Day 4 – Outside the Camp
Jul 30, 2025
4 mins | Fasting & Prayer
Day 4 “Outside the Camp” – Exodus 33:7-11
In Exodus 33 the people of Israel were camped out in the desert, waiting to go into the promise land. During that waiting period, Moses would pitch a tent outside the camp, which he called “the tent of meeting.” It was there that he would spend time seeking the Lord.
The Jewish Talmud tells us this private tent of meeting was just over a half mile outside the camp. As Moses walked there, all the people would stand at the entrance of their tents to watch him leave (v.8). As he walked out of the camp there had to be a million things on his mind. He would have passed people awaiting his decision on important matters, people who needed a word from God, people who were angry with him, or people who just wanted to know when they would leave the desert. Despite all his responsibilities, Moses left all the distractions behind, got outside the camp, and spent time in the presence of the Lord.
Scripture says, “Inside the Tent of Meeting, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (v.11 NLT). In Hebrew, the word used for face symbolizes not just the appearance of someone, but the very essence of a person. It identifies who they really are. Moses did not just seek the hand of God, but he sought to really know God.
During this time of fasting and prayer, we are not just going without certain foods, we are setting aside time to intentionally seek the face of God. For Moses, it was a specific place, far away from distractions so that he could do the one thing that changed everything, spending time with the Lord.
For you, that may mean finding a place to pray which is away from the distractions of home or work; no phone, no notifications, just time with the Lord. For some, getting outside the camp may mean waking up before anyone in your house and seeking the Lord. It could be fasting lunch and spending your noon hour praying.
However you choose to do it, let’s take time to intentionally get outside the camp during this fast and seek the face of God.
