So last time we began to learn about the person of Moses and how he had a remarkable relationship with God, to the point where God spoke with him face to face the way friends speak with each other. All Jews revere Moses, he did after all bring about the absolute deliverance of the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt and saw them all safely into the Promised Land, even though he himself didn’t enter. He lead them through the wilderness for forty years and was the spokesman for God to the people. It was through Moses that God gave the people His Word, it was through Moses that the people learned about God’s standards and expectations, and His love for them. Moses was the epitome of an excellent leader even as he learned on the job so to speak. Without question, Moses was a brilliant man. But…is he more brilliant than Mashiach and to whom should be make our allegiance?
Last time we learned how a 14th century rabbi named Levi ben Gerson taught that Mashiach would actually lead the Gentile nations in worship of the God of Israel.
I want to let you know what other Jewish sages believed about the ‘prophet’ of whom Moses spoke.
Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses said, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to Him.”
The Talmud, which is one of the most authoritative sacred writings of the Jews says, “All the prophets prophesied of the days of the Messiah.” (Tractate Sanhedrin 99a) ‘All’ includes Moses.
The Midrash Tanhuma, Toledot 14 says this. “A song of ascents, I life my eyes to the hills. Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; it is Messiah son of David. And why does he call him great mountain? Because he is greater than the Fathers as it was said in Isaiah 52, ‘Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.’ Loftier than Abraham, higher than Isaac, more exalted than Jacob and more elevated than Moses…As he said: ‘that you should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom”…and higher than the ministering angels, as it was said: ‘and the rims were full of eyes.’ And who is he? It’s Messiah.”
This Midrash, this sacred writing, explains that Mashiach – described in Isaiah 52 – is higher, wiser, loftier and more elevated than all the patriarchs and prophets who’ve gone before…including Moses.
Dr Eitan Bar explains that the role of a prophet is instruction of God and His ways. The two primary ways that the prophet instructs the people are 1) through warning the people and 2) through giving detailed information about the future.
The first prophecies of Isaiah were dealing with immorality and corruption in Israel, particularly within the leadership, his later prophecies were very much focused on the future and Isaiah especially spoke of Mashiach, possibly more than any other prophet.
The rules for prophets were strict, they were speaking on behalf of God. His mouthpiece so to speak, which means that God had an especially high standard for them. In fact it was so high, that the law stated that any prophet who spoke error, was deemed a false prophet and the penalty was capital punishment. The death penalty. Those who claim to speak for God aren’t permitted to be wrong or misrepresent Him. God won’t tolerate error or falsehood in His name, no matter how genuine the so-called prophet is.
It is a very, very serious thing to claim to speak for God and be wrong. Nowhere does God say that a prophet who is genuinely trying to speak for God is acceptable even if he’s wrong. No. If a prophet speaks for God, and prophecies wrongly…he got the death penalty. That’s how serious it is to speak and say “God said…”
Moses predicted the future too. The book of Deuteronomy is a series of sermons that he gave to the people before they entered the Promised Land and he told them that the day would come when they’d basically reject God and demand a human king to be like the other nations. Even though they’d just sworn to obey God as their king. He told them that he knew that one day they’d rebel and become so wicked that God would have no choice but to bring severe judgment upon them. Every single thing that Moses said they do, they did. Everything single judgment that Moses said God would bring upon them, came upon them. Moses was a true prophet.
Jesus was also a prophet. He warned His people about the consequences for rejecting Him, He warned about the Temple being destroyed, about Jerusalem being besieged and about the people going into exile. He warned about false prophets rising up, about false teachers performing false signs and wonders and about the judicial blindness coming upon His own people. He prophesied His own execution and His resurrection after three days in the tomb. He prophesied many other things, and many of them have already been fulfilled, many of them are yet to be fulfilled…but they will be.
There’s a big difference however…Moses died and has never been seen since. No one knows were he’s buried, because he died on Mt Nebo and God buried him. But Moses has never come back to see anyone. Jesus died, He was executed in public and in humiliation while His enemies looked on and mocked Him. He was buried and had a soldier’s security team guarding it, yet He rose from the dead, the guards were paid off, to no avail, because Jesus was seen by hundreds of witnesses. He spoke with them, ate with them, taught them and encouraged them. When it was time, they even watched Him ascend into heaven.
Next time I want to go through a list of reasons why Jesus truly is the prophet like Moses, that Moses himself prophesied would come.
Shalom
Mandy
