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.
In the text we know that the first tabernacle was not placed in the middle of the people; it was “afar off from the camp.” To seek God, they had to leave their dwelling and make the journey. Though everyone was invited, Moses did not make it convenient. Prayer, supplication, and intercession was all a part of that first tabernacle which was also called the Tent of Meeting. It predated the Tabernacle of Moses which held the Table of Shewbread; the Golden Candlestick, and the Ark of the Covenant. This was a common place of prayer where everyone could make a conscious effort to come and pray.
I suppose that if there is a single thing that most separates us from every other generation, it is this matter of convenience. Jeroboam’s words echo in my ear, 1 Kings 12:28 “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.” Prayer and sacrifice; time and money; consecration and fasting have all been measured out like grain on a scale. On the other side lies the heavy weight of convenience and options. All of us enjoy the pleasures of technology. All of us look for ways to make life a little easier. Yet there are some things that must be pursued with fervency and will not come with comfort. Seeking the face of God; fasting food; an hour of prayer are all resisted by the flesh. The carnal nature will reject them and seek for something else, but if we are to find Him in the depth of His Spirit, we will have to humble ourselves and follow that well-worn path laid out by Moses; “everyone which sought the Lord went out…”
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole
One response to “I sought the Lord”
Great post!
Keep up the good writing.