Daily Journal: 24 May

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Exodus 33:7-11 (NCV)

Moses used to take a tent and set it up a long way outside the camp; he called it the “Meeting Tent.” Anyone who wanted to ask the Lord about something would go to the Meeting Tent outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances of their tents, watching him until he entered the Meeting Tent. When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud would always come down and stay at the entrance of the Tent while the Lord spoke with Moses. Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the Tent, they stood and worshiped, each person at the entrance of his own tent. The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but Moses’ young helper, Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent.

The meeting tent was set up outside of the camp, where people could go and ask something of the Lord. It wasn’t set up inside the camp, amongst everyone. It had a separate place.

When Moses went into the Tent of Meeting, the spirt of God would descend. Joshua, Moses’ protégé, was able to go into the tent with Moses and even after Moses left to return to the camp, Joshua would stay.

Why did Joshua stay? Why would I have stayed?

Why else but to soak up the presence of God? To be washed in it. To be enveloped and absorbed by it. To enquire of the Lord. I imagine he was filled with awe as he watched Moses talk with God. What did the presence of God feel like in the tent of meeting? Joshua didn’t want to leave. Or maybe he couldn’t leave, having experienced the weight of God’s glory. He was being shaped and produced into what he needed to be for when he was to lead Israel. Did he know his destiny? Did God prepare him quietly as he stayed behind?

Hebrews 13:12-13 (NLT)

So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. So let us go out to him, outside the camp,

We are called outside of the camp as well, to be made holy, to be separated from the thinking and the control of the world’s influence. We are called outside of the camp where we can stay in God’s Presence and be shaped and influenced by God. Imagine that.