This content was curated with assistance from Eniola Ladapo. Thanks girl!
Deuteronomy marks the end of the Torah, the collective name for the first 5 books of the Bible, meaning ‘instruction’ or ‘law’. Moses’ death is recorded at the close of this book and it definitely feels like the end of an era. After all, he’s been the central figure since his birth in Exodus.
Honestly, the entire book is quite emotional. It covers a climatic point in Israel’s history when they’re just about to enter into the Promised Land. Of course, they’re 40 years later than they should be. I won’t go into that, but you can click here to find out why.
Moses was given the task of instructing the Israelites in God’s ways. He knows he’s about to die, so he gives a recap of
who God is
what He’s done
what He wants His people to do in return
how the previous generation of Israelites responded, and finally
what the new generation should do going forward
There’s also a lot of prophecy; Moses speaks in great detail of the future of the nation centuries before it happens. It’s so cool! I find prophetic passages to be great proof/confirmation of the divinity of the Bible and the existence of God. (The book of Daniel is full of such chapters).
The greatest prophecy Moses gives is one of Jesus:
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to Him.”
The Bible actually says – not that Moses is like Jesus, but – Jesus is like Moses. What an honour for Moses! And one I’d say is rightfully earned. There truly was no prophet like him (until Jesus of course). He alone kept about 2 million insubordinate ex-slaves in check for 40 years. He was the instrument of God’s power against the Egyptians. He basically ensured the survival of the race that would change the world.
Jesus did none of those things, so in what ways exactly is He the prophet who is like Moses?
Well…
| Moses | Jesus |
|---|---|
| • Was nearly killed when Pharaoh ordered the murder of all male Hebrew new-borns (Exodus 1:22) | • Was nearly killed when Herod ordered the murder of all babies in Bethlehem under 2 (Matthew 2:16) |
| • Led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt (Exodus 3:10) | • Leads Christians out of the captivity of sin into God’s freedom (John 8:31-36; Romans 6:16-18) |
| • Spoke face to face with God (Numbers 12:8) | • Saw God face to face (John 6:46) |
| • Gave the Israelites God’s old law from Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-24; the whole Torah basically) | • Gave Christians God’s new law from an unnamed mountain (Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7; all the Gospels basically) |
| • Interceded for the Israelites, even when their wrong was against him (Exodus 32:9-14; Numbers 21:6) | • Intercedes for mankind, even the ones who hate Him (Romans 8:34; Luke 23:34) |
| • Was a priest as well as a prophet (Psalm 99:6) | • Is a priest as well as a prophet (Hebrews 4:14) |
| • Built the tabernacle, God’s old dwelling amongst man (Exodus 25-31, 35-40) | • Built (and is still building) the Church, God’s new dwelling amongst man (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 6:19) |
I get it, Jesus is a prophet like Moses. What relevance does that have to my life?
Why, I’m glad you asked!
After Moses says the people must listen to that prophet who will come, Yahweh* goes on to say something quite serious: anyone who does not listen to the prophet will be held accountable to God. Later, in the book of Acts, Peter says that everyone who does not listen to the prophet will be destroyed (IKR, heavy).
The importance of recognizing Jesus as the prophet like Moses is realising that He’s not only like Moses but is also greater than. Our salvation depends entirely on Him. Whereas the Law of Moses only spelt our rewards and punishments for this life, the ‘law’ of Christ spells them out for the next. The repercussions to the Israelites (and to us) for failing to obey Jesus would be much more than the repercussions for failing to obey Moses.
Now, God isn’t trying to catch people out with eternal damnation – He’s laid the terms out plainly. He’s spelt out the consequences of our choice. The decision is now yours: will you choose life or death?
“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life…”
Notes:
* Yahweh - The widely accepted pronunciation of the name of the God of Israel, as revealed to Moses in the wilderness. Also known by its Latin/Old English version Jehovah.