The Prophesied Prophet

The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die. And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good, I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among your brethren, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks* in My name, I will require it of him (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).’’

Peter took up this theme and preached it to the people at Solomon’s Porch after the lame man had been healed in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:6-10). He said, “‘For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people (Acts 3:22, 23).’’  Peter told them that the man had been healed through ‘faith’ in the name of Jesus, and this faith came through Him (Acts 3:16:).

Stephen, just before he was martyred (Acts 7:59, 60), preached the same message: “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like Me from your brethren. Him you shall hear (Acts 7:37).

The Importance of ‘Hearing’ Jesus

Hearing Jesus is paramount. The prophets pointed to Him for salvation (Luke 24:25; Acts 7:52). Again and again their message was to ‘hear’ Him (Jeremiah 25:4). Moses prophesied of the coming of Jesus, and it was Him who people were to hear. He was the Messiah, the Just One (Acts 3:14; 7:52), and through Him all the elect would be saved (Ephesians 1:3-10).

There are no prophets today, but God’s prophets of the Old Testament and those of the New, spoke not only to the Israelites, but also to the Gentiles. Their message was pertinent to their generation, and it is to ours also. We are to learn from them: ‘For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4).’

Paul in his Epistle to the Romans wrote: ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).’ And those who are saved are saved through faith by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8, 9).

Jesus, Himself, spoke these words, “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house. and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock (Luke 6:47, 48).”’

He said,“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life (John 5:24),”’ and

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish: neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27, 28).”’

‘“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on My own authority, but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should  *speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak (John 12:48-50).”’

Salvation

If you are to be one of God’s elect, you must ‘hear’ Him through His son, the Lord Jesus (John 14:6). If you confess Him ‘with your mouth’ and ‘believe in your heart’ , then ‘you will be saved (Romans 10:9).’

‘Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).’