What Is Camp? Part 2 “The Lord Uses Camps”
Finding Camp
What makes camping biblical? Two Scriptural themes confirm the value of Christian camping. The first is the central place of camping in both the Old and New Testaments. Maybe you haven’t seen it, but I think I can persuade you. The second way in that the Bible teaches us to embrace and exploit camp is the constant return to the shepherding paradigm. I’ll come back to that later. But think with me for a few minutes on how prominent camp is in the Bible.
How could camping be so present in Scripture and still not be apparent? In part it depends what you’re looking for. The predominant places we see camp emphasized are in the Books of Moses and in the Gospels. In both contexts we find God working in powerful ways for the redemption and sanctification of His people as they’re called away from civilization and the life they’ve known to dwell together in the wilderness.
Camp in the Old Testament
The clearest example is the Exodus. God instructed Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness to worship Him (Exodus 3:18). The wilderness was (and is) both a hostile and desolate place that also becomes a place of blessing (Deuteronomy 2:7). There, God provided food (Exodus 16:4; Psalm 78:20), taught His people (Deuteronomy 32:10), tested them (Numbers 14:22), and gave them rest (Isaiah 63:13-14). Most importantly, it became a place of divine encounter (Leviticus 26:9-12), of waiting (Exodus 32:1), of worship (Exodus 24:1), and of covenant renewal (Exodus 19:1-9). In the wilderness God’s people were tested and frequently failed over the course of 40 years, but there they also received great grace (Psalm 78:1-55).
All of that occurred as they took up life together as a community. They made camp, knowing it wasn’t home, it was not the place of rest promised, but rather a temporary stay where they being prepared for the conquest ahead. That defining event for God’s people didn’t stop being relevant after the book of Joshua or even after Malachi…
Camp in the New Testament
When we come to the New Testament, God’s people continue to be drawn into the wilderness. Where do we find John the Baptizer preaching? (Mt 3:1-12, Mk 1:7-9, Luke 3:7-17). Jesus will begin His own ministry with John in the wilderness at His baptism (Mt 3:13-17, Mk 1:9-11, Lk 3:21-23). And just as God’s Old Covenant people had endured, Jesus remains in the wilderness for His own 40 days of testing (Mt 4:1-11, Mk 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). And it’s not as if Jesus never returns there. In the Gospels Jesus frequently withdraws to remote places for prayer (Luke 4:42; 5:16). But not only for his private benefit. He also takes His disciples with Him for times of teaching and rest in a space apart (Luke 9:10; Matthew 14:23). Many of His most significant teachings actually occur outside the city—the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7), the Feeding of the Five Thousand (Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31–44; Luke 9:11–17; John 6:1–13), the Kingdom Parables (Mt 13:1-52), the Olivet Discourse (Mt 24-25), and the Great Commission (Mt 28:16-20). By my count, over a third of Jesus’ recorded teachings take place away from urban centers and outside of synagogues.
The Usefulness of Camp
Maybe you didn’t think “summer camp” when you first read those stories and histories, but consider what’s happening with both Israel and Christ and His disciples in those foundational occasions. Those who participated were called away from the familiar into a different and sometimes dangerous world. They did so in order to have their faith formed. They left the home they knew, and would sometimes miss, but to come to a place where they would meet with the Lord. It was a radical experience that shaped their identify and called them to live differently before the face of God, and gave purpose to their return to the world. They heard the Gospel. They were taught. They were tested and equipped. And they were sent back to civilization. They left the wilderness camps with a mission to see God’s kingdom established, both in their own hearts and in their world.
Certainly that provides insight into what we want to do with camp. Scripture teaches us to value stepping away from the comforts of home and the ordinary of life to meet with God. The different, dangerous, and demanding separation and seeking in the wilderness has purpose for God’s people.
And there’s more…Camp is a context for important work by leaders. Part 3 teaches us how to see ourselves in light of the work of Christ.
