Welcome to the beginning of the Spring Session. The over-arching theme for the next twelve lessons “Prophets Faithful to God’s Covenant”. The theme for the first unit, the first four lessons is “Faithful Prophets”. They were faithful messengers and leaders at times when Israel’s leadership was absent or insufficient. Our primary focus during this session will be the actions and motivations of the individual prophets being studied. The office of the prophet or the spiritual gifts surrounding prophecy will be secondary, or even tertiary in this series of lessons. Let’s get started.
The expository portion of this week’s lesson is restricted to Deuteronomy 18:15-22. We will limit our exposition to those verses only.
Deuteronomy 18:15 NASB ✦
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen; to him, you shall listen.
The author of the Book of Deuteronomy is Moses. It was written as the children of Israel were completing their forty-year journey through the wilderness and were preparing to enter into Caanan, the land God promised to them through their ancestor, Abraham. For forty years, Israel followed one leader, Moses. In Egypt, Moses had fallen from a Prince of Egypt to a lowly shepherd of Midian. Then God called him at the Burning Bush and instructed Him to set Israel free from the bondage of slavery. Thus, a prophet and, a deliverer was born. God confirmed Moses’ position as leader in the eyes of Israel and Pharoah with many mighty signs and wonders. Ultimately, God used Moses to deliver Israel out of Egypt, where they had been captive for over four hundred years. They then journeyed through the wilderness for the next forty years.
But now, Israel had come to the brink of their goal: Caana, and a change in leadership would be forthcoming. Why? A couple of reasons: 1. Moses was old. 2. Both Moses and Aaron had disobeyed God at Meribah in a quarrel with the Israelites over water. God was not going to allow them entry into the promised land.
So then, Moses is preparing the people for entry into the promised land. His chief responsibility then is to review the promises God made to Abraham in order to call them into accountability to that agreement before crossing over the Jordan into Caana.
In addition to restoring Israel to covenant relationship with God, Moses also had to leave a leadership umbrella in place that would result in Israel’s success in occupying the promised land. A leadership umbrella that did not include him.
In that moment, Joshua was the obvious de facto successor to Moses however, more was required. Moses would have to train God’s people on how to recognize the next leader chosen by God to lead them. This is where we pick up the lesson today. Moses’ literal instruction was, “Look for a leader like me”. To lead like Moses, the nation would have to be certain that that leader was actually sent by God and he had to be someone from among them, God’s covenant people.
John 1:21 NASB
21 And so they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he *said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
There are a couple of things to point out about prophecy at this juncture. The verse above, Deuteronomy 18:15 stands apart from other prophetic verses. There are verses that point to the coming of the Messiah, throughout the Old Testament. They are referred to as Messianic verses. The ultimate fulfillment of that verse is Jesus Christ. In John 1:21 above, we see the priests and Levites inquiring of John as to whether or not he is the ’Prophet’. This indicates that the religious leaders of Jesus’ day were looking for one like Moses to come some 1500 years later.
This brings another point to bear concerning prophecy. Typically there is a short term fulfillment and a long term fulfillment of prophecy. Typically we see it in an immediate Old Testament fulfillment and a much later New Testament occurrence that aligns with the original prophecy in the outcome, though the circumstances are far removed from the original prophecy in time and circumstance. More about that later.
Deuteronomy 18:16 NASB
16 This is in accordance with everything that you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Do not let me hear the voice of the Lord my God again, and do not let me see this great fire anymore, or I will die!’
Proverbs 1:7 NASB
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Moses reminds them that in a previous time, at the beginning of the Exodus, God had called Israel to Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. The very beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. In short, the assembling of the nation of Israel at Mt. Sinai was such a frightening experience that the people beseeched Moses to speak to them in God’s stead from that time on. They did not want God to speak to them directly.
Deuteronomy 18:17 NASB
17 And the Lord said to me, ‘They have [a]spoken well
And the Lord approved. Why? Quite simply because their approach to God on that day had been an approach of reverent fear. Beloved God is Holy. He must never be regarded as an afterthought or compartmentalized as just a part of one’s life. He is God and He must be acknowledged as Lord at all times in the life of the believer. It was true in Moses’ day and it’s still true today.
Deuteronomy 18:18 NASB
18 I will raise up for them a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them everything that I command him.
Moses continues to recount God’s specific instructions to him concerning a future leader. One: God would select from among their own countrymen. It would be a member from any one of the twelve tribes. Joshua, who was standing there before them, was from the tribe of Ephraim. Jesus, the Messiah, would hail from the tribe of Judah. Two: God would put His Word in the mouth of His chosen prophet. His Word.
Three: God’s selected leader and prophet would speak God’s Word without fear. It was important that God’s message not be filtered or compromised by fear, intellectualism, or relativism. These were the ‘tests’ God provided to His people Israel, by which they were to approve future leaders.
Deuteronomy 18:19 NASB
19 And it shall come about that whoever does not listen to My words which he speaks in My name, I Myself will [b]require it of him.
God was speaking to His covenant people. What He wanted them to know was that accountability would work both ways. If the chosen leader was affirmed by God, then it was important that Israel take their instructions to heart. God Himself would hold them accountable. Why was that important? Because God was Israel’s Head. If He spoke through His chosen leader, it was Him, it was Yahweh! Yes, He would hold the hearers of His Word accountable. We will see this come to bear in lessons later in this session. There were many who opposed God’s prophets. In doing so, they were rejecting God. Oftentimes, that would work to Israel’s detriment.
Deuteronomy 18:20 NASB
20 But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name, a word which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, [c]that prophet shall die.’
Here are two more tests. One: This prophet must not be presumptuous. Pride and arrogance must not be earmarks of the character of one who speaks for God. That is as true today as it was back then. The life and character of a believer must be a witness to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and, the Presence of the Holy Spirit in their life. Two: He or she must not speak in the name of other gods. Again, as true today as it was then. There are any number of people who claim to speak from a spiritual place or claim to speak in the name of something other than Christianity. They are to be disregarded out of hand. Even if they are correct on any given occasion, be reminded that a broken clock is right twice a day. Beloved, as Christians, we are not to subject our hearts to anything that cannot be confirmed by the Word of God. Then, God pronounces the punishment for any such false prophet: death. It was non-negotiable. We don’t stone those who call themselves prophets today, Thank God for His mercy.
Deuteronomy 18:21 NASB
21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How will we recognize the word which the Lord has not spoken?’
However, we are commanded to try the word by the Word. Under this new covenant, we have been given the unction of the Holy Spirit. We are to discern the truth of the words we hear spoken by the Word of God and by the Holy Spirit. God is faithful. He won’t let you down.
Deuteronomy 18:22 NASB
22 When the prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, and the thing does not happen or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you are not to be afraid of him.
The Old Testament saints did not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, nor did they have the entire, canonized Word of God to use as a reference. Subsequently, they required some method of confirming the words of one who called Himself a prophet. Here was the simplest of test: Did the spoken word come true? As I stated earlier, prophecies that were given by God sometimes had a dual result; one in the moment and one much later, sometimes centuries later. Using Moses as an example, the nation of Israel had repeatedly seen immediate outcomes associated with his words to Pharoah and to them. God was assuring them that they wouldn’t have to guess about His will in their lives. He would make it clear by confirming His Word in a timely manner.
God’s simple instructions to His people through and by Moses, and then Joshua concerning the prophets that He would appoint were meant to comfort the hearts of the nation of Israel as they ventured into this land where giants roamed. They could trust God. Even in discipline, His Word was meant to bring comfort, if they were taken to heart. That remains true today. When I have encountered a prophet or a prophetess who has spoken into my life, their words, even in discipline, encouraged me and always reminded me that God loves me and only intends me well.
1 Corinthians 14:1-3 NASB
1 Pursue love, yet earnestly desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. 2 For the one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people, but to God; for no one [a]understands, but [b]in his spirit he speaks mysteries. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, [c]exhortation, and consolation.
Selah,
wb
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