Seder 149: Deuteronomy 18---The Prophet(s) Like Moses

 Moses for forty years had been Israel's teacher, bringing revelation from God.  But what would happen after Moses died?  Moses addressed this subject in Deuteronomy 18:9-22.  

First, Moses made clear that Israel was not to follow the practices of the nations around them.  Other nations tried to manipulate deities, supernatural forces, or spirits of the dead to act in their favor.  But Israel was not to engage in any divinatory practices (Dt 18:9-14).  

Israel would have no need of such practices.  God cannot be manipulated, and Israel was to obey him, not try to control him.  Instead, Moses said, "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' (v. 15).  

Thinking about Moses and his role, being a prophet like Moses should include 

• a mediatorial role;
• access to God's presence;
• communication with God;
• being led by the Holy Spirit.

Moses also addressed the question of how to identify a true prophet of God (vv 20-22).  True prophets 

1. were loyal to God, not necessarily to a human leader (see e.g. 1 Ki 22);
2. gave messages consistent with the Torah;
3. spoke at God's initiative;
4. spoke only in God's name'
5. gave prophecies that were fulfilled;
6. had authenticating signs (see Ex 4:1-9);
7. were obedient to God (see Jer 29:12-13).

On the other hand, false prophets would come under divine judgment (Eze 13; 1 Ki 18; 2 Ki 10).

Israel indeed did go on to have a series of inspired prophets, including the anonymous prophets of Judges 6:7-10; 10:11-14; Samuel; Nathan; Elijah; Elisha; and the authors of the Bible's prophetic books.  

In some sense, though, all of them fell short of Moses, who had an especially close relationship with God (Num 12:6-8).  Deuteronomy 18:15-18 came to be understood as a prediction that the line of prophets described there would culminate in one great prophet, the Messiah.  We see this interpretation in Deuteronomy 34:10-12, which was apparently written some centuries after Moses.  The book of Deuteronomy ends with the assertion that the ultimate "prophet like Moses" had not yet arrived.  

Kevin Chen points out that there are hints in Deut 18:15-18 that this is a messianic prophecy.  One is the statement that God would "raise up" this prophet (vv 15, 18).  The same language is used in other prophecies that are clearly messianic, like 2 Samuel 7:22 and Jeremiah 23:5; 30:9.  This language hints at the idea that this special prophet would be "raised up" from the dead.   

During the Second Temple Period, a tradition arose in some Jewish circles that inspired prophecy had ceased in Israel (1 Macc 4:46; 14:41), and that the next inspired prophet would be the Messiah.  In the New Testament there are references to Deuteronomy 18:15-18 as a messianic prophecy (Jn 6:1-14; Ac 3:11-26).  In the first century people were hoping for the fulfillment of this prophecy, and the first Christians believed that it was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.