We are in chapter twenty-five of Exodus with our word for today. יָעַד designate, arrive, meet, gather, make an appointment, reveal oneself, appoint. It is used 29 times in the Old Testament. Our word is used in the sense of making an appointment to meet together for a specific purpose. Walking is one of those. Amos 3:3 Do two walk together, unless they have נוֹעָֽדוּ agreed to meet? Another reason for setting an appointment is to do harm. Nehemiah 6:1-2 Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come וְנִֽוָּעֲדָ֥ה and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. We also see our word used to agree to meet to help a friend. Job 2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They וַיִּוָּעֲד֣וּ made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him. Most of the time our word is used to meet with God himself. This is how our word is used in our passage today. Exodus 25:22 There וְנוֹעַדְתִּ֣י I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel. As we have looked at over the past few days that God has set up his specific place which was first a tent to meet with is people. This specific place and the items that are a part of it are where our word is used the most. We see it used in a phrase that reflects this well. Exodus 29:42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the אֹֽהֶל־מוֹעֵ֖ד [this is a different word for meeting as our word for today. It is more of assembling so tent of assembling but has the similar idea] tent of meeting before the Lord, where אִוָּעֵ֤ד I will meet with you, to speak to you there. Did you catch the phrase tent of meeting? We also see it in these verses. Exodus 30:35-36 Make an incense blended by the perfumer … You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד tent of meeting where אִוָּעֵ֥ד I shall meet with you. Numbers 17:4 Then you shall deposit them בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד in the tent of meeting before the testimony, where אִוָּעֵ֥ד I meet with you. What made this place special was God’s presence which is pointed out in this passage that I will close with. Exodus 29:43-44 There וְנֹעַדְתִּ֥י I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. I will consecrate the אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵ֖ד tent of meeting and the altar.
