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A lengthy but essential reading begins our individual profiles of the prophets. This reading involves the first writing prophet that one encounters as he/she picks up the Bible and begins to read. Here is that reading: "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 their brethren, and 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. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, "How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?" — when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.’" (Deuteronomy 18.15-22).

This passage is significant because it: 1) Introduces and briefly defines the general work of a prophet, 2) Indicates the type of relationship which Moses had with God and his intercessory role as a prophet, 3) Speaks of another Prophet, one like unto Moses, but one that would come later with great power, and 4) Contains one of the tests for a prophet and how his/her credentials might be tested by the non-prophet. A few brief comments are called for before we begin to look at Moses - Mighty Prophet of Many Seasons.

The focus text illustrates the point previously made, i.e., God spoke to select individuals and revealed His will through them as opposed to speaking to and revealing Himself directly to each person. If non-prophets (that’s you and I) are to know God and His will, we must listen to the holy prophets (such as Moses and those who followed). Furthermore, the focus text speaks specifically of a singularly significant Prophet who was to come at sometime after Moses but one who would speak "… all that I [God] command Him." Further study shows that this was a prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Finally, the focus text gives one of the tests of a prophet. A test would only be needed if false prophets were to exist and pose a danger to those who wished to hear God speak via the true [holy] prophets. This is not the only test but it is one – If the events foretold by a prophet do not come to pass, the person speaking those words is not a prophet of God; he/she is lacking in the credentials of a prophet!

As we begin, surely we must be smitten by the awesome responsibility that fell upon the shoulders of the holy prophets as well as upon the shoulders of the hearer, the weight made necessary by the reality of false prophets! This quick glance establishes the system which God set in place to: 1) Reveal His will, and 2) Enable the non-prophet to know His will.

Questions:

1. Who is the first writing prophet encountered as we pick up the Bible and begin to read?

2. Why was/is it necessary to have a test(s) for a prophet? If God had chosen to reveal Himself directly to each individual, would a test of a prophet be needed? Why or why not?

3. If a prophet predicts a future event and it does not occur, what can be known about that man?

4. In operating under God’s prophetic system of revelation, what responsibilities has He placed upon us as interested hearers but non-prophets?

"God's Words For US" from Cecelia Lester

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