CHRIST THE GREAT PROPHET

Deuteronomy 18:15-19

15 ¶ The LORD 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;

Peter makes it clear that this Scripture found its fulfilment in the Lord Jesus
Christ.

“And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven
must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth
of all his holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A
prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall
ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every
soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.” (Acts
3:20-23)

The people were forbidden to look to diviners, spiritualists or other satanic

sources for their guidance and God did not leave them in the dark but would
raise up prophets who would make known to them the mind of God.

The children of Israel were to listen to God’s prophets. Why? Because they
were telling them the truth. That was the basic reason. But the second reason
was to prepare them to listen to the final messenger, the final Prophet, the
Lord Jesus Christ. (J. Vernon McGee)

The singular is used in verse 15 pointing to raising up of the greatest Prophet

of all, the Lord Jesus.
Jewish expositors thought the singular noun referred to some individual such
as Joshua or Jeremiah.

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The glory and authority of the Lord Jesus is set forth here in stark contrast to
the dark diabolical Satanists whom the children of Israel were tempted to look
to.

16 ¶ According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in

Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the
voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more,
that I die not.

This section also teaches that this Prophet would serve as a Mediator between
God and man. The people had been so terrified at Mount Sinai that they
asked that God would not speak to them directly anymore and that they
might not see the fire anymore lest they die. In response to that request, God
promised Christ as the Mediator. That this passage held Messianic hope for
the Jews can be seen clearly in the Gospels (John 6:14; 7:40). (William
MacDonald; Believer’s Bible commentary)

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1
Timothy 2:5)

“Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the
five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those
men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet
that should come into the world.” (John 6:13-14)

“And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked
him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And
he answered, No.” (John 1:20-21)

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17 ¶And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which
they have spoken.

18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto
thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them
all that I shall command him.

He was to be like Jesus in that He was faithful (Heb. 3:2), full of compassion
and love (Num. 27:17; Matt. 9:36), a powerful intercessor for his people (9:18;
Heb. 7:25), speaking with God face-to-face and reflecting the divine glory (2
Cor. 3:7). Like Christ, he was to be a mighty prophet in word and deed (Luke
24:19), a revealer of God’s will and purpose (cf. 6:1; Rev. 1:1); a mediator of
the covenant (29:1; Heb. 8:6, 7), and a leader of the people (Is.
55:4). Thomas Nelson, Inc., King James Version Study Bible [computer file],
electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997,
c1988 by Liberty University.

1. THE RAISING UP OF CHRIST

I will raise them up a Prophet
The Lord Jesus made know God fully and completely for He is God.

God has finally spoken to mankind in the person of His Son.

“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by
the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

“And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people.”
(Luke 24:19)

The Lord Jesus was a true Prophet for all He spake came to pass.
“The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.” (John 4:19)

It has been well said, Who can speak after the Son? The speaking of Christ, of
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the beloved Son in the bosom of the Father, is final. (C. A. Coates)

Some people still ask why God does not reveal Himself today. Friend, in the
person of the Lord Jesus Christ, God put the period at the end of the
sentence. God wrote finis at the end of the book. He has nothing more to say
to the world than He has said in Jesus Christ. We are to hear Him. We are to
hearken unto Him. At the Transfiguration, God the Father said, “This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matt. 17:5). Listen to
Him. He has the final Word. For believers today the Lord Jesus Christ is
God’s ultimate, God’s full, God’s final revelation to man. This is what Moses
is saying way back here in Deuteronomy. (J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible
commentary)

2. THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST

from among their brethren,
The Lord Jesus was truly human yet without sin. He was also a true Israelite
indeed.

Several facts are stated about the reason for the Lord taking on human flesh
and blood.

(1) To FULFIL SCRIPTURE

“Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and
the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and
of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.”
(Romans 9:4-5)

As such He fulfilled the promises made to the fathers.

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
(Matthew 1:1)
He is the head of all Creation as the Last Adam
He is the inheritor of the land as the Son of Abraham
He is the King as the Son of David

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(2) To SAVE
“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise
took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death,
that is, the devil.” (Hebrews 2:14)

(3) To SYMPATHISE
“Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be
a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the
sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17)

He was so truly Man that the Samaritan woman could say, “How dost thou,
being a Jew and on His part He did not refuse to speak as one of the Jews in
saying, “ We worship what we know, for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:9,
22). Yet was He the true Prophet of God, of whom the woman could say, “I
know that Messias is coming, who is called Christ; when he comes he will tell
us all things. (C. A. Coates)

Illustration: Milk in Coloured Bottles

Sadhu Sundar Singh used to illustrate the incarnation mystery in this

way. A simple country man was being shown a red glass bottle full of milk.
They asked him what was in the bottle.
“Wine? Brandy? Whisky?” he replied, questioningly. He could not
believe it was filled with milk till he saw the milk poured out from it. The
redness of the bottle hid the colour of the milk.
So, he said, it was and is with our Lord’s humanity. Man saw Him
tired, hungry, suffering, weeping, and thought He was only man. “He was
made in the likeness of men,” yet He ever is “God over all, blessed for ever.”

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 3. THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST
like unto thee,
This emphasizes the mediatorial character of the Lord Jesus.
The Lord spoke to Moses directly and as such he was a type of Christ who
had a perfect relationship with His God and Father.
“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will
make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant
Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth,
even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold:
wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:6-8)

“For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

There are several aspects in which Moses was a type of Christ –

1. Moses was spared at birth when Pharaoh sought to kill him (Exodus
2:1-10). Jesus was sought to be slain by Herod but was spared by
being taken down to Egypt (Matthew 2:1-23).

2. Moses emptied himself and renounced the royal palace and came
down to deliver his brethren (Exodus 2:1-15; 3:10-12)

3. Moses was faithful (Hebrews 3:2) and full of compassion and love.
“Which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may
lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD
be not as sheep which have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:17) “But when he saw the
multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were
scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)

4. Moses spoke to God face to face and reflected the divine glory
(Exodus 34:33-34; Numbers 12:8; 2 Corinthians 3:7)

5. Moses was a might prophet in word and in deed. (Cf. Luke 24:19).
Moses was a revealer of God’s will and purpose (Deuteronomy 6:1)
(Cf. Revelation 1:1)

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 6. He was the mediator of the covenant. Jesus was the mediator of a
better covenant. “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how
much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon
better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6-7)

7. He was the leader of the people. Jesus is the Leader. “Behold, I have
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.”
(Isaiah 55:4)

8. Moses made intercession for the people. “And I fell down before the
LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor
drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight
of the LORD, to provoke him to anger. (Deuteronomy 9:18). Christ intercedes
for us (Hebrews 7:25)

9. Moses was the meekest man in all the earth. “Take my yoke upon you,
and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

10. Moses was given a Gentile bride in the day of his rejection by his
brethren (Exodus 2:21; Acts 7:25). Christ is given the church mainly
composed of Gentiles during the time of His rejection.

4. THE MESSAGE OF CHRIST

and will put my words in his mouth;
Here we see the fulness of inspiration.

“The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to
speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he
wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I
was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks
to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” (Isaiah 50:4-
6)

How often do we spend time to listen to God and to learn of Him in the
sanctuary?

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Illustration: Shut The Door!
When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray
to your Father. --Matthew 6:6

Years ago, a man who was visiting the United States wanted to make a
telephone call. He entered a phone booth but found it to be different from
those in his own country. It was beginning to get dark, so he had difficulty
finding the number in the directory. He saw a light in the ceiling but didn't
know how to turn it on.

As the man tried again to find the number, a passerby noticed his plight and
said, "Sir, if you want to turn the light on, you have to shut the door." To the
visitor's amazement, when he closed the door, the booth was filled with light.
He soon located the number and completed the call.

In a similar way, when we draw aside to a quiet place to pray (Matthew 6:6),
we must "shut the door" to block out our busy world... Our Lord often went
to be alone with His heavenly Father for strength and guidance. Sometimes it
was after a busy day of preaching and healing (Luke 5:12-16). At other times,
it was before making a major decision (Luke 6:12-13).
(Daily Bread - Richard De Haan)

“And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man
will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of
myself.” (John 7:15-17)

“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a
commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” (John 12:49)

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I
have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known
unto you.” (John 15:15)

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“For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them,
and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst
send me.” (John 17:8)

Illustration: The Greatest Libraries in the World

Perhaps one of the best-known libraries of ancient times is the Library of
Alexandria. Founded in 228 BC in Alexandria, Egypt, this library housed
700,000 scrolls. Many famous thinkers of the time studied or worked in the
library, including the astronomers Aristarchus and Eratosthenes, the poet
Callimachus, the mathematician Euclid, the scientist Herophilus, and the
historian Manetho. The library survived for six centuries, but slowly
disappeared after a fire and numerous invasions and wars. The library was
gone by 400 AD.

About a hundred years after the great Library of Alexandra was formed,
another great library was established. After the ruler of Egypt banned the
export of papyrus (the plant used to make paper) it is thought that parchment
was developed in the city of Pergamum

Predating the libraries at Pergamum and Alexandria was the Library of King
Ashurbanipal at the city of Nineveh. In the 600s BC, Ashurbanipal
established a great library housing tens of thousands of cuneiform tablets.

The British Library’s building at St. Pancras is the largest public building built
in the United Kingdom in the 20th century, and can seat more than 1200
readers. The library contains a copy of every publication produced in the U.K.
and Ireland, as well as millions more from around the world. It hosts 14
million books.

The Library of Congress, founded in 1800, is now the largest library in the
world with over 21 million books.

“And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written
every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be
written. Amen.” (John 21:25)
John makes a tremendous statement about the Lord here. There is such a
fulness in the Lord’s words and works that if man were to write a Bible it

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would be endless. His words and works speak volumes. The world could not
contain a Bible written by men about the Lord.
However, the Holy Spirit has written the Word of God in such a concise yet
wonderful way that each word brings forth such treasure. For two thousand
years believers have studied the Bible yet new wonders and beauties are still
discovered in its pages.

The Holy Scriptures are the greatest marvel in the world, and the Gospels are
the greatest marvel of the Scriptures. The four Gospels are a little book which
could be read in a day, but there is concentrated there what will fill eternity
with its blessedness. (C. A. Coates)

5. THE FAITHFULNESS OF CHRIST

and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
The Lord Jesus was faithful in declaring all the Word of God
Here we see the fulness of revelation.

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High
Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also
Moses was faithful in all his house.” (Hebrews 3:1-2)

Jesus boldly spoke the truth even when men sought to kill Him.
“But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of
God: this did not Abraham.” (John 8:40)

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 6. THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST
19 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 Lord Jesus spoke in the name of JEHOVAH. All the authority and
power of heaven was behind Him.

“While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of
the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
(Matthew 17:5)

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27)

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge
the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one
that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
(John 12:48)

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