“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.”
—Exodus 29:45
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
—Exodus 33:7
And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.
—Leviticus 4:21
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
—Hebrews 13:11-14
The Lord walked among the trees of the Garden in Eden. But humans rebelled.
The Lord offered to dwell among the Israelites after setting them free from Egyptian oppression. But they rebelled. Moses met with the Lord at the tent of meeting, outside the camp, and interceded with the Lord on behalf of disobedient Israel. Even the second-hand glory of his being with the Lord filled the people with fear.
When the tabernacle was completed and assembled, the glory of the Lord filled it. Not even Moses was able to enter. Similarly, when the ark was placed in the temple that Solomon had built, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests were not able to “stand to minister”.
It is a fearful thing for fallible flesh and blood to try to be in the presence of the Lord. Much more so for those who, like Eve and Adam, like the Israelites with their golden calf, like those whose abominations drove the Lord away from His sanctuary in the visions of Ezekiel.
The Lord came again to be with His people, but Luke records that when He announced His fulfillment of prophecy, His own people “drove him out of the town”. Eventually the leaders conspired to kill Him. Outside the city.
The Revelation of John echoes with the song of Jerusalem as the place in which the Lord dwells with His people, the place to which He gathers the outcasts and brokenhearted and wounded. But until New Jerusalem, His people who seek Him go where He is.
Outside
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.
—Psalm 147:2-3
“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God.”
—Exodus 29:45
Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.
—Exodus 33:7
And he shall carry the bull outside the camp and burn it up as he burned the first bull; it is the sin offering for the assembly.
—Leviticus 4:21
For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
—Hebrews 13:11-14
The Lord walked among the trees of the Garden in Eden. But humans rebelled.
The Lord offered to dwell among the Israelites after setting them free from Egyptian oppression. But they rebelled. Moses met with the Lord at the tent of meeting, outside the camp, and interceded with the Lord on behalf of disobedient Israel. Even the second-hand glory of his being with the Lord filled the people with fear.
When the tabernacle was completed and assembled, the glory of the Lord filled it. Not even Moses was able to enter. Similarly, when the ark was placed in the temple that Solomon had built, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The priests were not able to “stand to minister”.
It is a fearful thing for fallible flesh and blood to try to be in the presence of the Lord. Much more so for those who, like Eve and Adam, like the Israelites with their golden calf, like those whose abominations drove the Lord away from His sanctuary in the visions of Ezekiel.
The Lord came again to be with His people, but Luke records that when He announced His fulfillment of prophecy, His own people “drove him out of the town”. Eventually the leaders conspired to kill Him. Outside the city.
The Revelation of John echoes with the song of Jerusalem as the place in which the Lord dwells with His people, the place to which He gathers the outcasts and brokenhearted and wounded. But until New Jerusalem, His people who seek Him go where He is.
Outside.