In Deuteronomy we read this powerful declaration: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. This is what you requested from the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not continue to hear the voice of the Lord our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!’ Then the Lord said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to My words that he speaks in My name” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19, HCSB).
The people of Israel could not stand in the presence of the Holy God – it was far too terrifying. They had seen Moses come down from the fire- and smoke-covered mountain, his face glowing from having been in God’s presence. They’d also seen Moses’ anger when he found them worshiping an idol they’d created during his absence.
Moses knew their bent toward disobedience – which is plain ol’ sin in any form – and even more importantly, God Himself knew their sinful natures. The people wanted Him to watch over them, but they knew they couldn’t bear to stand before Him – they needed Someone like Moses to act as their go-between.
Which is why God had already prepared to come in human form. The Triune God sent Himself as His Only Begotten Son to be born of woman and live and walk among men, and to die as the once-for-all Living Sacrifice as payment for man’s sin-debt. From Genesis to Revelation, the Book keeps pointing to the Savior!
Speaking of the New Testament, let’s move over there. If you recall the passage from Acts 3 that we looked at a couple of days ago, we saw Peter and John on their way to the temple. They stopped at the gates where a man who was born crippled had been laid to beg from passersby. When he called out to them for money, he instead received healing. The rest of the people were amazed to see this, so they flocked around Peter and John and the man who’d received the healing.
Peter used this opportunity to preach to them the Gospel: “Moses said: ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him in everything he will say to you. And it will be that everyone who will not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.’ In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also announced these days” (Acts 3:22-24).
Peter announced, “The Savior, the Deliverer, you prayed for has come! Jesus!” Matter of fact, Peter went on to say these very words: “God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways” (Acts 3:26).
Man never was, isn’t and never will be capable of being sinless on his own. He needs a Savior. And even having met and accepted that Savior, we still tend to disobey, to sin. But the amazing grace of God continues to cover our sins as we confess them, and the Holy Spirit continues to indwell each and every believer to convict them not to sin. No natural man doesn’t have a desire to sin, but thanks to the tremendous mercy of our Heavenly Father, we have an Advocate who sticks with us and keeps us guiding away from what can hurt us and toward the One who loves us.
If we’re to be like Jesus, guess what? We’re to be doing the very same thing: guiding people away from what can hurt them and pointing them toward the Savior. Is that what your life is doing? Ask the Lord to give you divine appointments to share the Good News with others.
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