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 Christ:
The Prophet of Prophets
by David Padfield
The book of Deuteronomy contains many warnings and admonitions for
the people of God as they are about to enter the land of Canaan. The
eighteenth chapter of the book contains a remarkable passage
regarding the origin of the prophetic institution. God was going to
raise up a body of men and put His word in their mouth (Deut.
18:9-22).
The Levites were the appointed teachers of the Law. However, in the
promised land there would be new circumstances which would require
further revelation from God. Canaan was a land filled with
superstition -- they claimed detailed knowledge of the future, but
their sources were declared abominations by God, so Jehovah promised
to raise up prophets to make known His will. In this article we will
notice the superstitions employed by the Canaanites during the time
of Moses (as described in Deut. 18:10-12), and then see how Christ
was "the Prophet" God would raise up.
Superstitions Of The Canaanites
The first superstition of the Canaanites mentioned by Moses was
febration -- the practice of one making "his son or his daughter
pass through the fire" (Deut. 18:10). The purpose of febration was
to obtain an oracle, or to avert national disaster (cf. Deut.
12:29-31). This practice was common among the worshipers of Moloch,
the national deity of Ammonites (Lev. 18:21). This abomination
caused God to root out the Canaanites (Lev. 18:24-30).
"To Baal-Haman, in great crises, living children were sacrificed, as
many as three hundred in a day. They were placed upon the inclined
and outstretched arms of the idol and rolled off into the fire
beneath; their cries were drowned in the noise of trumpets and
cymbals; their mothers were required to look upon the scene without
moan or tear, lest they be accused of impiety and lose the credit
due them from the god." (Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, p. 42).
The next three terms used by Moses describe various methods of
divination, including "one who practices witchcraft, or a
soothsayer, or one who interprets omens." God wanted His people to
know these practices were powerless against His people, as expressed
in Numbers 23:23, "For there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor is
there any divination against Israel." No soothsayer has any power
against Israel, for Israel receives her information from the Lord.
Moses also mentions two other classes of divination, "a sorcerer, or
one who conjures a spell," followed by two groups who seek after the
dead, "a medium, or a spiritist." Manasseh reinstituted many of
these crimes when he was King in Judah (2 Kings 21:1-6). "Although
these two words, 'ghost' and 'familiar spirit' are used side by
side, there was nevertheless a distinction between them. The person
who was possessed of an ob (ghost) was evidently a ventriloquist.
Like the witch at Endor he might call up the ob and describe what he
saw. Those about him would probably hear only a muttering or
twittering which seemed to come from the ground. The 'familiar
spirit' however, was evidently a spirit that was at the beck and
call of a particular person." (Edward J. Young, My Servants The
Prophets, p. 23).
"One who calls up the dead" is a comprehensive term which covers all
forms of spiritualism.
"The context refers to sorcery, divination, spiritism, and other
similar practices. Excavations at different sites have uncovered a
great number of figurines, charms, amulets, and other objects
connected with sorcery, fertility cults, demon exorcism, and pagan
superstitions that at times propagated themselves in Israel to such
an extent that legislators, prophets, and some rulers had frequently
to warn the people against them." (Gonzalo Baez-Camargo,
Archaeological Commentary On The Bible, p. 55).
"The list is indeed impressive. These superstitious practices which
were so much in vogue among the Canaanites of ancient time are the
reason why the Lord will dispossess these people of their land.
Moses then advances a step. Not only are these practices in
themselves abominations, he says, but also every one that doeth them
is an abomination in the sight of the Lord. It is for this reason
that God will drive out the Canaanites from their land. It is well
that we should grasp this fact, for it has sometimes been maintained
that the God of the Old Testament was an arbitrary despot, who drove
out the Canaanites and brought Israel into Palestine, and this, it
has been said, was a cruel, arbitrary act. Such a judgment, however,
is unjust, and out of accord with the facts. God, in dispossessing
the Canaanites, was doing a gracious and merciful thing to the
remainder of the world. The Canaanites, through their abominations,
had themselves become abominations. If there was to be any salvation
for the world, Canaan must go. The cup of their iniquity had filled,
and they could no longer be permitted to exist as heretofore. Let no
one, then, charge God with lack of justice in His treatment of
Canaan." (Edward Young, p. 24).
In spite of all of the means of divination used by her neighbors,
Israel would not have to resort to such means, for God would raise
up a Prophet "from your midst, from your brethren" (Deut. 18:15).
Therefore, there would be no reason for Israel to turn to heathen
soothsayers. God was going to raise up a body of prophets to declare
His words, and later He would raise up one great Prophet, who alone
could compare to Moses.
Christ Is God's Final Prophet
The New Testament often speaks of Christ as "the Prophet," a
reference back to the promise given by God to Moses in Deuteronomy
18.
As John opens his account of the life of Christ he tells of the work
of John the Baptist. On one occasion priests and Levites from
Jerusalem went to John and inquired as to whether or not he was the
Christ (John 1:19-23). When John denied being the long-awaited
Messiah the priests and Levites then asked if he was Elijah, to
which John answered "I am not." They then asked, "Are you the
Prophet?" They wanted to know if John was "the Prophet" Moses had
promised centuries before -- the answer was "No."
It was in the region of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus fed the 5,000
with "five barley loaves and two small fish" (John 6:1-14). When the
people had been fed and there was still bread to spare, they said,
"This is truly the Prophet, who is come into the world" (John 6:14).
On one occasion Jesus healed a lame man at the Pool of Bethesda.
"Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not
only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father,
making Himself equal with God" (John 5:18). Jesus told these Jews,
"You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal
life; and these are they which testify of Me" (John 5:39). There are
many Old Testament passages which speak of Christ, but the one He
had in mind on this occasion was found in the writings of Moses.
Jesus said, "Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father;
there is one who accuses you -- Moses, in whom you trust. For if you
believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if
you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?"
(John 5:45-47).
What did Moses say about Christ? God told Moses, "I will raise up
for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put
My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command
Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He
speaks in My name, I will require it of him." (Deut. 18:18-19). This
passage was speaking of Christ, for Peter quoted it in Acts 3:22-23
and applied it to Him. Stephen quoted this same passage in the
sermon which cost him his life (Acts 7:37).
On the Mount of Transfiguration our Lord stood with Moses and Elijah
and discussed His impending death. Peter, overwhelmed in the moment,
said, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make
here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for
Elijah" (Matt. 17:4). However, "While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of
the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased. Hear Him!'" (Matt. 17:5). The point is clear: as great as
Moses and Elijah were in their own right, we are to listen to God's
Son today!
Jesus is God's final spokesman. The Hebrew writer reminds us of how
"God, who at various times and in different ways spoke in time past
to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us
by His Son..." (Heb. 1:1-2).
Conclusion
Concerning "the Prophet" who was to come, God said, "whoever will
not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of
him" (Deut. 18:19). The Hebrew writer mentions the consequences of
neglecting the message of Christ. "Therefore we must give the more
earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if
the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every
transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we
escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began
to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard
Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with
various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own
will?" (Heb. 2:1-4).
Have you listened to the words of Christ, God's final spokesman? If
you reject the message of Christ, you will have rejected your only
means of eternal salvation! ~
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