp. There, Moses met and talked with God--not just once, but day after day. He was building a personal relationship with God. He was seeking to know God so that he might find out how he and his people might please God. More than anything, he wanted God to agree to go with his people to the promised land.
Prayer: Lord, help me to meet you day by day as Moses did. Thank you for Jesus, the one and only Mediator between God and man.
One Word: As a man speaks with his friend
