Where in the Exodus narrative is it mentioned that the "tent of meeting", or for that matter Moses tent, is in the midst of the camp? It seems from the narrative that it was the practice of Moses to erect this tent outside the camp. Was this the tabernacle? Can you enlighten me?
When considering the location of the “tent of meeting”, we must first keep in mind the terms and definitions being used as well as a timeline of events, which we will discuss in a moment. The Hebrew word for “tent of meeting” is ohel (אֹ֫הֶל) and this word, depending on the context, can either mean a tent for dwelling or it could mean a tabernacle. This can become a bit confusing because the Hebrew word for Tabernacle is miskan (מִשְׁכָּן), and both the “tent of meeting” and the Tabernacle were identified as tent structures. So, within the Exodus narrative, one must be able to identify the clear separation between the two tents. This distinction is evident in Exodus 25-31, where the detailed plans for the Tabernacle were established for a future point in Israel’s wilderness wanderings. In the meantime, we are told that Moses interfaces with the Lord in this “tent of meeting”, especially given the fact that up to this point, the Tabernacle has not yet been built (its construction takes place in Exodus 40). Therefore, it is clear to see that the “tent of meeting” and the Tabernacle are not the same, yet they function in a similar way.
This smaller tent (the tent of meeting) is used as a meeting place for:
1. Moses to meet God “face to face” (regarding friendship),
2. A place for the people to worship the Lord,
3. And a place for God to descend and dwell with the people and lead them day by day.
Eventually, this small, portable tent, or tent of meeting (ohel), would be replaced by the Tabernacle, where the Lord would dwell semi-permanently in their midst. The Exodus narrative clarifies that the Lord desired to dwell among the people and would do so within the physical structure known as the Tabernacle. Exodus 25:7 says the following:
Exodus 25:8 (NASB95) “Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them.
The word sanctuary in Hebrew is miqdas (מִקְדָּשׁ) which means a consecrated place where deity dwells. So, this is the place (known as the Tabernacle) where the Lord desired to dwell among the people (Ex.25:8), and this structure would be established at the center of the Israelite camp (Numbers 2:2). However, as noted earlier, the Tabernacle (Ohel Moed Tabernacle) has not yet been built. Therefore the means of Moses’ interaction with the Lord would occur in a different temporary structure. Many commentators and scholars have debated as to which “tent” this was. Was it Moses’ personal tent or a separate tent that he would use to interact with Yahweh? However, when you examine the original language in Exodus 33:8 it becomes clear that this tent is not one that is dwelling in the center of the Israelite camp. We are told in Exodus 33:7 that Moses would go outside the camp to “pitch the tent”. Moreover, the word for the phrase “used to take” is the Hebrew word lqh (לקח). This word is in the imperfect tense which means that every time Moses went to consult the Lord, or the Lord desired to speak to Moses, that Moses would leave the camp to commune with the Lord, face to face (Ex.33:8). Remember, that the prompting of this removal of the tent at a far distance from the camp is sparked by the Israelite's sin of idolatry regarding the golden calf (Exodus 32). It is from their sin that the Lord’s anger brews to the point that He mentions He would not dwell in their midst, speaking about the Tabernacle (Ohel Moed Tabernacle), which was to be in the middle of the camp at a later point. It is important to note that the Lord threatening the removal of His presence from the midst of the camp was not a permanent removal, but rather Him manifesting His presence at a distance as He had done with the temporary tent Moses carried.
Ultimately, what we see happening from the Exodus narrative, from Mt. Sinai to the point of the Tabernacle’s erection (Exodus 40), is the Lord dealing with the people’s sin of idolatry and His presence being manifested, due to their sin, at a distance – which prompts Moses’ interaction with the Lord to be done at a distance in an effort, and a demonstration of mercy, to prevent them from dying because of His Holiness. Because God cannot dwell where there is sin, fellowship would be broken, therefore causing the people to have to seek the Lord “outside” of the camp instead of in their midst.
