Safe in the Camp

 Safe In the Camp

Exodus 32, 33

So, I had gotten finagled into a religion discussion with a customer. (Something I sincerely avoid.) He's a regular, I know him to be a professing Christian and he's always, though dry of humor, very amiable toward me.

He has brought up things regarding our Lord to me before, but, this particular night, he started asking me, shall we say, questions on the matter of religion, church, etc. I can't remember exactly the evolution of the discussion, but I wound up asking him some questions that garnered some telling responses.

He said much in the course of the conversation about how open minded he is and expressed the same about his church. (The local First Baptist. But of course!) He continued that he is also a deacon at that particular congregation.

I think the conversation was begun with me responding to a remark by him, making some silly comments about my beliefs being outside the mainstream of orthodox thought. I might've referred, euphemistically, to my thoughts as being "strange" to most people.

He assured me that he was of his own mind and that he didn't have any problem disagreeing or hold anything against those who do. I doubted his illumination.

His defense was one I'd heard from hundreds of Christians about their welcomeness to contrary thought. They all seem to boldly state their independence of belief and tolerance for heterodoxical thinking.

I began, as gently as I knew how, to question his and his church's alleged open-mindedness. I wondered out loud that, if one of their own was to doubt, disagree or, at least, seriously question the doctrines normally accepted among the circle he goes round in, would they be all that accepting. He assured me they would.

Me being me, I thought that I might put him to the test. So, I began to ask a series of eschatological questions that I felt certain would get the Fundamentalist accepted answers that I expected. I was not disappointed.

My hooks were well-baited. 

"Do you think the anti-christ is alive today and possibly living somewhere in Europe?"

"Do you believe there'll be a seven year Tribulation when the church is called out?"

"Do you believe Christ and the church will reign in Jerusalem for a thousand years upon their return?"

I might've asked a couple more questions, all along that line, but I got what I was looking for. He answered in the affirmative his basic agreement with the concepts and doctrines I was asserting with my little pop quiz. Of course, he was slightly defensive, saying he didn't give that sort of thing much thought, but that it wasn't the most important point of Christianity. (Basically, words to that affect.) He fell right into my trap!

This is where I apologized for my insincerity. I explained to him that I was just checking to see if he was standing where I already assumed he stood. He did.

I vainly tried to express to him that he was safely in the camp. Sure, he might not have invested hundreds of hours of study in these particular matters, but he was always faithful to the accepted orthodoxy. He would never give any real consideration to viable alternatives. Yes, he would give lip-service to the possibility of other ideas, but he would know no details or doctrines and, in his heart of hearts, should he give it any thought at all, would dismiss any other lines of thinking out of hand.

Sadly, most Christians are "safe in the camp." Like the Israelites of old, they huddle together, avoiding gentiles like leprosy and look out at those who are any different as no more than mistakes to be ignored. Or disposed of.

The problem with being safe in the camp, though, is that God, is, in actuality, not in the camp. He's outside the camp.

After Moses had received the Ten Commandments, he returned from Mt. Sanai only to find the children of Israel involved in a raucous party and worshiping a golden calf. Punishments were meted out and the people paid the price. He then relayed the plans for the temple, which was promptly placed outside of the camp. Not in the middle, where it would be surrounded by the people, but outside of the camp.

This was obviously an abbreviated version of a long story, but the point remains that the forlorn children of Israel, instead of having the Temple, ergo, God, in the middle of their camp, it was placed outside of the camp where they would be forced to leave the comfort of friend and family to seek God elsewhere. Yes, friends and family were good, they knew of God, but God was not there. They could stay comfortably in the camp or could seek God where He may be found.

This, actually, was against God's design, but was still part of His plan. Much like Adam and Eve were designed for a garden, God knew what was coming and it all fit perfectly, completely into His plan. As my brother says, "God has no plan B."

As the Children of Israel were unprepared to hear the Voice of God speaking from Sinai, neither were they ready to have the Tabernacle of God in their midst. One day, though, the Tabernacle of God would be with men. Then men would not have to seek God, for God would be in us. 

Hallelujah! That days is here!

Exodus 33:7 KJV

And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.

Revelation 21:3 KJV

And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.