Tent of Meeting

In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the Lord. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. Exodus 27:21

The ‘tent of meeting’ was inside the boundaries of the Tabernacle area instituted in the time of Moses, from the instructions from God Himself, for the Israelites. It was always set up at the direct center of their camp whenever they moved to another place in the wilderness. The ‘tent of meeting’ held the holy place and the holy of holies where the Arc of the Covenant was held. The Arc of the Covenant held the stones of the 10 commandments. If you want to, you can read from Exodus chapter 25 on about all the instructions Moses was given about this place.

Basically the tent of meeting was the very ‘heart’ of the community. It was the most protected and revered place among the Israelites. What should be our most protected part of us? Our own heart within us. Not just the organ in our body but what is likened to as our ‘spirit’ which is the place where we have our ‘free will’ to choose and make our decisions about what we hold most dear to us. Now we live under the New Covenant brought to us by our high Priest Jesus, by His sacrifice, which allows the new ‘temple’ (dwelling place of God’s Spirit) to actually be within our own bodies. We must now learn how to choose and make decisions by His wishes for us. This will require an intimate strong relationship with Him, and learning to hear His Voice within us.

The term ‘church’ in Greek in the new testament is ‘ekklesia’ which basically is the community of believers, NOT a building. The dwelling place of God is NOW within those who meet together, it’s no longer inherently in a building or tent. The ‘tent of meeting’ is NOW in our own body. But how many actually come to ‘meet’ with God from their most inner heart? Most people now a days have difficulty being honest with themselves. How then will they actually be honest with God? So what happens then? It becomes a religion, and set of practices, a tradition, steps, and rituals. They actually never enter the ‘tent of meeting’ (their own heart) to meet with God. So you can sit in a building titled ‘Church’ for YEARS and never actually meet with God. Because NOW you must meet Him honestly in your inner most heart (the real tent of meeting).

I’ve written about your ‘secret place’, which is where you should be meeting with God / Holy Spirit, where you pray, talk, converse, ask questions, listen to His instruction and correction. That ‘secret place’ within you actually is now the ‘tent of meeting’. How often are you going to your ‘secret place’ to meet with Him? Or are you just doing the religious thing and sitting in a building once a week? Just going through the motions of rituals and traditions.

Is Jesus knocking on the door of your heart, your ‘secret place’, wanting you to join Him in the ‘tent of meeting’ of your person? Are you ignoring the quiet whispers of invitation of the Holy Spirit to ‘come away’ with Him’? Are you purposely setting yourself in the ‘tent of meeting’ (your heart) to want to speak with Him, and spend time asking Him what He wants? Or are you just more comfortable doing the religious thing?

Jesus said …

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. Revelation 3:20

This was said in the letter to the church that met in Loadicea. So many use this verse as a ‘word’ to the ‘unbeliever’ as a ‘salvation’ call. But it was directed to supposed believers!

Could this ‘word’ from Jesus actually apply to yourself and those that you meet with every Sunday?