Spirit Man or Soul Man?

Tuesday, October 8, 2019  

Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lord went out to [that temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

I love this passage of Scripture. The entire chapter is embedded with prophetic symbolism. Years ago a friend of mine said, Sometimes you have to go outside of the camp to get the camp outside of you. I didn’t understand what he said then until much later. Now it makes perfect sense. WE have to pitch our own personal tent far away from the hustle and bustle of the camp – even the priestly tabernacle. A Word of warning here. Many will use this as an argument to avoid the priestly tent of gathering with other saints. But it’s not an “either- or” scenario but “both, and “and.” 

It’s interesting that Moses pitched his tent far off from the camp. There are several things I see here. For many of us God feels far away, distant, and isolated. So what better way to get to Him than to go out of your way, traveling some distance, to isolate yourself and seek Him? To meet Him where He’s at?This isn’t a geographical journey, like I’m arguing fro some spiritual vacation. No, it’s “traveling” through the early morning hours, while everyone else is sleeping to seek to be with Him. It’s going to an isolated spot in your house like a clothes closet or even a garage or car. The lesson being that we travel out of our way, beyond the reach of our comfort, to get to where He is. 

Notice that this tent was erected only for those who were seeking God. True, born-again believers are super natural seekers. It’s in your spiritual DNA. Though there are many more parallels regarding personal, isolated time with the Lord, going the distance, and such, and so on and so forth to discover I encourage you to seek for your own revelation regarding this passage, and practice them.

One more detail. Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses returned to the camp, but his minister Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the [temporary prayer] tent. The young man, not the old, remains in the tent. Romans 6:6 states: We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 

Our old self, is our old man, but our born-again spirit is the new man; the younger man. It is this one who seeks to remain in the tent of meeting. It is this one who goes out of his way to seek God. It is this one who goes the distance. It is this one who makes the time to isolate themselves from the distractions of the camp.