A Prophet Like Moses
Deuteronomy 17-20

Moses was perhaps THE prophet of the Old Testament. No one stood as his equal. He spoke for God. He gave the Law. He lead the people through the arduous journey to the promised land.

Yet, Moses pointed to someone Else. He wrote in Deuteronomy 18:15-22, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers-it is to him you shall listen-just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die. And the Lord said to me, They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him."

As important was Moses was as God's man in the eyes of the people, Moses drew their attention to someone more important than he. Someone who would be like Moses-a leader and a lawgiver. Someone "from your brothers"-a fellow man and Jew. Someone who would have God's words in His mouth. Someone God would demand they listen to.

That Someone is Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Acts 3:22; 7:37). Like Moses, He is a lawgiver, bringing the perfect law of liberty (James 1:25). But, while the Law of Moses was only for the Jews (Exodus 19:3-6), the Law of Jesus Christ is for all men.

Jesus is also one "from your brothers." He was born a Jew, but very much a man with all the temptations all men face. "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin," Hebrews 4:15. He walked where we walk, He felt as we feel, and He was hurt as we hurt.

We must understand that Jesus brought the Father's words down to us, just as surely as Moses did. Jesus said in John 8:25-29, "So they said to him, 'Who are you?' Jesus said to them, 'Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.' They did not understand that he had been speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said to them, 'When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him.'"

Finally, Jesus is the one to which the Father demands we listen. At the transfiguration of Jesus, the Father said, "This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him" (Matthew 17:5).

Jesus said in John 8 that Abraham longed for Him to come. From Moses' words in Deuteronomy, it is obvious that Moses felt the same way. How do you feel about Jesus?