Numbers 20:6 B.V.O.T.D.

Opening the door...

Takeaway: Numbers 20:6 shows us that when we step away from the noise of the crowd and move toward God’s appointed meeting place, we place ourselves where His glory can reach us. The “tabernacle of the congregation”—the tent of meeting—becomes a pattern for our church worship, our temple worship, and our personal covenant‑keeping.

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✦ Dissection of Numbers 20:6

“And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them.”

1. Leaving the presence of the assembly — stepping out of the noise

Moses and Aaron depart from the frustrated, murmuring crowd.
For us, this is a pattern: we cannot hear God clearly when we stay in the middle of commotion, contention, or complaint.
We must step away—physically, spiritually, emotionally—so revelation can find us.

2. The door of the tabernacle — the threshold of meeting God

The Hebrew phrase behind “tabernacle of the congregation” is ’ohel mo’ed — tent of meeting.
This is not just a building; it is the place where God meets His covenant people.

For us today, the “tent of meeting” is symbolically fulfilled in:

• Our church buildings
• Our temples
• Our personal prayer spaces

Every time we go to sacrament meeting, attend the temple, or kneel in prayer, we are walking toward the door of the tent of meeting.

3. Falling upon their faces — humility before revelation

Moses and Aaron do not demand answers.
They do not argue.
They do not defend themselves.

They fall on their faces—the ancient posture of total surrender.

For us, this means:

• We approach God without entitlement
• We let go of our preferred outcomes
• We submit our will to His

Humility is the doorway to revelation.

4. The glory of the Lord appeared — God responds to humility

God’s glory does not appear to the crowd.
It appears to the humble.
It appears to those who step toward Him.
It appears to those who kneel.

For us, this is a covenant promise:
When we step toward God’s meeting place, God steps toward us.

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✦ Cross‑Reference Phrase: “Tabernacle of the Congregation” = Tent of Meeting

The Hebrew meaning—tent of meeting—is deeply symbolic.

1. A place God chooses, not us

Israel didn’t decide where God would meet them.
God designated the tent.
Likewise, God designates His meeting places today:

• The sacrament table
• The baptismal font
• The temple altar
• The quiet place where we pray

2. A place we must go to

Revelation is not random.
It is relational.
It is covenantal.
It is location‑based.

Just as Moses and Aaron went to the tent, we must go to the places God has appointed.

3. A place of repeated return

The tent of meeting was not a one‑time event.
It was a continual pattern.

So it is with:

• Weekly sacrament
• Regular temple worship
• Daily prayer

We return again and again because God meets us again and again.

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✦ Principle for Our Lives

When we step away from the world and toward God’s appointed meeting places, we place ourselves where His glory can reach us.

This principle invites us to:

• Seek quiet over noise
• Choose worship over worry
• Return often to the places where God meets His people
• Approach God with humility, not entitlement
• Expect His glory to appear in His way and His timing

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✦ How We Can Use This Principle

• We make church attendance non‑negotiable because it is our weekly “tent of meeting.”
• We make regular temple worship a rhythm, not a rarity.
• We create personal sacred spaces where we can fall on our faces spiritually.
• We step away from contention and toward communion.
• We expect God to appear—not always in spectacle, but always in substance.

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✦ What “Leaving the Presence of the Assembly” Means for Us

Takeaway: Leaving the presence of the assembly is the moment when we step out of noise, pressure, and human expectation so we can step into God’s presence. It is a covenant pattern: we withdraw from the crowd so the Lord can draw near to us.

This phrase is not just geography. It is spiritual posture. It is covenant behavior. It is discipleship reflex.

1. Stepping away from noise — choosing revelation over reaction

The assembly in Numbers 20 is frustrated, complaining, and emotionally charged.
Moses and Aaron do not stay in the swirl.
They leave.

For us, this teaches that we cannot receive revelation while standing in the middle of contention, pressure, or emotional turbulence.
We step away so the Spirit can speak.

2. Stepping away from expectations — refusing to lead by crowd pressure

The people want water.
They want answers.
They want leadership on their terms.

Moses and Aaron refuse to lead from the demands of the crowd.
They lead from the presence of God.

For us, this means:

• We do not let the world set our pace
• We do not let culture define our identity
• We do not let pressure dictate our decisions

We step away so we can lead from covenant, not from chaos.

3. Stepping toward God’s appointed place — moving toward the tent of meeting

They don’t just leave the crowd.
They move toward the door of the tent of meeting.

This is the pattern:

• We leave the world
• We move toward God
• We place ourselves where His presence rests

For us, this looks like:

• Going to church even when we feel drained
• Going to the temple even when life feels heavy
• Kneeling in prayer even when we feel empty

We step away from the world so we can step into the presence of God.

4. Stepping into humility — falling on our faces

Leaving the assembly is not an escape.
It is preparation.

They fall on their faces because humility is the doorway to revelation.

For us, leaving the presence of the assembly means:

• We stop trying to fix everything ourselves
• We stop trying to carry burdens alone
• We stop trying to control outcomes

We kneel so God can speak.

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✦ Why This Matters for Us as Latter‑day Saints

We live in a world full of assemblies.
Crowds. Opinions. Noise. Pressure.
Everyone wants something.
Everyone has a demand.
Everyone has a voice.

But revelation does not come from the assembly.
Revelation comes from the Lord.

So we:

• Step away from the world
• Step toward the sacrament table
• Step toward the temple
• Step toward our personal prayer space

Because God meets us where we choose to meet Him.

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✦ Principle for Our Lives

When we step away from the noise of the world and toward the presence of God, we place ourselves where revelation can reach us.

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✦ Meaning of the Door of the Tabernacle

Takeaway: The door of the tabernacle is the threshold where we move from the world into God’s presence, from human pressure into divine instruction, from confusion into clarity. It is the covenant meeting point between heaven and earth.

1. The threshold of transition — where we step out of one world and into another

The door is not just an entrance.
It is a boundary.

On one side:

• noise
• pressure
• opinions
• demands

On the other side:

• revelation
• order
• covenant
• glory

For us, the “door” represents the moment we choose God over the world, even before we fully enter His presence.

2. The place God meets His people — the appointed meeting point

The Hebrew ’ohel mo’ed means tent of meeting.
The door is where God consistently revealed Himself.

This is where:

• the cloud descended
• the Lord spoke
• Moses received instruction
• Israel’s direction was clarified

For us, this symbolizes:

• the sacrament table
• the temple recommend desk
• the threshold of the celestial room
• the moment we kneel in prayer

These are the “doors” where God meets us.

3. The place of preparation — where we posture ourselves before entering

Moses and Aaron fall on their faces at the door, not inside.

Why?

Because the door is the place where:

• humility is shown
• submission is offered
• revelation is invited

For us, this means:

• we prepare our hearts before sacrament
• we quiet our minds before entering the temple
• we soften our spirits before prayer

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✦ Meaning of Falling Upon Their Faces

Takeaway: Falling upon our faces is the ancient covenant posture of total surrender—where we stop standing in our own strength and place ourselves fully under God’s voice, God’s will, and God’s glory. It is how we show that we are ready to receive.

1. The posture of total humility — lowering ourselves so God can lift us

In scripture, falling on one’s face is the lowest physical posture a person can take.
It is the body saying what the spirit already knows:

• We are not in charge
• We do not have the answers
• We need God more than we need our own ideas

For us, this is the moment when we stop resisting and let the Lord teach us.

2. The posture of covenant submission — yielding our will to His

Moses and Aaron fall on their faces before God speaks.
They submit before they receive.

This teaches us that revelation is not earned by brilliance or effort.
It is received through yielding.

For us, falling on our faces means:

• We let God correct us
• We let God redirect us
• We let God define the next step

It is covenant loyalty expressed through posture.

3. The posture of priesthood leadership — leaders who kneel before they act

Moses and Aaron are the highest leaders in Israel.
Yet they fall on their faces.

Why?

Because true priesthood leadership begins on the ground, not on a platform.

For us, this means:

• We lead our homes by kneeling
• We lead our callings by listening
• We lead our families by submitting to God first

We cannot lift others until we ourselves have bowed.

4. The posture that invites glory — humility precedes manifestation

Notice the sequence:

1. They fall on their faces
2. Then the glory of the Lord appears

The glory does not come first; humility does.

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✦ Meaning of the Glory of the Lord Appearing

Takeaway: The glory of the Lord appearing is God’s answer to humility. It is the moment when heaven responds to earth—when we posture ourselves low, and God reveals Himself high. It is not spectacle for entertainment; it is manifestation for direction, correction, and covenant relationship.

1. God’s presence made visible — the unseen becoming seen

In scripture, “the glory of the Lord” (Hebrew: kavod YHWH) refers to the weight, radiance, and reality of God’s presence breaking into the physical world.

It is:

• the cloud
• the fire
• the light
• the voice
• the manifestation

It is God saying:
“I am here. I am aware. I am acting.”

For us, this is the moment when the Spirit becomes unmistakable.

2. God responding to humility — revelation follows surrender

The sequence in Numbers 20:6 is deliberate:

1. Moses and Aaron fall on their faces
2. Then the glory appears

God’s glory does not appear to the proud, the loud, or the demanding.
It appears to the humble, the yielded, the covenant‑keeping.

For us, this means:

• When we kneel, God draws near
• When we soften, God speaks
• When we surrender, God reveals

Revelation is relational, not mechanical.

3. God giving direction in crisis — glory appears when leadership needs clarity

Israel is in crisis.
The people are angry.
The leaders are overwhelmed.
The situation is tense.

God’s glory appears not to impress, but to instruct.

The glory of the Lord is God’s way of saying:

• “I will guide you.”
• “I will show you what to do next.”
• “You are not alone in this burden.”

For us, this is the pattern:
When we face impossible situations, God reveals the next step.

4. God validating His chosen servants — heaven’s endorsement

When the glory appears, it is not just revelation.
It is validation.

God is showing Israel:

• Moses and Aaron are His chosen leaders
• Their authority is real
• Their direction is divine

For us, this teaches that God still sustains:

• prophets
• apostles
• bishops
• stake presidents
• temple presidents

The glory of the Lord is heaven’s witness that God works through His servants.

5. God’s nearness to His covenant people — glory is relational, not distant

The glory of the Lord is not cold light.
It is not abstract radiance.
It is God drawing near.

It is the same glory that:

• filled Solomon’s temple
• overshadowed the Mount of Transfiguration
• surrounded the shepherds at Christ’s birth
• illuminated the Brother of Jared
• filled the Kirtland Temple

For us, this means:
God is not far. He is not silent. He is not passive.
He is a God who appears.

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✦ Principle for Our Lives

When we humble ourselves before God, His presence becomes manifest in our lives—guiding us, sustaining us, and revealing His will.

This principle invites us to:

• kneel more often
• soften more quickly
• seek God’s presence intentionally
• expect revelation in our worship
• trust that God will appear in His timing and His way