Moses and the Tent of Meeting
33: 7-11
Moses and the tent of meeting DIG: Why was this tent needed? What did they think of Moses at that time? Why would Moses seek God’s face at a time like this? What were the people expecting?
REFLECT: How much do you hate sin? Do you hate it enough to separate yourself from it? Are you a closet believer? Do people at your place of work, or your neighborhood know you are a believer? How and when do you talk to God as one speaks with a friend? How do you feel when your sin has separated you from God? What can you do about that?
Up to now the Sh’khinah glory, in the form of a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, was over the camp of Isra’el (to see link click Ep – The Camp of the Twelve Tribes of Isra’el). And Moses’ own tent was within the camp. But now Moses took a tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp some distance away, calling it the tent of meeting. The rabbis teach the distance was about a thousand yards as defined in Joshua 3:4. The tent of meeting was temporary until the completion of the more permanent Tabernacle, which, because of our topical approach to organizing the book, had not yet been completed. But as soon as it was, it took on the status of the Tent of Meeting. It immediately became the place where Isra’el was to meet with YHVH.
The purpose was to impress upon the people the separation from God as a result of their sin. ADONAI would communicate only with Moses and only outside the camp of Isra’el. The structure of the Hebrew language at the beginning of this verse indicates that Moses went out to the tent many times (33:7).687
In the opening scene of the golden calf incident, the Hebrews spoke disparagingly of Moses. Their disrespect was clear when they called him: this Moses (32:1). But after God had judged them and Moses had interceded on their behalf, they had a new respect for him. So whenever Moses went out to the tent of meeting, all the people rose and stood at the entrances to their tents, and watched him until he entered it (33:8). This probably reflected respect, reverence, and remorse on their parts. But it also demonstrated separation, because the tent of meeting was always outside the camp of Isra’el.688
The Sh’khinah glory, the visible manifestation of God’s presence, would come down and stay at the entrance of the tent of meeting, whenever Moses went inside. How true are the words: those who honor Me I will honor (First Samuel 2:30). Thus, ADONAI was still with His people, although somewhat removed. Moshe’s submission and faith were greatly rewarded. God never disappoints those who seek His glory and rely on His grace.689 ADONAI would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend (33:11a). This expression should not be taken literally, since we are also told that Moses was not allowed to see the face of God (33:20-23). The meaning of speaking face to face here means as a man speaks with his friend, that is, openly, without holding anything back. In Numbers 12:8 we are told that ADONAI spoke to Moses face to face, literally mouth to mouth. The expression is immediately explained to mean clearly and not in riddles. That meant that God spoke to Moses in Hebrew words, not in dreams or visions like He spoke to other prophets. It is interesting that although Moses did not literally see the face of God, he did see the form of ADONAI, because His presence was in the pillar of fire (13:21).690 The conversations between God and Moses were intimate, and the sensitive heart of Moses made it easy for God to speak to him (Deuteronomy 34:10).691
The tent of meeting was guarded by his young aide Joshua, who had served as field commander of Israel’s army when they fought the Amalekites (17:9). He was the man that God was preparing to succeed Moses. Joshua would later lead Israel’s military conquest of Canaan. When Moses returned to the camp, Joshua would guard the tent to prevent the Hebrews from making the tent into something to be worshiped like they had the golden calf (33:11b). They were prone, and they would continue to be prone, to idol worship.
Moshes’ temporary tent of meeting was similar in many respects to the Tabernacle. It was a place for meeting with God, a place where God’s Sh’khinah glory was shown and communicated with Moses. It was a pure place removed from the camp of Isra’el. It served as a temporary sanctuary in which Moshe could seek the LORD. Therein YHVH would meet with him and speak with him face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend (33:11). Yet it fell far short of the ambitious Tabernacle project which was destined to replace it. It was inferior to the Tabernacle in several ways. First we notice that it was outside the camp. It was not dedicated among the people. It did not possess the intrinsic holiness which would allow God to dwell in the midst of Isra’el. The Tabernacle, by contrast, was at the center of the camp. Furthermore, we notice that only Moshe and Joshua had access to Moshe’s tent of meeting. Those seeking direction from the LORD were able to leave the camp and bring their questions to Moses and Joshua, but they themselves had no direct access to Moses’ tent of meeting. They could only watch from a distance. 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 his or her tent (33:9-10). The Tabernacle, by contrast, allowed for all Isra’el to draw near to ADONAI and worship in His presence.
Paul uses the Hebrew phrase face to face when he commented on the differences between our understanding of the here and now, in contrast to our understanding of the coming Messianic Kingdom. Paul says: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known (First Corinthians 13:12). Not that what we see now is untrue, but it is an imperfect reflection. One day we shall look straight into the face of God and have unhindered communication with Him. In the Eternal State (see my commentary on Revelation Fq – The Eternal State), believers will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads (Revelation 22:4a). Moses was closer to that day than any human who has ever lived, because God spoke to him face to face through the Sh’khinah glory.
When we consider the function of the Tabernacle, we quickly realize how the term Tent of Meeting is an appropriate description. If a man wanted to meet with God, he was to go to the Tabernacle. If a man had a petition for Ha’Shem, he brought his prayer to the Tabernacle. If a man wanted to give thanks to ADONAI, he brought a thanksgiving offering to the Tabernacle. Those seeking direction from the LORD brought their questions to the priests in the Tabernacle. A difficult legal problem or question of interpretation was brought before the Holy One in the Tabernacle. If God’s voice or a word of prophecy was sought, it was sought in the Tabernacle. If the covenant was to be renewed or restored, it was done in the Tabernacle. The Tabernacle was to be a place where the people came to meet with God.
Furthermore, the Torah commanded the men of Isra’el to present themselves before ADONAI in the Tabernacle three times a year: At the Festival of the Passover (see the commentary on Leviticus Ee – Pesach), at the Festival of Pentecost (see the commentary on Leviticus Ec – Hag Shavu’ot), and the Festival of Booths (see the commentary on Leviticus Eg – Hag Sukkot). It was mandatory for every able-bodied Israelite man to travel to the Temple to meet with God for those three pilgrimage festivals. The phrase Tent of Meeting is the Hebrew word moed, which is commonly translated as festival or appointed times. Therefore, remember that all of God’s festivals are appointed times. The Tabernacle (and later Jerusalem) is the appointed place at which the appointed times are to be celebrated. In as much as the appointed times are God’s designed times for meeting with His people, so too the Tabernacle (Jerusalem) is His designated place for meeting with them. Therefore, the Israelites were commanded to go to the Tent of Meeting (moed) and meet with ADONAI at three appointed times (moedim) every year: the moed of Pesach, the moed of Shavu’ot, and the moed of Sukkot.
The Tent of Meeting was to be a place where mankind and God met each other. We learn from this that God wants interaction with His people. He wants to “meet” with us, and He desires to do so at the appointed moed. When we show up to assemble and worship Him in community we are keeping the moed. To the best of our ability, we are entering the Tent of Meeting at the appointed time of meeting. When we keep the festivals, we are encountering ADONAI at His appointed time. We present ourselves before Him and celebrate our relationship with Him. Of course, we long for that day when Messiah reigns out of Jerusalem and all the Gentile nations will go up to the appointed place, Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, at the appointed time for the festival of Sukkot (Zechariah 14:16). Until then, we continue to meet Him wherever He will meet us.692
Do you know how the highest priest entered into the holy of holies? What is it crawling underneath the curtain, Traveling between two veils, or being transferred right through the curtain mystically? Thank you in advance for your answer. And I love reading this commentary on the Bible. Looking forward to your commentary on numbers as well.
The phrase “Tent of Meeting” can be confusing because it is used both for Moses’ tent of Meeting, which is explained in this file, and the Tabernacle itself. Normally, the only way you can tell the difference is by the context. So what I have done in my commentaries on the Torah, is to use the phrase “The Tabernacle,” instead so as to differentiate the two. As far as answering your question above, the high priest certainly did not crawl under the veil because he was carrying two handfuls of incense and a censer full of burning coals from the bronze altar into the Most Holy Place. the Bible doesn’t tell us how he got there. I don’t think he was transferred mystically. I assume there was a slit in the inner veil. But that is just conjecture. For some of the questions we have in this earth we will have to wait until we get to heaven to ask God. Personally, I can hardly wait.