John Bevere - His Presence Over His Promise
- Watch
- Donate
In Exodus 33, God says to Moses that He is up on the mountain alone. God tells him, "Hey, leave this place, you and the people you brought out of Egypt, and go to the land of promise that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to their descendants. I will send an angel to guide you, and I’ll drive out all the nations." But look what He says at the very end: "but I am not going with you myself." In other words, God says, "Hey, this land you’ve waited 430 years for? Go get it! I’m going to send a chief angel to drive out all the nations, but I’m not going."
What an opportunity! I mean, His approval rating is at an all-time low with the nation. All they have to do is walk forward; they have a chief angel to lead them there, and His approval rating will soar. Everything's good! But look what Moses says to God in verse 15: "If your presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here." You know, Moses is saying he would rather live in these harsh conditions than move forward without God's presence. That’s the harsh conditions of the desert and wilderness—no shopping malls, no valleys, no streams, no fruit trees—just an arid climate. He would rather be in this situation with God’s presence than in the promised land without it.