“Moses continued, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the Lord your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the Lord our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’
Then the Lord said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’
But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the Lord?’ If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared.” Deuteronomy 18:15-22, NLT .
At times throughout Israel’s history, the people looked expectantly for the “prophet like Moses” who was prophesied in these verses. Such was the case during Jesus’ ministry when people wondered if he could be that prophet (John 1:21; 6:14, for example). And when God spoke from heaven to endorse his Son, he echoed the words of Deuteronomy 18:15: “Listen to him”
(Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35). Like Moses, Jesus would deliver God’s people from captivity and institute a new covenant.
This expectation for a Messiah seems to be a universal need. We see it throughout history, in literature and film, across numerous cultures, and in our own lives. Ancient Israel looked ahead for “the one”; we look back to Jesus’ first coming and also ahead, knowing he is coming again. God has embedded expectation into us as an instinct designed to draw us toward him. Cultivate it and let it pull you into his promises. He doesn’t provoke expectations without fulfilling them.
Devotional Taken from the Dancing in the Desert Devotional Bible
