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Moses was a prophet, and as a prophet, he typifies Christ—v. 15:
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In his forty years of leading the children of Israel, Moses continually spoke to them for God; especially in Deuteronomy, Moses repeatedly spoke God’s words to the children of Israel—1:1, 9-11, 18; 4:1-2; 5:11; 6:1-9.
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Moses, as the spokesman of God, was like an aged, loving father speaking to his children with much love and concern—30:1-14:
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Although it was Moses who spoke, he did not speak his own words; he spoke God’s words—32:1-47.
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He spoke for God, spoke forth God, and spoke God into the children of Israel—11:8-25.
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Moses was a person not only soaked and saturated with the thought of God but also constituted with the speaking God Himself; therefore, the word that proceeded out of his mouth was the word of God spoken through this one spokesman—Exo. 34:29-35; Num. 12:6-8:
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For forty years Moses served as God’s spokesman, speaking for God, speaking forth God, and predicting; every word that he spoke became God’s word—Deut. 10:12-22.
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He predicted that the children of Israel would forsake God and be cast by God into all the nations but that when they would repent and turn to God, He would gather them from the nations—29:25-28; 30:1-3.
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As such a prophet, Moses is a type of Christ—Acts 3:22-23.
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Moses spoke to the children of Israel all that God had commanded him to speak; likewise, the Lord Jesus spoke all that the Father commanded Him to speak—John 12:49-50.
Morning Nourishment
Deut. 18:15 A Prophet will Jehovah your God raise up for you from your midst, from among your brothers, like me; you shall listen to Him.18 A Prophet will I raise up for them from the midst of their brothers like you; and I will put My words in His mouth, and He will speak to them all that I command Him.
The first crucial point in Deuteronomy is that Moses as the spokesman of God was like an aged, loving father speaking to his children with much love and concern. This book contains God’s word more than any other book of the Bible—the words of God spoken through this one spokesman.
Some may think that there is more of God’s word in Job than in Deuteronomy. This view, however, is not correct. The book of Job does contain God’s word, but it also contains the word of Job and his three friends, who spoke according to human opinion, logic, philosophy, and psychology. Eventually, the young man Elihu spoke what was on God’s heart. In the book of Job God’s word is not as abundant as in the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses spoke for God for forty years, from the age of eighty to the age of one hundred twenty. He was a person not only soaked and saturated with the thought of God but also constituted with the speaking God Himself. So the word that proceeded out of his mouth was the word of God spoken through this one spokesman. (Life-study of Deuteronomy, p. 14)
Today’s Reading
In Deuteronomy 18:15-19 Moses spoke concerning Jehovah God’s raising up of a Prophet (the coming Christ) like Moses for the children of Israel. Acts 3:22 applies these verses to Christ, indicating that Christ is the Prophet promised by God to His people, the children of Israel.The Prophet was to be from among their brothers (Deut. 18:15a). This indicates that Christ as the coming Prophet would be human as well as divine, that He would be God incarnated to be a man, the God-man. As God, Christ could not be from among the Jews as a brother, but as the incarnated One, the One who has put on human nature and who was a Jew, Christ was from among His brothers. Moses told the children of Israel that they were to listen to this Prophet (Deut. 18:15b). (Life-study of Deuteronomy, pp. 140-141)
A prophet is God’s spokesman, not mainly to predict things that are coming but to speak for God and speak forth God by God’s revelation. In his forty years of leading the children of Israel, Moses continually spoke to them for God, and especially in Deuteronomy he repeatedly spoke God’s words to them. Although it was Moses who spoke, he did not speak his own words; he spoke God’s words. He spoke for God, spoke forth God, and spoke God into the children of Israel. Every word he spoke also became God’s word. As such a prophet Moses was also a type of Christ (Acts 3:22-23).
[Deuteronomy 18:15] indicates that Moses’ being a prophet was not of his own doing or of his own making; he was raised up by God. So also is Christ as God’s Prophet.
Moses was raised up by God as God’s prophet [v. 18]. In his forty years of leading the children of Israel, he was God’s spokesman, speaking for God to them all that God commanded him. Likewise, when Christ was on the earth, He spoke to His disciples for God; His teaching was not His but was according to what the Father had taught Him (John 7:16; 8:28b). He did not speak from Himself; as the Father said to Him, so He spoke (John 12:49-50). As God’s Prophet, He spoke for God, spoke forth God, and revealed God to the disciples. Today He is still in us speaking for God, speaking forth God, and speaking God into us. (Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 1, pp. 118-119)
Further Reading: Life-study of Deuteronomy, msgs. 2, 20, 28-29; Truth Lessons—Level Three, vol. 1, lsn. 13