DEUTERONOMY

Deuteronomy

God promised that a prophet would appear “from among [the Israelites] own brothers” and that his purpose would be to finish what God had begun through Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15).

Moses predicted a future prophet with divine authority, and God promised to put his own words into the mouth of that prophet (Deuteronomy 18:18). God’s people anticipated the Promised One for centuries and were still looking for him at the time Jesus entered human history as a baby.

John the Baptist denied that he himself was that prophet (John 1:21, 25) but pointed to the “one who comes after me,” referring to Jesus as the “Lamb of God”, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Nathanael and Philip each recognised that Jesus was the long-awaited prophet (John 1:45,49), and both Peter and Stephen quoted Deuteronomy 18:15 in reference to Jesus (Acts 3:22-26; 7:37).

Did God love Israel more than other nations? (Deuteronomy 4:33)
- God gave Israel his special attention at this point in History so that he could use the Israelites as a means to bring his blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:2-3) and as a witness to testify to other nations about him. The ultimate expression of God’s love for Israel, and the world,was that he sent his Son to die (John 3:16).
What is the significance of the clause, anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s Curse? (Deuteronomy 21:23)
- Any person executed for breaking one of God’s commands was cursed by God. The corpse hanging on a tree was a public exhibition of judgement. Jesus willingly took this curse upon himself by hanging on the cross (Galations 3:13).

The True Prophet

Many people wish that God would speak to them in the same way we talk to one another face to face so that they would know exactly what he wants from them. But when God spoke directly to his people in the Old Testament, the encounter was more than they could handle, and they asked God instead to communicate with them through prophets. Exodus 20:19 records the terrified response of the Israelites after they implored Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

God had already given them Moses as their first spokesperson, and he represented the beginning of a long succession of men and woman whose lives would be dedicated to speaking God’s truth. But one future prophet would do more than speak to God. This coming prophet would himself be God, we know that this prophet did come, that he was God incarnate (in the flesh) and that his name was Jesus.

This promised future prophet would surpass all others in several ways. God would choose, anoint and guide him in a unique manner. This prophet would have no need to declare himself as a prophet of God; God himself would make the announcement. The prophet would speak only the words God would give him (Deuteronomy 18:18).

Other prophets would be fallible, except when they were communicating God’s words directly, but Jesus would be completely sinless, because he is God the Son. Throughout history many people have claimed to speak for God, but few of their predictions have become reality. When God sends a true prophet, his people cannot escape responsibility for listening to him (verse 19).

God’s plan was to speak to his people through his prophets, and their number includes Jesus, his final Word (John 1:1-5). He still expects us to listen to and follow that Word every day, thereby living life the way he intended it to be lived.

The writer to the Hebrews opened his book with a beautiful statement of this truth: “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

Have you ever experienced Jesus speaking with you so intimately that you felt that you were having a face-to-face exchange? What causes this experience to stand out in your memory? Were there life-changing consequences?