Exodus 33:7-11 (NKJV)

 Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door. So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.        

Until the formal tabernacle is built, Moses’s tent will do. For now, it’s the place to meet with God. Of course, if God doesn’t relent from His declared punishment, there won’t be many meetings and there won’t be any need for the real tabernacle. Israel is on the bubble, and Moses needs some serious facetime with the LORD to try and work this out.

Notice the high level of security. Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp. When Moses went to the tent, each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. When he left, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. The tent is well secluded and well-guarded. It sure looks like they’re nervous.

Good. They should be. These are the ultimate closed-door meetings.

But Moses is the perfect guy to try and work this out. The LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And when God showed up, the people did the right thing. All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each man in his tent door.

God will ultimately relent, but this is a killer of a wake-up call.

Speaking to God face-to-face would be paradise. We won’t get that in this life, but we should long for it.

Every Christian prays. We’re especially faithful when asking God for favors. Those prayers are OK, but a heart for prayer is a heart that seeks God’s face.

Here’s a prayer to try. Think of a topic where you need the LORD’s guidance. Bring that up before Him and then get as quiet as you can and try to discern His will. Concentrate on just listening. If you get distracted – I get distracted by my heartbeat – just keep trying.

Though this prayer can be magnificent, at some point you may get frustrated. That’s okay. This should morph into long-term awareness. God’s answer may come much later, when you least expect it.

This is sometimes called “practicing the presence of God.” Seek His face always, not just in prayer.

The weekly study guides, which include discussion questions, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies