Year 1, Week 22, Day 1 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 22, Day 1

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of Deuteronomy 18-20.

Today’s reading continues the re-presentation of the Mosaic Law. The second generation of Israelites, who will soon be entering the Promised Land, are given afresh the requirements for living as the LORD’s covenant people. Like the second half of Deuteronomy and all of Deuteronomy 17, Deuteronomy 18 continues with applications of the fifth commandment as it issues additional instructions for Israel’s priests and prophets. Deuteronomy 19 and 20 pertains to the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder” (Deuteronomy 5:17). Respect for life has many practical applications such as not only administering justice when a life is taken, but also the protection of the innocent as well as a strong process for determining guilt and innocence. Appropriate regulations for war also pertain to the respect of life.

One of the things that struck me in today’s reading is the LORD’s desire for His Word, spoken through the prophets, to govern Israel’s life: “We do not see our signs; there is no longer any prophet, and there is none among us who knows how long.” (Psalm 74:9). When the prophets of the LORD would be abundant in Israel’s life, the nation would flourish; but when the prophets of the LORD would be absent, the nation would flounder. The LORD promised that He would send Israel prophets: “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…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.” (Deuteronomy 18:15,18). The LORD’s prophets would speak the LORD’s Words. With such a provision would come responsibility: “And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:19). The prophets who would speak God’s Words would need to be listened to. Failure to receive God’s Word from the prophets would result in discipline from the LORD.

However, the nature of Israel’s relationship of receiving God’s Word from the prophets was to look nothing like the activities associated with the false prophets that the godless nations around Israel pursued: “When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations…for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.” (Deuteronomy 18:9,14). Israel would need to continually reject the speculations of the false prophets. And the one who falsely states that he speaks for the LORD would be soundly rejected for the LORD would judge the false prophet: “But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.” (Deuteronomy 18:20). The LORD provides the needed criteria to distinguish between a true and false prophet: "And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.” (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). Every Word from the LORD proves to be true; false prophets do not speak for the LORD, so their words do not reflect what will actually come to pass.

It is the prophet from the LORD that is to be listened to. Moses’ prophecy that the LORD would send His prophet is certainly borne out in the rest of the Old Testament. The LORD raised up many true and faithful prophets during Israel history. But the ultimate prophet from the LORD is His own Son, Jesus. When Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain and showed them His glory, God made it clear that Jesus was a prophet: “And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.” (Luke 9:35-36a). While the experience begins with the presence of Moses and Elijah alongside Jesus, it was Jesus who was shown to be the greatest. But is was not merely the three disciples who accompanied Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, many recognized God’s hand upon Jesus as the prophet Moses promised: “When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” (John 6:14). These eyewitness experiences shaped Peter and shaped his preaching as he proclaimed concerning Jesus: “Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.” (Acts 3:22). The writer of Hebrews points to Jesus as something of the final prophet: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2).

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe