Verses 7-11 “7And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.”
The tabernacle mentioned here was not the Levitical tabernacle of worship, which had not been built yet. This tabernacle was a tent used by Moses for a “town hall.” The tabernacle for worship had to be built according to the detailed and specific instructions that God gave to Moses in the Mount. It was a sanctified structure, and could not be used for anything, except the worship of God.
In this case, Moses goes outside the camp to meet with God because of the horrible sins of his people. There is a reasonable, wise, and obedient separation from sin and from sinners which God requires if we would enjoy His presence.