His Dwelling Place

Author: Joseph

Date: July 29, 2018

Israel sinned against God by creating the idol of the golden calf. In justified anger, God told Moses He would destroy Israel for their sin, but Moses interceded on their behalf, and they were spared. Moses destroyed the calf and those that were worshipping it were killed by the Levites. Israel was facing great distress because of this sin.

"Israel was full of sin and would bring about their own destruction..."

God commanded Moses to go up to the land of promise and that the nations that were before them would be driven out. God, however, was not willing to go up with the Israelites. He said, “I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you on the way” (Exodus 33:3). Israel’s inability to obey God was a great weakness. It is not that God was looking for a reason to destroy them, rather, that Israel was full of sin and would bring about their own destruction by their evil deeds. God, thinking on their behalf, did not want to go with them.

Israel mourned, realizing that God had chosen to not go with them into the land of promise. Their idol could not lead them into the promise land, and now God, the only One who could, was not willing to because of their sin. Moses, for their sake, would speak to God again. Moses set up a tent outside of the camp of Israel and called it the “tent of meeting,” which is exactly what it was – a place where he would meet and speak with God (Exodus 33:7). When Moses was entering the tent of meeting, all of Israel would stand at the entrance of their own tents and watch him. As soon as Moses entered the tent and the cloud appeared at the entrance, the people of Israel worshipped God.

Moses interceded for Israel again, and God was pleased to go with Israel into the land of promise. The stone tablets, which were previously broken because of Israel’s idolatry, were restored, and the covenant was written again. Israel responded by now obeying God’s instruction and began to construct the tent of meeting that God had previously commanded. Each man among the assembly gave willingly from his resources. They gave plentiful resources and were even told to stop giving because there was more than enough given to construct the tabernacle and all its parts.

Israel watched Moses from afar as he would go outside the camp and speak with God in a tent. God was not among Israel because they continually disobeyed and rejected Him. Israel consistently tested God, rejected His act of saving them from Egypt, and even made an idol. When Israel realized God would not follow them into the land of promise, they mourned, repented, and sought Him eagerly. Moses, acting as a mediator, spoke with God and God was pleased to forgive Israel and be among them. Israel, in gratitude and in love, gave their best efforts in resourcing and constructing a place where God could dwell among them. They prepared their hearts in repentance and prepared their lives by doing as God commanded.

No longer would Israel have to watch in uncertainty as Moses walked away outside the camp. Now Moses and the priesthood of Aaron would serve in the tent of meeting in the center of Israel’s camp. God was no longer an outsider to Israel.

Do you place God outside of the focus of your life? Is He an outsider to you? If seeking God seems like a task of uncertainty and fear, it is because you have not yet prepared yourself in humility to fully accept Him as God. Israel had come to realize that there was no way to survive the harsh world around them and that without God, their purpose would quickly fail. Entering the land of promise would only result in good if God was among them. Even if you think you can achieve your goals on your own, those goals are meaningless if they do not serve God’s will and purpose for you. Re-evaluate your life and see if God is your focus, or if He is an outsider.

Bible Passage: Exodus 33:1 – 40:34

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB). www.lockman.org