"Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting" (Ex. 33:7a).
To add to Israel’s humiliation, Moses took his tent, not his personal tent, but the tent where he enquired of God, and pitched it far from the camp. This signified that the Israelites had rendered themselves unworthy of it, and that, unless peace was made between them and God, it would return to them no more. God would make known that Jehovah is far from the wicked. While the Lord is sovereign over all creation, over the evil and the good, He does not bless the wicked with His presence, with His fatherly love. This love is reserved for the righteous, for those He has chosen to be His own and has adopted into His family. But those whose hearts are far from Him, who remain in sin and rebellion, cannot ascend His holy hill and commune with Him.
We do not know exactly what this tent looked like. Perhaps it was a plan, or a model, of the tabernacle that was afterwards to be erected, a simple pattern of what Moses saw on the mount. This was set up at a distance so the people would grieve over the loss of the glorious tabernacle that was to be erected among them. They would have enjoyed the blessings of the ordinances and the joy of going before the Lord if only they had resisted their lusts and forsaken their vanities.
But notice that encouragement still could be found during this dark time in Israel’s history. Though the tabernacle was removed, everyone who wanted to seek the Lord was welcome to follow Moses outside the camp. Private persons, as well as Moses, were invited and encouraged to appeal to God. A place was appointed for them to go outside the camp and to solicit God’s return to them. Every Israelite who sincerely sought the Lord was welcome to this tabernacle.
The same is true for us today. If we humble ourselves and confess our sins, the Lord is faithful to forgive us and to remember our sins no more. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus assured them that those who enquired of the Lord would be heard: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matt. 7:7–8). Though distance has come between you and the Lord because of your sin, do not delay in going to Him in a posture of sincerity and humility.
How many people do you know who are estranged from the Lord, who used to follow His ways but are now unrepentant? Pray for those people today. Ask God to draw them to Himself, to convict them of their need of reconciliation, and to bring them to the Cross with sincere and humble hearts so they can find forgiveness in Christ.
