Exo. 40:1-2, 34
And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying,
“On the day of the first month, on the first of the month, you shall set up the Dwelling place of the Tent of Meeting…”
Then a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of YHWH filled the Dwelling Place.”
Ten months after they arrived at the Sinai wilderness, Moses set up the Dwelling Place (also called the Tabernacle). This would be where the Tent of Meeting would reside for the next four hundred and seventeen years.
The term Tent of Meeting also called the tabernacle of the congregation, is mentioned 106 times in Scripture. It measured approximately nine feet by thirty feet and was constructed primarily of wooden planks and hand-woven curtains.
Before this tent was constructed, another tent served the same purpose.
Exo. 33:7, 9
And Moses took his tent, and pitched it outside the camp, far outside the camp, and called it the Tent of Meeting. And it came to pass, that everyone who sought YHWH went out to the Tent of Metting, which was outside the camp.
And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the Tent, and YHWH spoke with Moses.
YHWH Himself did not meet with Moses here. Instead, YHWH’s Messiah spoke with Moses “face to face, as friends would speak” (Exo. 33:11 cf. Exo 33:20, 23).
His Messiah told Moses that He would go before him and proclaim the name of YHWH.
Exo. 33:19
And He said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of YHWH before you…”
The next morning, He descended from heaven and proclaimed the Name. Exo. 34:5
And YHWH[’s Messiah] descended in the cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of YHWH.
And what did He say?
YHWH, YHWH, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands [of generations], forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin [of those who love Him] …” Exo. 34:7 cf. Deu. 7:9.
What does He do next? He makes a covenant with Moses and his people.
Behold, I make a covenant: before all your people…” Exo. 34:10-13 cf. Jdg. 2:1-3.
What does He do next? He makes a covenant with Moses and his people.
Exo. 34:10-13
[If we recall, YHWH had previously told Moses that He would send His Messenger to drive out these seven nations from the Land. Exo. 33:2. Cf. Exo. 23:20-33.]
We can see from the second chapter of the book of Judges that it was, in fact, YHWH’s Messenger who made this covenant with the people:
Jdg. 2:1-3
YHWH’s Messenger, who speaks the Words of His Father, said: “I will never break my covenant with you” (Jdg. 2:1. Cf. Exo. 34:10). YHWH has made this promise no less than five other times.
1. In Leviticus 26, He said: “I will not cast them away…or break my covenant with them”.
2. In Deuteronomy 4, speaking through His servant Moses, said: “He will not forsake you…nor
forget the covenant of your fathers which he swore unto them”.
3. In Jeremiah 31, He said: “If the sun, moon, stars, day and night depart from before Me… then
the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me forever”.
4. And again: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out
beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done”
5. In Jeremiah 33, He said: “If my covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not appointed
the ordinances of heaven and earth, then will I cast away the seed of Jacob…”
This Messenger, who has been given authority to forgive sins (Exo. 23:21), also said: “You shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this Land” (Jdg. 2:2; Exo. 23:32; 34:12).
He warned them that these seven nations, the original inhabitants of the Promised Land (Deu. 7:1; Act. 13:19), would eventually turn His people’s hearts away from following Him. Jdg. 2:3; Exo. 23:33; 34:12. Cf. Num. 33:55; Deu. 7:4.