A Prophet Like Moses

Friday, December 2, 2011

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

New Living Translation (NLT)

 15 Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’

 17 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. 18 I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. 19 I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf.

This scripture reminds me of the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), when Moses and Elijah appeared on the mountain with Jesus in the presence of Peter, James, and John. The appearance of Moses with Jesus made it clear that Jesus is the prophet like Moses, from among the Israelites (v 15 above). God became man so that we could hear his voice and live. Jesus came so that we could know God – so that we wouldn’t be so overwhelmed and incapacitated by the full-on presence of the glory of God the Father that we would be unable to hear and process what he wants to say to us.

Peter referred to this prophecy in Acts 3:22, when he was explaining Jesus’ life and the power by which he (Peter) and John had just healed a lame man (the one who “went walking and leaping and praising God.”)

Stephen also referred to this prophecy in his great sermon in Acts 7, specifically in verse 37, before he became the first person martyred for faith in Christ.

I have to assume Jesus himself explained all this on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. (Luke 24:27 -"Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.")

I love the consistency of scripture, the steady unfolding of the incredible plan that God had and has for our salvation. I am thankful that God has always reached out to his children and made every effort to communicate and be with us in a way we can understand.