Advent 10: A Prophet Like Moses
Deuteronomy 18:15-18
“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— just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 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.”
Deut. 18:15-18
If you come across this passage, reading through the Old Testament, it seems pretty cut and dry that Moses is transferring his authority to lead over to Joshua. But there is more going on here. This is another one of those situations where we see God giving a promise that will have more than one fulfillment.
Spoiler alert: it’s also about Jesus.
First, let’s look at Joshua. Is it fair to say that he is a prophet like Moses? Absolutely. Let’s look at a few examples. In Joshua chapter one, God has a conversation with Joshua where he appoints him to lead the people of Israel. Several times in this conversation, God tells him to “be strong and courageous.” To back it up, he tells him, “Just like I was with Moses, so I will be with you.” God is the one who actually makes the comparison between Joshua and Moses.
Ready, Set…
The Book of Deuteronomy is one of the most enjoyable books to read. It’s so good because, in it, we get to see God’s heart for his people. It constantly talks about how special these people are to God and how special God should be to them. It’s really good.
Anyway, it is basically a series of sermons Moses gives to prepare God’s people for the Promised Land. Moses does this because he won’t get to go in (that, and he is recording the Word of God for God’s people). Part of preparing the people for their next chapter is the passing leadership from Moses to Joshua.
Joshua, but Not Joshua
In addition, Joshua 4:14 says the people seem to acknowledge that he is like Moses. Scripture says,
On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel, and they stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life.
Joshua 4:14
If you need any more confirmation that Joshua is the guy, look at Joshua 5:13-15.
When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?”And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the LORD. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:13-15
Where have you seen this before? Just like God commissioned Moses at the burning bush, so now God commissions Joshua. And he tells both of them to take their shoes off because they are standing on holy ground.
But Wait, There’s More
The most interesting aspect about all of this is that the people of Israel were still looking for a prophet to come. Somehow, they realized Joshua was God’s appointed man for the moment but thought God was still sending someone else. Maybe it’s because the promise in Joshua 1 had so much about God’s Word being in the prophet and that he would speak for God. Maybe it’s because Joshua eventually died, and they still needed a leader. Whatever the reasons, we can see from the testimony of the New Testament that they were still looking for the coming of this new prophet.
In John 1, when the Jewish leaders see John the Baptist, they ask him, “Are you the prophet?” Apparently, their study of the Old Testament had led them to believe that they were still waiting for: the Christ, Elijah, and the prophet. Pretty cool. Then, in Acts 3 when Peter is preaching, he refers to Jesus by quoting this passage from Deuteronomy. And finally, in Acts 7, we see Stephen saying the same thing about Jesus.
Reflection
As we get closer and closer to the birth of Jesus, we must keep these truths in front of us. Over and over in the pages of Scripture, we can see God planning and working out all of these things. Sometimes we get to see the way it works out, and sometimes we don’t. With this prophecy Moses prophesied, we actually get to see it work out twice. Joshua comes onto the scene to lead God’s people as Moses did. Joshua was faithful, and we can praise God for him.
But when Jesus comes on the scene, he does what neither Moses nor Joshua could have ever dreamed of. Moses led his people out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt, but Jesus leads his people out of eternal slavery to sin. Praise God that he would send this baby to be our prophet, priest, and king!
Let’s talk about it:
- What has been the most surprising thing you have seen in this study leading up to Jesus?
- Have you ever noticed the similarities between Moses, Joshua, and Jesus? What are some ways in which Jesus is better as prophet, priest, and king?
Free Advent Bible Study
Let’s stand back and marvel at God’s grace and sovereignty, and focus on God this Christmas. May we join with the angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14).
Join this 25-day Advent journey, The Things Concerning Himself, as we worship Christ and celebrate his coming.
Zach Mabry is the worship pastor and one of the main teachers at Snowbird. He also directs our year-round Snowbird Institute program. He has a Master of Divinity from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as an adjunct professor for Liberty University. Zach is a teaching pastor at Red Oak Church, a local church in the Andrews area.