There are several times in the Old Testament where God specifically told the Israelites to move their tents. One of the most significant times was at Mt Sinai.
When the Israelites left Egypt, they were simply a tribe of Hebrew people. As they travelled, they could place their tents wherever they wanted to. But everything changed at Mt Sinai. Firstly, God changed aspects of their identity at Mt Sinai. In Exodus 19:4-8 God calls them to be His people – a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. And the people respond with a resounding “yes” to God’s call.
What follows is an incredible revelation from God as to how they are to live in response to God’s call. Moses spends 40 days and nights on the mountain where God shows him all the intricate details regarding the tabernacle. Following this revelation, they needed to spend significant time at the base of the mountain, building the tabernacle, before they moved on. Israel’s experience of God’s presence on Mt Sinai was not to be left behind when they travelled further, and this took some time to implement. They were at Mt Sinai for 2 years, 2 months and 20 days (Numbers 10:11).
God in the midst
Previously the pillar of cloud/fire was in front of them, but was not inside the camp. With the erecting of the tabernacle, God’s presence came to be in a new place. It came into the centre of the camp, which meant it was also in the centre of their everyday lives.
This was a much closer relationship with God than they had before. And what was ‘normal’ had to be redefined because of this new closeness of God.
Tent moving day for the Israelites
In order to accommodate the tabernacle and God’s presence in this new way, the Israelites had to rearrange their whole camp (Numbers 2). There was a reallocation of where they placed their tents (i.e. on which side of the tabernacle). They could no longer pitch their tents wherever they wanted.
Additionally, every tent door had to face the tabernacle. Where they pitched their tent and even the way it faced, was now defined by the presence of God in their midst. This was a whole new order, given by God Himself.
Even when they broke camp and moved on, they had a different model to follow (Numbers 10:11-28). Previously they were a rag-tag tribe. There was no particular order as they moved camp. Now, God was forming them into a nation, and a priesthood (Exodus 19:6), and this required a new order and even a new level of discipline. They couldn’t go back to their old ‘tribal’ mindset or approach.
Tent moving day for us
In many ways, the church of today has been sitting at the base of Mt Sinai as God has been resetting us. This is a new era, and that requires some adjustments on our part.
This is more than just rearranging how things are done. It also affects our mindset, the way we think about what we do, and even who we are as the people of God. The new pattern God required of the Israelites affected every family and every single person, and it’s the same for us. God’s pattern and model for this new era requires an adjustment of our thinking and our attitudes.
It also requires us to give up every other thing we have faced our tent towards – even seemingly good things. Personal preference no longer has a place, and that can be quite confronting!
But remember that the changes God is asking of us are for a purpose. We are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). So let’s make sure we are fully aligned with our calling. Let’s ensure our “tent doors” are always facing Him – that He is the first thing we wake up to in the morning; He is the One we centre our whole day around; and His presence is the last thing we are aware of when we go to bed at night. And if He isn’t, then perhaps we need to move our tent?
