I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 33-35.

In this passage it refers to Moses going out to the Tent of Meeting then a little later mentions Moses telling people to bring offerings for building the Tabernacle.  Yet later in the Bible the Tabernacle is referred to as the Tent of Meeting.  So, what does this mean?  Well, the Tabernacle was overseen by the priests, but this Tent of Meeting appears to have been Moses’ special province.  My reading suggests that the Tent of Meeting referred to here was a tent which Moses set up outside the camp to go to to speak with God.  Later, the Tabernacle took over that purpose, once it was completed.  Now I find it interesting that Moses went back and forth from the Tent of Meeting and the camp, but Joshua appears to have lived there.   It appears to me that Joshua spending all of his time in the Tent of Meeting served two purposes.  First, since the Tent of Meeting was outside the camp someone needed to be there to take care of the tent and ensure that it was secured against weather.  That was Joshua’s job.  Second, and more important, Joshua was training to become Moses’ successor.  He needed to spend time there studying and learning to do God’s will.  By maintaining a separation from the rest of the camp, Joshua was able to develop his skills without the distractions of the camp.