The Kingdom of God Devotional Guide - Wednesday, February 16

Scripture Reading: Exodus 19:16-20; 20:18-19; and Deuteronomy 18:15-22

Review and Explanation: In addition to His role as King and Priest, the Virgin-born Deliverer God promised at the center of His plan to restore the earth as a place where His rule is fully honored and obeyed will also be a Prophet. He will not be just any prophet, but the Prophet, raised up in fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15-22.

The backstory of Deuteronomy 18:15-22 begins in Exodus 19. When God met with Israel at Mount Sinai, "there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast" (vs. 16). The people trembled and then retreated in fear for their lives. Sometime later, according to Exodus 20, the people asked Moses to be the one to speak them in God's place. God agreed with this arrangement, establishing Moses not only as His leader for the nation, but also as His prophet-in-chief.

In Deuteronomy 18:15-22, Moses reports how God promised to one day raise up a new prophet-in-chief to take his place. We now know, of course, that Jesus is the fulfillment of that promise, just as He also fulfills the promises related to both kingship and priesthood as the Virgin-born Deliverer.

Keep in mind that a prophet is someone who receives a message from God and who then is charged with telling that message forth to the audience God has in mind to receive it. The ministry of "prophet" is as at least as old as Enoch (see Jude 14) and possibly as old as Abel (see Matthew 23:35). Over the course of time, certain guidelines emerged to enable people to distinguish between true prophets and those who were false. In Deuteronomy 18:15-22, there are several descriptions of the promised Prophet that also should be used to discern who is the one God has chosen for this role:

1. He will be "raised up by the Lord"
2. He will be "like Moses"
3. He will be "from among you, from your brothers" (Jewish)
4. He will be a special spokesperson for the Lord ("I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I have commanded him")
5. His ministry will be a point of accountability for the people ("It is to him you shall listen" and "whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him")
6. He will speak "in My name" or "in the name of the Lord"
7. His ministry will be authenticated by His words coming true or coming to pass

All seven are true generally of all prophets. For example, all prophets were generally expected to show authenticating signs that their message truly was from God. Their message coming true or coming to pass was only one kind of authenticating sign. Miracles and wonders also could be used (see Exodus 4 in relation to Moses). However, even with authenticating signs, miracles, and wonders, the message itself had to be consistent with what the people already knew to be true of God and His ways.

Though generally applicable to all prophets, the seven do describe what to expect from one special prophet in particular. His ministry of speaking for God will not be limited to "various times" or "various ways" (see Hebrews 1:1); but rather, His entire life and ministry will be the whole or complete message God has in mind to communicate. Jesus alone fulfills this role. No wonder God the Father spoke about Jesus from heaven, saying: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him" (Matthew 17:5). 

Tomorrow, I will write more showing how the New Testament points to Jesus as the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:15-22.

Reflection Question: How do you express your own accountability to God for the words He has spoken through Jesus?