Entrance Tent of Meeting אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד

We are in chapter seventeen of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד entrance of the tent of meeting. It is used 20 times in the Old Testament, 4 times in our chapter. Let’s start in our chapter since it is the first time it is used in the Bible and the most often. Leviticus 17:3-5, 8-9 If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to וְאֶל־פֶּ֜תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵד֮the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord … And you shall say to them, Any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice and does not bring it to אֶל־פֶּ֛תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖דthe entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it to the Lord, that man shall be cut off from his people. Just like we saw yesterday our phrase today is also used in our chapter in the context of God’s instruction to offer sacrifice just at the tabernacle nowhere else. This was to keep the people from worshiping false gods who were really demons. The priest would ensure that the sacrifice was offered to the true God YWHW the reality God, the eternal living true God. When people were sacrificing everywhere this was not the case. Our chapter spells this out specifically in verse 6 and 7. Leviticus 17:6-7 And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations. Did you see where YWHW the reality God was? At our phrase. As we have already looked at it is not so much that God himself lived in a tent but that he made himself known there in a special way for the benefit of the people. Here specifically so that they were not worshiping goat demons but rather to the true God himself. The reference to the correct acceptable sacrifice involving blood thrown on the altar and the result of the sacrifice being a pleasing aroma to YWHW reminds us of how the Holy Spirit connects this to Jesus our perfect sacrifice in place of our sins. I’ll close with these great passages. Hebrews 12:24 And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 1 Peter 1:2 in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.