Question 1

Why did Moses pitch the tabernacle outside the camp in this passage?

Accepted Answer

Moving the tent outside the camp was a sign that God was displeased with the people after their sin. God had promised to live among them, but now the meeting place is set “afar off,” showing that their sin has created distance. At the same time, the tent is still there and still called the tent of meeting, so there is also a door of hope. God has not fully left them. They are humbled by seeing what they have lost, yet they can still seek the Lord by going out toward that place.

Question 2

What does it mean that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle?

Accepted Answer

This line shows that anyone among the people who truly wanted to seek God could go out toward the tent. They could pray, confess their sin, and look to God for guidance and mercy. They did not go inside with Moses, but stepping out of the camp toward the tent showed repentance and longing for God’s presence again. It was a way of admitting that their sin had made the camp unclean, and that they needed God to come back and dwell among them in peace.

Question 3

Why did all the people stand at their tent doors and watch Moses?

Accepted Answer

When Moses went out to the tent, everyone rose and stood at their own tent doors, watching him until he entered. Earlier they had taken him lightly, but now they show respect and dependence on him as their mediator. They follow him with their eyes because their hope with God rests on his going in before the Lord. When they see the cloud come down to meet Moses, they worship from their doorways, showing both fear and hope as they wait to see if God will be reconciled to them.

Question 4

What is the cloudy pillar that stands at the door of the tabernacle?

Accepted Answer

The cloudy pillar is the visible sign of God’s presence that had led Israel on their journey. In this scene, it comes down from above and stands at the entrance of the tent when Moses goes in. That shows that God Himself is meeting Moses there and listening to him. The people can see the cloud at the door, which gives them hope that God has not abandoned them. It is also a reminder that God is holy, near enough to help, yet not to be treated lightly after their idolatry.

Question 5

What does it mean that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend?

Accepted Answer

“Face to face” here means that God spoke with Moses in a close and clear way, not through dreams, riddles, or distant signs. It was like a man talking with his friend, open and direct. It does not mean Moses saw all of God’s glory, but that he had a special nearness and favor that others did not have. This shows how kind God was to Moses and, through him, to Israel, since their hopes rested on a mediator who could speak with God in such a familiar way.

Question 6

Who is Joshua in this passage, and why does he not depart from the tabernacle?

Accepted Answer

Joshua is called Moses’ servant and the son of Nun. He is the younger man who assists Moses and has already led the people in battle. Here we are told that he did not depart from the tent. This shows that he was closely tied to the place where God’s presence was shown and where Moses met with God. It hints at the special role he would later have. It also shows that the tent was not left empty while the cloud of God’s glory stood there, but was carefully attended.

Question 7

What does this scene teach about God’s presence and human sin?

Accepted Answer

This scene shows that sin brings distance between God and His people. The tent is moved outside the camp, and the people can only watch from their doors. Yet God is still willing to meet with Moses, speak kindly with him, and listen about the people. So we see both God’s holiness and His readiness to show mercy. He does not ignore their sin, but He also does not cut them off completely. Through a mediator, there is a path back to His favor and nearness.

Question 8

How might believers today relate to the people worshipping at their tent doors?

Accepted Answer

The people could not walk right into the tent where God met Moses, yet they stood at their tent doors and worshipped when they saw the cloud. They honored God from where they were, humbled by their sin but still looking toward His presence. In a similar way, when we feel the weight of our failures, we do not need to hide from God. We can turn toward Him, admit our wrong, and worship with reverence, trusting that He still hears us through the One who stands between us and God.

Exodus 33:7

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

The Tent of Meeting

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Exodus 33:7

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

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The Tent of Meeting

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