Moses:  A Mirror Of Christ 

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites and you must listen to Him.”

Deuteronomy 18:15 (NLT) 

This is a prophecy given by God’s servant Moses to the people of Israel. But what did he mean; “a prophet like me?” 

Well, as you know, Moses had the task of instituting the Passover in Egypt, the slaying of an innocent lamb whose blood saved the firstborn of Israel when the firstborn of Egypt died (Exodus 12:1-11). Jesus became the Passover Lamb of the New Covenant and His blood has saved all those who have ever, or will ever live, from death (1 Peter 1:18-20).

 Just as baby Moses was almost slaughtered after his birth because Pharaoh had issued a command that all male Israelite children must be put to death as soon as they were born (Exodus 1:15); so in the same way Jesus was almost killed by a decree given by Herod that all male children under two born in Bethlehem must die (Matthew 2:16).  And where did Mary and Joseph flee to for safety? Down into Egypt! (Matthew 2:13). Matthew quotes Hosea in chapter 11and verse 1, which says; “Out of Egypt have I called my Son.”

 Moses was Israel’s greatest prophet.  Deuteronomy 34:10 says, “There has never been another prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” 

Yet the people who heard Jesus speak are recorded on two occasions as saying; “Surely this is the prophet” (John 6:14; John 7:40). Also Philip, one of the disciples who went in search of Nathaniel, told him; “We have found the one that Moses wrote about” (John 1:45). 

I think that the icing on the cake is the section of scripture in John 5:31-47.  Here Jesus tells the Jewish religious leaders in no uncertain terms that he is “that prophet;” notice in verses 46-47 “…For if you believed Moses you would believe me; for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?” 

And as He said in John 12:49-50, the words that He spoke were the words of God the Father, again fulfilling the prophecy of Moses in Deuteronomy 18:18.  Both these men spoke God’s word faithfully in two different and very difficult eras of God’s plan for mankind. 

Prayer

Great Father, thank you as we look back through the pages of time we can see the great promise of your Son Jesus in every shadow and in every piece of the recorded history of your people Israel.

Amen

 Study by Cliff Neill