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 any more, 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. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
Deut 18:15–20, ESV
Our OT scripture reading contains an important word, prophet, and an important addition to its evolving definition. It’s a word that has not been used frequently up to this point in the five books of Moses. This passage will further solidify the template that the former and latter prophets are built upon, both in their role and in the outworking of their ministry. Finally we compare the ministry of Jesus to the texts given.
What does a prophet do?
Abraham is the very first person named in the Text as a prophet in Genesis 20. Yahweh tells king Abimelech in a dream that Abraham “is a prophet… he will pray for you, and you shall live.” This gives us the initial job description of a prophet: intercessory prayer. This occasion’s prayer is for healing (restoration from certain death), but we can see in other places and times the occasion can also be hardship that aims to provoke positive change, like when Elijah prays for drought (Jas 5:17).
Intercessory healing (restorative) prayer continues to be a strong prophetic component as the scriptures relate God’s story of redemption. Moses prays for the forgiveness of Israel’s foolish sin (Ex. 32:32), Abigail prays to the Lord’s anointed for the forgiveness of her dim-witted husband, saving him from certain death (1 Sam. 25:28).
Jeremiah’s prayer (17:14) appears in the context of nationwide sin. Read in isolation it certainly sounds like an individual’s prayer for healing (and widens out to include total salvation), but in its literary setting you can easily hear his repentance spoken on behalf of all the covenant people.
We can take this as our first cue to identifying who are the truly prophetic people in our community. It might not be the ones with the loudest and most prolific mouths (or blogs, or YouTube vids). Perhaps the oldest and most original kind of prophet operates in a quieter, more private place, simply pleading to the Father for the good of others (Ps. 122)—for his shalom and healing to be manifest on earth.
What should a prophet say?
The sight and sound of Yahweh’s arrival at Horeb (aka Sinai) was truly terrifying to the general population present. And no wonder: earth shaking, thunder, lightning, thick darkness, ear-piercing blasts (Ex. 19:16). Perhaps a few pants filled and knees wet that day, and you would include me in all that. But Yahweh knows the frailty of us, and anticipates a human voice that can speak with words we can more easily apprehend (and at times more easily ignore, unfortunately).
Deut. 18:18 tells us that a prophet will “speak to them all [my words] that I command”. There is a link between minds as God communicates his thoughts to the prophet. The anatomy of this link is not spelled out here, but a little later on we learn of a coming priest that will “do according to what is in my [Yahweh’s] heart and in my mind” (2 Sam. 2:35). The link is not just informational, it is relational, including heart language as Yahweh moves the prophet’s inner being in conformity to his will. As in heaven, so on earth.
If the larger scope of Deuteronomy indicates what the prophet should say, we can see that it includes the retold communal memory and lessons of lived experience (as related in chapters 1–11), direction for living a wise and discerning life that reflects to our neighbour the loving nature of God (chapters 12–26), and calls to faithfulness and devotion with all their benefits, along with a suitable reminder about the consequences of covenant betrayal (chapters 27–34).
And perhaps most importantly, hope in and adherence to the action and power of God himself as he carries out the forming of our hearts and lives as we cooperate in his plan of redemption and blessing for every family of the earth. “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deut. 30:6). Abiding love is the ultimate goal of prophecy.
Comparing Jesus to the prophetic model
Did Jesus intercede for the sick (and dead) and restore them to life? Like Abraham, yes, and the Gospel writers hammer this home so many times we nearly become numb to the repetition, like so many trains crossing each day.
Did Jesus pray for all to come to the full salvation promised by his Father in heaven, to deliver them from certain death? John chapter 17 gives us perhaps the broadest and grandest view of salvation, an intercessory prayer by a true prophet. The result is the love of God abiding in the new heart of every believer who trusts in him (John 17:26).
Did Jesus speak the words of God? Like Moses, yes. The Father-Son language Jesus used indicates a special kind of heaven-comes-to-earth channel for Yahweh’s ultimate revelation. His was a truly human voice, easily obeyed and easily ignored. He retold our past in a way that includes us today (Matt. 12:3-8, among so many others); he gave us direction for the reflected blessings of Eden-life (Matt. 5–7, among others); and he called us to obey and did not hide the consequences of betrayal (Matt. 10:39, among others).
No wonder so many of the common people of his day were convinced he was the real deal. Was Jesus a true prophet? The evidence is strong to the yes. If he is who he presents himself to be, we can lean upon him for restoration and total salvation. We can trust his instruction and guidance. We can commit body and soul into his competent hands and look for his action in our lives.
“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled” (Heb. 3:15 NLT). Take a posture of openness and receptivity to the Spirit of God, asking for wisdom and insight, formation and re-formation (and re-re-formation—as much as it takes!), patience and determination. The voice of the Prophet will speak to you.