Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
Moses was the greatest prophet in the Old Testament, and he foresaw another who would be similar to him. This was fulfilled by Jesus Christ who was similar to Moses in the following ways.
Moses was laid in a basket (Exodus 2:3), and Jesus was laid in a manger (Luke 2:7, 16). Moses spent his early years in Egypt, and Jesus spent his early years in Egypt (Matthew 2:13). Moses gave up the glory of the palace, and Jesus gave up the glory of heaven. Moses was the first person in the Old Testament to do miracles, and Jesus was the first person in the New Testament to do miracles.
Moses fed the people bread from heaven (Exodus 16:14), and Jesus multiplied bread on earth (John 6:11). Moses delivered his people from the tyranny of Pharaoh, and Jesus delivers his people from the tyranny of Satan. Moses parted the water, and Jesus walked on water.
Moses was nearly stoned to death, (Exodus 17:4), and Jesus was nearly stoned to death (John 8:59). Moses sacrificed the blood of animals (Exodus 24:5-8), and Jesus sacrificed his own blood (Matthew 26:28). Moses led his people to the Promised Land of Canaan, and Jesus leads his people to the Promised Land of heaven. Moses was the mediator of the old covenant, and Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. Jesus is the prophet like Moses to whom we must listen.
Deuteronomy 26:11 [R]ejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.
God did not want his people to take their possessions for granted, but to see them as tokens of love from his fatherly hand. If we see our possessions as things we have earned, they will do us no spiritual good, and may even harm us. But if we see them as gifts from our heavenly Father, they will help us love him even more.
Until recently, the wealthiest people in the world lived and died without enjoying many things we take for granted. They may have had a palace, but not a refrigerator, television, furnace or air-conditioner. They may have had servants, but not the internet, hot water or even indoor plumbing.
A certain king was known to have forty dishes prepared for him, every single night, from which he would choose. Today, many people are within driving distance of that many restaurants. The good things we enjoy do not come to us by accident. They are gifts from our heavenly Father, and tokens of his love.
Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever.
The Israelites knew little about God until he delivered them from slavery, and gave them his written word. This answered many of their questions, but may have raised even more. The more God reveals himself, the more questions we seem to have. Who has plumbed the depth of the Trinity? Who has resolved the two natures of Christ? Who has solved the problem of evil? These are just a few of the secret things that belong to the Lord our God.
[B]ut the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever. The Bible is an ocean in which a whale can swim and a child can wade. Some truths lie on the surface, but we will never get to the bottom. Little children can learn the basics, but scholars cannot exhaust it. God is glorified by the reverent study of his word, and we are enriched by what we learn.
Deuteronomy 30:20 [T]he Lord is your life.
The Lord is not a part of your life, an accessory to your life, or tangential to your life. The Lord is your life. No Lord, no life. And if the Lord is your life, then the more you love the Lord, the more you will love your life. The surest way to happiness is to Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). Why? Because the Lord is your life.
Deuteronomy 31:6 [H]e will never leave you nor forsake you.
Life was about to change for the people of God as they entered the Promised Land. It flowed with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), but those who lived there would not give it up without a fight. In all their battles and conflicts, God wanted his people to know that he would never leave them nor forsake them.
This is important to believe when times are good, but especially when times are hard. That is when we are most likely to feel forsaken by the Lord. But God’s word is truer than our feelings, and his commitment never fades.
The Bible does not promise that we will never get a disease, go bankrupt or be divorced. But it does promise that God will never leave us nor forsake us. He is always there to support, encourage, strengthen and provide—and to forgive our sins (Colossians 2:13). We should stand on this truth on cloudless days, and especially when a storm breaks out.
Reflection and Review
How does Jesus’ similarity to Moses strengthen our faith in him?
Why does God want us to rejoice in our possessions?
Why do we need to know that God will never leave us nor forsake us?
