Advent Day 10: The Prophet Like Moses
Today, we light the Green Candle, the Black Candle, and the Blue Candle. The Green Candle represents life and all that Father God created in Christ, Good and Whole. The Black Candle represents the Evil and Corruption of Sin that entered our World through our rebellion. The Blue candle represents the Hope that comes from the Promises of a future Savior and King.
Deuteronomy 18:15–18
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to Him you shall listen…”
Moses is one of the most important people in the Story that leads us to Jesus. When the Lord first appeared to Moses in a burning bush in the Land of Midian, He revealed Himself as the God of Moses’ forefathers:
Exodus 3:5-6
God said, “Do not come near here. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He also said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
This encounter should have brought the promises to Moses’ mind. God then tells Moses that he has been chosen to lead the people of Israel out of slavery back to the land of Promise. Moses, unlike Abraham, questions God’s decision in this: “Who am I, that I should go before Pharaoh…”
Exodus 3:12
God replied, “Surely I will be with you, and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you and they will serve God on this mountain.”
Moses has one more question for God:
Exodus 3:13-15
“If I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is his name?’—what should I say to them?”
God said to Moses, “I AM that I AM.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “ God also said to Moses, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘The Lord—the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.’
The LORD reveals His name to Moses as Yahweh in Hebrew. This “name” is a verbal form in Hebrew which means “I am” or “I will be.” Most Bibles indicate this name with The LORD in all caps. God had foreshadowed this name in Exodus 3:12 where He said “I will be with you…” Perhaps the best way to think of this “memorial name” of God is “I will be Who I am.” The God of Israel is the One who will be with His people and provide for all their needs. The One True God will be who He needs to be in order to bring about His promises to His people.
Exodus 19:4-6
“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I lifted you up on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. And now, if you will listen to my voice and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine. And you will be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”
As the Lord leads the people back to the Promised Land, the people show that they are stubborn and will not listen carefully to the voice and leading of the Lord. This comes to a head at Mount Sinai (Mount Horeb). The people do not do what the Lord asks of them – they respond to the Lord in fear rather than faith. (Read Exodus 20:18-21; Deuteronomy 5:4-5, 28-29.)
Because of their fearful rebellion, the Lord causes the tribes of Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, until that faithless generation died off. Even Moses fails to carefully listen to the Lord and is not allowed to enter the Land.
At the end of the 40 years of wandering, the Lord allows a New Generation of Israelites to complete their journey and enter the Land. The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ last “sermon” to this New Generation, reminding them of the Lord’s teaching and commands and warning them to be very careful to listen to the Lord, encouraging them that the Lord is trustworthy and worthy of their devotion.
Despite Moses’ failings, and his inability to enter the Land of Promise, the Lord develops a unique relationship with him. Moses serves as a mediator between the people of Israel and the Lord God. Moses is allowed into the presence of the LORD, where he would talk with Him: “Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…” (Exodus 33:11). Moses is even allowed to see the glory – the visible luminance – of the Lord’s presence.
Moses also serves as prophet of God. The Lord spoke to the people of Israel through Moses. The Lord gave His instructions and commands through Moses. The Lord also revealed that He would raise up another prophet like Moses:
Deuteronomy 18:15–18
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— 18:16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 18:17 And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18:18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him.”
In the days to come, the Lord will raise many prophets to speak to Israel: Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Malachi. But none of these would be like Moses. None of these prophets would have the same relationship with The LORD that Moses had. No, God promised the coming of a Prophet who, like Moses, would be a Mediator for the people. And this prophet would not just see the glory of God. He would be the glory of God. The great “I AM” of Moses’ forefathers was sending tangible evidence of His presence with His nation.
Moses had given the people the Word of God.
A prophet was coming who would be the Word of God.
