John Bevere - God Is Not a Means to An End

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Moses took Israel out of Egypt; his destination wasn't the Promised Land. He didn't say, "Pharaoh, let my people go so they can go to their Promised Land." No, he said, "Thus saith the Lord, let my people go that they may worship me in the wilderness." Why does Moses want to bring them out of Egypt into the Promised Land before he first brings them to the wilderness? If he brings them to the Promised Land first without introducing them to the promise, he makes the Promised Land into a place of idolatry.

That's what many Christians fell into in the '80s and '90s; we preached more of what Jesus would do for us rather than who he is. We developed converts who were seeking God for what he could do for them, not because of who he is. That's like a woman marrying a man for his wealth; she loves him, but for the wrong reasons. So, Moses wants to bring them right to the place where he met with God, where the bush was. He brings them out.

Now, you have to understand something: Moses knows God. Moses knows the people, but the people and God haven't met yet. So, who's going to facilitate this meeting? Moses, because he knows both parties. God is so excited; he comes to Moses first. Look what he says: "Hey, Moses, you have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to myself." If you want to know the whole reason God delivered Israel out of Egypt, it was to bring them to him. If you want to know the whole reason Jesus delivered you from the world, it was to bring you to him.