#DailyDevotion Jesus Is YHWH’s Promised Prophet

Deuteronomy 18:15–19 1⁵“The LORD your God will raise a Prophet for you, one of you, an Israelite, like me; listen to Him. ¹⁶This is what you asked the LORD your God to give you when you were assembled at Horeb, saying: ‘I must not hear the LORD my God speak again or see this great fire again, or I’ll die.’ ¹⁷The LORD told me: ‘They’re right in what they ask. ¹⁸I will raise a Prophet for them, One of their fellow Israelites, like you; I will have Him speak My Word, and He will tell them everything I order Him. ¹⁹If anyone will not listen to My Words, which He says in My name, I will punish him.

When the LORD first spoke to the Israelites after the Red Sea at Mt. Sinai from the mountain top which was covered with a thick cloud, fire and the sound of trumpets, the Israelites were rightly afraid. They told Moses, “You go talk to the LORD and let us know what he said.” The LORD thought this was a good thing, so he deign to do as they asked. Being an unclean person who lived among unclean people will do that to you. Even if you may be a fairly holy person you might do the same. Remember Isaiah’s reaction to the seeing the LORD in his holy temple. It was only once the angel touched his lips with a coal from under the altar could he gaze upon the Almighty and volunteer himself for service.

But now Moses is about to die. The LORD is preparing his people for this. He promises to send someone else, an Israelite like them, someone like Moses (after his manner and style), who would teach them like Moses did, with authority. This prophet would speak everything the LORD would tell him to say. Now to be certain, there were many prophets who came after Moses. Our bibles give many accounts in the history of Israel and Judah of prophets proclaiming the LORD’s word to his people. But none of them compared to Moses. Well Elijah was pretty close. He did a number of miracles. His understudy Elisha did as well, but he had a double portion of Elijah’s Spirit. So the Israelites waited for the coming Prophet.

This brings us to Jesus who is the fulfillment of the LORD’s word.  Philip says in John 1:15, “The One Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets, too — we’ve found Him, Jesus, Joseph’s son from Nazareth.” Certainly he thought Jesus was this Prophet. In John 12, Jesus says, ⁴⁹ “because what I said didn’t come from Me, but the Father Who sent Me ordered Me to say and tell it. ⁵⁰I know what He orders is everlasting life. And so, whatever I say, I say it just as the Father told Me.”  Again he tells his disciples in John 15, ¹⁵“But I’ve called you friends because I’ve told you everything I heard from My Father.” So that Jesus is not alone in his witness he tells us in John 8, ²⁸“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will know I am the one and I do nothing by Myself, but I speak as My Father taught Me.” His crucifixion is the sign he spoke for the Father. Finally, so we may know Jesus is the one and we should listen to him as the LORD spoke in these verses, the Father says of Jesus in Luke 9:35, “This is My Son Whom I have chosen. Listen to Him.” The LORD and Father say listen to the Prophet. His words are life. We are warned we will be punished if we don’t’ listen to him. Jesus also says in John 12, ⁴⁸“If anyone rejects Me and doesn’t take to heart what I say, he has one that is condemning him. The Word that I spoke will condemn him on the last day…” Trust his word and you will have life. Reject it and you will have judgment.

Heavenly Father, open our ears that we may hear the word of your Prophet Jesus, who is also the LORD with you, your Son, believe it and through that faith receive everlasting life now and in the world to come. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.