Scriptural text: Exodus 12:28-50
God Promises a Prophet (Deuteronomy 8:15). What God promised Moses at Mount Sinai, he promised the people in God’s name. (1) That there should come a prophet, great above all the other prophets, by whom God would make known himself and his will to the children of men more fully and clearly than ever he had done before. He is the light of the world, as prophecy was of the Jewish church, John 8:12. He is the Word by whom God speaks to us (John 1:1) (2) That God would raise him up from the midst of them. In his birth he should be one of that nation, should live among them and be sent to them. In his resurrection he should be raised up at Jerusalem, and thence his doctrine should go forth to all the world; that God, having raised up his Son Christ Jesus, sent Him to bless us. (3) That he should be like unto Moses, only as much above him as the other prophets came short of him. Moses was such a prophet as was a lawgiver to Israel and their deliverer out of Egypt, and so was Christ.
God Responds to the People (Deuteronomy 18:16-17). In verse 17, the Lord affirmed the people’s request to have someone to speak on God’s behalf to them. In the plains of Moab, Moses was reminding the people what happened at Mt. Horeb. When the Israelites reached the base of the mountain, the Lord called Moses to come up and receive the words of the covenant. In verse 17, the Lord affirmed the people’s request to have someone to speak on God’s behalf to them. These words remind us what it means to enter into the very presence of God.
A Prophet’s Qualifications (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). First, it would be somebody called by God for the specific task. Second, the prophet whom God called would be a fellow Israelite. Second, the prophet that God called would be a fellow Israelite. Third, the Lord would put his word in the mouth of the prophet. The word of the prophet would be the word of God.
Beware of False Prophets (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). Moses had previously told the Israelites that they were not to listen nor hearken to prophets who preached in the names of other gods who preached in the names of other gods.
Jesus also warned his disciples that they were to beware of false prophets, those who would come in the name of the Lord but have no calling nor authority in his name.