A Prophet Like Moses

by Micky Galloway

Deuteronomy 18:15-19, “Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken … I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.”

The Larger Context: Deuteronomy 16:18-18:22
The people are instructed regarding leaders and authorities to come when Moses is gone. God will provide other prophets to communicate His word. Edward J. Young, declares that the use of the singular Hebrew word, nabhi', “whatever else its force may be, does not permit us to understand that only one individual is in view” (Edward J. Young, My Servants The Prophets, Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s Publishing Company, 1952, page 29). This text presents criteria by which the children of Israel might distinguish between true and false prophets. Though one may conclude that the “prophet” refers to a body of prophets (Joshua, Elijah, Amos, Jeremiah, etc.), it was to find its supreme expression in one great prophet, the Son of God Himself.

The Immediate Context: Deuteronomy 18:9-14
“When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations” (Verse 9). A strong warning is given against the mantic practices of the nations whose land Israel is about to enter. Those nations practice divination: they have their soothsayers, augurs (or sorcerers), wizards, etc. “For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto Jehovah: and because of these abominations Jehovah thy God doth drive them out from before thee” (Verse 12).The people of Israel are assured that they will not only have the written law of Moses, but will also have others from among the Israelites who can inquire of the living God and mediate His word to the people. In the following verses (Deuteronomy 18:20-22) criteria was given for recognizing the words that God had not given. “When a prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which Jehovah hath not spoken: the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.” While Deuteronomy 18 announces a prophet like Moses, Deuteronomy 34:10-12 underscores the uniqueness of Moses, “And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom Jehovah knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders, which Jehovah sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, and in all the mighty hand, and in all the great terror, which Moses wrought in the sight of all Israel.”

Deuteronomy 18 in the New Testament.
Clearly, Jesus saw himself as a prophet when He said, “No prophet is acceptable in his own country” (Luke 4:24; see also 13:33). Jesus declared that Moses “wrote of me” (cf. John 5:45-47).

The Jewish people expected one special prophet to come (cf. John 1:21, 25; 7:40). Jesus was identified by the people with the prophets, perhaps Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets risen from the dead (cf. Matthew 16:13-14; Mark 6:15, 8:25; Luke 9:8, 19; see also Mark 14:65). Specifically, Jesus was identified as “the prophet” of Deuteronomy 18 in John 6, “a great multitude followed him, because they beheld the signs which he did on them that were sick” (verse 6). Then after the feeding of the 5,000 they concluded, “This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world” (John 6:14). Six months before Jesus was crucified, we read, “Some therefore of them of Jerusalem said, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?” (John 7:25-26; cf. John 7:1, 19). The Jews clearly understood Jesus’ claims to be the Son of God, the anointed one (cf. Daniel 9) of Old Testament promise and prophecy. The reference in John 7 refers to the miracle of John 5. Jesus asked, “Did not Moses give you the law, and (yet) none of you doeth the law? Why seek ye to kill me? The multitude answered, Thou hast a demon: who seeketh to kill thee? Jesus answered and said unto them, I did one work, and ye all marvel because thereof … are ye wroth with me, because I made a man every whit whole on the sabbath?” (cf. John 7:19-23). The “one work” Jesus refers to is the healing of the 38-year-old man in John 5.

The debate goes on. Perhaps because there were those who claimed to be prophets, others claimed to be the Messiah (Matthew 7:15; 24:5, 11; cf. I John 4:1). Learning is a process! Some in the crowd said, “This is of a truth the prophet.” Others said, “This is the Christ.” Yet, others doubted and said, “What, doth the Christ come out of Galilee? Hath not the scripture said that the Christ cometh of the seed of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” (John 7:40-42). The blind man of John 9:17 reckoned Jesus as “a prophet.” The people of Luke 7:16 judged that “a great prophet” has risen among us. In both of these cases however, it is unclear if there is a connection with Deuteronomy 18. However, for His followers, Jesus became more than a prophet; He was the Messiah. Simon Peter affirmed, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). When Andrew introduced Peter to Jesus he said, “We have found the Messiah” (John 1:40-41).

Conclusion:
The most powerful evidence that Jesus is “the prophet” like Moses is the conclusion of Peter in Acts 3:12-26. The apostle references the text of Deuteronomy 18 and applies it to Jesus. God “raised up His Servant, and sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities” (Acts 3:26). While there was no prophet like Moses in the history of Israel (Deuteronomy 34:10-12), Jesus now is the worthy successor and much more than Moses. He is the Son of the living God! To Him we must listen or be utterly destroyed from among the people!