New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Exodus 33:7–11)

7 Now Moses used to take athe tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And beveryone who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.8 And it came about, whenever Moses went out to the tent, that all the people would arise and stand, each at the entrance of his tent, and gaze after Moses until he entered the tent.9 Whenever Moses entered the tent, athe pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent; band 1the LORD would speak with Moses.10 When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would arise and worship, each at the entrance of his tent.11 Thus athe LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When 1Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Title:

In the Tent

Contextualize

Joshua’s Humble Beginnings

Most know Joshua from his time in the promised land:

Spy with Caleb or as leader of Israel.

He’s only mentioned a few other times in Exodus and Deuteronomy, like our text tonight.

In fact, he is usually mentioned as either an accessory or an after-thought.

He is usually Joshua “the servant of Moses”

He did important things:

Defended Moses’ position as leader

In Numbers 11 he heard there were others prophesying, he told Moses to stop them, but Moses told him, Num 11:29 “29 But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!””

Fought the amalekites

Ex. 17

This is where Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses, but Joshua was the one fighting in the valley.

This is the life of Joshua…

No one believed his report about the Promised Land…

No one gave him credit for the battle with the amalekites…

Yet! He persisted…

Platform, but no presence

In today’s age, you can take a video and that video can give you 15 minutes of fame quicker than ever in the history of the world. You can go viral over night. But what I’m seeing more and more is that this same pattern is being manipulated by people who think they have something important to say just because it’s them saying it…

There are people who have a pulpit and a following, they’ve built a platform, but they lack the Presence...

They’ve put together a program, but without the Presence…

They can preach and teach and have more degrees than a thermometer, but not a drop of oil…

I need the anointing on my life! I need His Presence guiding me!

Information can be useful. Knowledge can be indispensable… But the anointing breaks the yolk of bondage.

There are too many churches that have become social clubs where people get together and have a good time, but walk out the same.

Fellowship is good and necessary, but without the Presence of God, we are just a country club.

I believe if the Church in America today would get herself aligned again with the Presence of God, we could see an awakening that is long overdue.

If we could get away from backbiting and gossip and instead uplifting one another in prayer… We could see the country turned upside down!

If the church would re-establish her relationship with the Word rather than reciting what another preacher told them, we could win the battle for this generation…

If we could work together across denominational lines, racial boundaries, theological disagreements, and BE THE BODY AGAIN… We could see REVIVAL!

Joshua was barely mentioned, never the star, yet persisted in the Presence until the appointed time.

If we are to see success in the Body, each part must remember that we need one another and we need the Presence of God evident in our lives.

Glory without Credit

If God called you to a life without credit, would it be enough?

Joshua was barely mentioned, but we are told something significant in our text:

Exodus 33:11 NASB95

11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent.

Joshua was in the Tent

I just want to be in the tent…

Moses would leave and go deliver what God said to the people, but Joshua would not depart from the tent!

I was birthed in revival… I’ve traveled as an evangelist. I held a revival in my first semester in college, and I traveled with another evangelist as his assistant for several years.

I’ve been in a LOT of powerful services where the presence of God was tangible…

i.e. prayer meetings with the guys…

In the best meetings where God moved in a mighty way, it was usually after the schedule had run out, and those who didn’t really want to be there had left…

God would show up again and those who persisted in His Presence would experience Him anew.

Have you ever noticed when there’s a service where God moves and people experience the presence of God, no one wants to leave?

Joshua would not depart from the tent where the Presence of God had come down.

Here’s what I find out when I started reading about Joshua… This isn’t his first experience with the Presence of God…

Exodus 24:12–14 NASB95

12 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.” 13 So Moses arose with Joshua his servant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 But to the elders he said, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a legal matter, let him approach them.”

Joshua was on the Mountain

Joshua went up the mountain and waited with Moses for six days before Moses was allowed to enter the cloud of the Presence of God.

Then, Joshua waited there until Moses came out of the cloud 40 days later…

All the while, looking on the Presence of God.

He was the first to see the face of Moses when he came out of the presence of God with his face a glow…

So when he finds out that Moses is meeting with God in the tent, it’s no wonder he refused to depart from the tent!

I waited all that time on the mountain, sitting just outside the presence, but now I want to be in the tent!

Call for Band

I need His Presence on my life! I need to be in the tent!

Psalm 27:4 NASB95

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.

Psalm 27:1–3 NASB95

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.

Psalm 27:5 NASB95

5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Psalm 91:1–7 NASB95

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!” 3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. 5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; 6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. 7 A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you.

In His Presence…

Liberty:

2 Corinthians 3:17 NASB95

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Home:

2 Corinthians 5:8 NASB95

8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Fullness of joy:

Psalm 16:11 NASB95

11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Times of Refreshing:

Acts 3:19 NASB95

19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

Jesus provided the way into His Presence…

Hebrews 10:19 NASB95

19 Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus,

Joshua’s Persistence in the Presence provided the assurance he needed to lead Israel into the promised land…

Joshua 1:9 NASB95

9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

This is a parallel to the command we are given in Matthew:

Matthew 28:19–20 NASB95

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I am with you always… I am with you wherever you Go…

We no longer have to look to a temple to see the presence of God, we are the temple of God…

Because of the way Jesus provided into the Presence of God, we are in His presence wherever we go....

We must remember that we are carriers of His presence....

Now, instead of being in the tent… We are the tent… And someone will see the presence of God through you…

Persist in His Presence… Take His presence with you…

Altar Call is for empowerment as the early church…