Thursday, July 14, 2011

Tent City


 What's up with tents around here? There are tents everywhere, people even camp in their own yards! And stores having tent sales. They seem to think that if you put something in a tent and announce it, people will fight over it to buy it! Literally, I don't think we can drive even a few blocks without passing at least one tent. I saw an interesting sermon on T.V. a while ago. It was about how the Israelites set up camp in the desert. God gave them specific instructions on the layout to place their tents, according to the tribes. And some people believe, after studying the numbers, that that layout made this pattern in the desert. This is a computer generated image that I snapped from the the T.V. Do you think they were living in the protection of the cross even then? It would certainly explain the following verse.


"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,
your dwelling places, O Israel!"
Numbers 24:5

30 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Did you ever figure out WHY all of the tents??? You said there was a TENT SALE... Well---I understand that, but why all of the other tents??? Crazy!!!!!

I have some crazy stories about playing in tents when growing up --and also when my first hubby and I used to go camping.... Just putting a tent together back then was a CHORE. One had to have a master's degree to do it.... ha

Hugs,
Betsy

Regina said...

Its probably a sign of things to come (ah ha). Well, I wouldn't doubt it..a lot of symbolism, interesting. I guess we know they always looked forward to the future- the promise. Hope we don't have to pitch a tent? (Lol)

Anonymous said...

Around July 4th, even Walmart joined in with a fireworks tent sale!

SquirrelQueen said...

Were there tents for sale at that Tent Sale? That's a lot of tents!

Reading Betsy's comment reminded me of some of my tent camping, those tents could be a really challenge to assemble.

Bobbie said...

I didn't know that... (about the Israelites) Wow!

Tammy@Simple Southern Happiness said...

I know I have pitched a tent in the backyard.

Wonder why all the tents but they were not your typical looking ones.

I remember seeing many years ago a program you saw, it was interesting to put a visual on what we read in the bible.

Nikki (Sarah) said...

this is so totally cool...love how you went from seeing tensts everywhere to how God told us to put them up...and that cross...very cool

srp said...

Can you imagine having to fold up all those tents and all their livestock and move on a daily basis?

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Very interesting about the Israelite tent pattern. wonder about the significance of that.

George said...

Tents around here usually mean some kind of sale going on. The 127 Yard Sale is in a couple of weeks and vendor tents are already going up. I've gone tent camping a few times, but we don't have a tent anymore.

Glenda said...

Maybe folks aren't taking as many vacations this year, and kids are having fun in their own backyards . . . I don't know! Most children enjoy tents, whether they are made of quilts or the store bought kind.

In answer to your question about the Amazing Grace sign: I found it at Hobby Lobby, and it was the only one left . . . meant for us, I think!

Have a great, restful weekend!

Mary Bergfeld said...

I would love to know how you arrive at your subject of the day. You always have something new and thought provoking with nary a repeat. I'm truly impressed. Have a wonderful day, Ginny. Blessings...Mary

From the Kitchen said...

On my Virginia visit a few years ago, we went to Floyd, VA--along the "music road" and saw a dealer that sold yurts. You probably know that a yurt is an ancient tent used by central asian nomads. I was flabergasted to see them in a small Virginia town but--Virginia has it all!!

Have a great weekend.

Best,
Bonnie

Anonymous said...

Hi Ginny, The answer to your question about the protection of the cross in ancient times before Jesus' incarnation, is yes! That's my understanding as I believe in the Holy Trinity. Have a great day!

Doris Sturm said...

So, what is going on with the tents everywhere? Are they just in people's yards or on the streets or what? Now you've got me curious ;-)

Kim@stuffcould.... said...

Was there a tent sale? These are neat looking tents. I like the cross in the tent cloth

DawnTreader said...

Haven't seen any tents around here! Back in my youth though (i.e. just recently, haha - no, I'm talking of the 70's into the 80's) quite a few of our 'free' churches still used to have tent meetings in the summer. The small church I belonged to in my teens used to put up a tent in their own back yard which was not really all that much bigger than the church. What made me think of this was your phrase 'They seem to think that if you put something in a tent and announce it, people will fight over it to buy it'... Hmm! It strikes me I haven't seen a tent of that kind in 20-25 years or more. There may still be some bigger summer conferences where they do use tents, I'm not sure. But probably more common nowadays to hire a big sports auditorium or something. As for the layout of the camp in the desert, I've never heard that theory.

Shanda said...

I love the way you even thought to take photos of tents. And I love the scripture. There is no place I'd rather reside than in the beauty of the tent of the Lord.

Joanne said...

WOW! wouldn't that just be so awesome if the shape was a cross! what a wonderful Post!!!!
Blessings, Joanne

Neal said...

What were the tents for? Was it a sale of some kind?

Ann said...

I guess it's just the time of year for tents :)

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Ginny: I have no idea where that baby came from, I suspect that it was an abandoned baby. That was a era when it was very shameful to be an unwed mother. When I had Andrew, I remember there was an abandon Asian baby. It was in the news paper. I even discussed about adopting this baby. But I only wanted my own child, so I didn't discuss further. I did not write this in the book, because I wasn't so sure.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

l agree with Betsy about putting back the tents were a chore. That is why we don't go tenting much.

Perhaps you can set the tent up for your grand daughters too.

Fred Alton said...

This is a most interesting post. I wonder too - was this also a shadow of the cross? At any rate, I'm glad that Jesus said there will be mansions in the father's house and we will have a place there!

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Ginny, I want to thank you. I went back to edit this post.

My grandma's idea about the bloody useless girls will explain to you why your grand daughter was given up for adoption.

Deborah said...

WOW! I never knew that either!
Have a nice weekend Ginny and if you want to play TAG, come on over to my animal blog!
xxoo
Deborah

Chatty Crone said...

I don't get the tents either - are they just all up around your area? What is going on under those tents?

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

Hi Ginny,

I took a lot of photos of the train trip. Tomorrow, I will post some on the Sunday still meme.

Actually I wasn't very keen in going in the rain on a cold winter morning. But the others, (some in their 80s) were keen. I was the baby in the group, so I went. We did have to walk in the rain from the station to the cafe and back.

MadSnapper said...

we have no tents here, have only seen one in the past years and it was in a parking lot with appliances for sale. not even any camping tents. and yours are all different and attractive. my brother liked to sleep in a tent in the back yard and when older in the woods. I am to much a chicken little and would bwak that someone would kill me while I slept or a snake/bear/lion/tiger might get me. that is really interesting about the set up of the tents.

tothen said...

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