Christ,  the Prophet Like unto Moses

(Deuteronomy 18:15-19)

God told Moses that Messiah would be a Prophet like unto Moses; and Peter identified Jesus as that Prophet. Spoken by God to Moses: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18). In Acts 3:20, 22 Peter identifies Jesus as the Prophet: “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which was before preached unto you . . . For Moses truly said unto your fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.”

The lives of Moses and of Christ are much alike in their main periods of time. First, the life of Moses may be divided into three periods of forty years each. The first period was the time he spent in the royal palace of Egypt. At the end of this period Moses wanted to deliver Israel, but Israel was not willing to let him do so. “And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?” (Exodus 2:14). The second period of forty years was spent in Midian tending sheep and awaiting the time when Israel would accept him as their national leader. The third period of forty years was the time he spent as Israel’s leader or virtual king. “And he [i.e., Moses] . . . was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together” (Deuteronomy 33:5).

The larger life of Christ may be divided into three similar periods of time. The first was the time spent in the royal palace in Heaven before He came to earth. “The glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5). At the end of this period He came to His own people of Israel, but as a nation they rejected Him as their King. “He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:11). The second period of His greater life is the time now being spent in Heaven in absence from His people Israel. He is awaiting the time when they shall welcome Him as their King. “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Psalm 110:1). The third period of His greater life will begin when He returns to earth to deliver His people of Israel and to be their King and also King of the world. “Behold a king shall reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1).

Events connected with the birth and babyhood of Moses and of Jesus are similar. Both Moses and Jesus were born when a Gentile king was ruler over Israel. Moses: “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (Exodus 1:8). Jesus: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed” (Luke 2:1). Then, both Moses and Jesus were put into very unusual baby beds. Moses: “And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink” (Exodus 2:3). Jesus: “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). Also, both Moses and Jesus were saved from death as infants. Death of infants in Egypt from which Moses escaped: “Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born [i.e.], among the Hebrews ye shall cast into the river” (Exodus 1:22). Death of infants at town of Bethlehem from which Jesus escaped: “Then Herod . . . sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under” (Matthew 2:16). Moses was saved by the daughter of Pharaoh; Jesus was delivered by the going of Joseph and Mary down into Egypt when warned to do so by God in a dream.

The boyhood homes of Moses and of Jesus were in some respects similar. Both boys were raised by women of a kingly line. Moses was raised by the daughter of Pharaoh. “And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river” (Exodus 2:5). Jesus was reared by Mary, who was of the Davidic line. (See genealogy in Luke 3.) Both Moses and Jesus were brought up in homes of men who were not their real fathers. “Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee wages” (Exodus 2:9). Following this, Moses was taken to Pharaoh’s palace. Pharaoh was not the father of Moses. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 1:18). Joseph was not the father of Jesus.

The ministry of Moses and of Jesus witnessed mighty miracles. The ministry of Moses is summed up in Deuteronomy 29:2, 3: “And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles.” Matthew 4:23, 24 tells about some of the miracles of Jesus: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had palsy; and he healed them.” In addition to these miracles, he raised the dead, calmed the sea, and fed the hungry multitude.

Both Moses and Jesus were spoken against by certain of their own relatives. Moses was spoken against: “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married . . . And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath he not spoken also by us?” (Numbers 12:1, 2).

Jesus was spoken against: “His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him” (John 7:3-5).

Moses and Jesus were both noted for their meekness, although they were great. Moses: “Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Christ: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29.)

Moses volunteered to die for Israel, but Jesus actually did die for Israel and for the world. Moses: “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exodus 32:32). Moses was willing to die for his people. Jesus: “I lay down my life that I may take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself” (John 10:17, 18). Jesus willingly lay down His life for His people and for all men.

Even as God expected Israel to hearken to Moses, so does He expect men today to hearken unto the Lord Jesus Christ. “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15). Almighty God requires obedience to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Forbidden Diversity, for Israel and for Christians

(Deuteronomy 22:9-11)

The sowing of mixed seed was forbidden to Israel; and the Church is forbidden to give forth mixed teaching. “Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds, lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled” (Deuteronomy 22:9). Mixed seed symbolizes mixed teaching. The truth must not be mixed with error. “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat” (Matthew 13:24, 25). The sowing of mixed teaching is the basis for all of the false cults which claim to be Christian but are not true to the Word. They all have some truth, but it is mixed with error. The error nullifies the truth. Let us beware of all such.

The flowing with mixed teams was forbidden to Israel; and Christians are forbidden mixed partnerships. “Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together” (Deuteronomy 22:10). The ox was a clean animal, whereas the ass was an unclean animal. The two were not to be yoked together. The New Testament application of this law is given in II Corinthians 6:14: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?”

Believers are forbidden to marry unbelievers, and Christians are warned against going into business partnership with unbelievers. All such partnerships are apt to prove disastrous.

Jews were forbidden to wear mixed clothing; and Christians are warned against the evils of mixed conduct. “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together” (Deuteronomy 22:11). Mixed clothing suggests mixed conduct, like being a Christian in some respects, but not in other respects; trying to serve God and at the same time serving the Devil; being a Christian on Sunday and a man of the world the rest of the week. Mixed conduct means a complete failure. Jesus warned us in Matthew 6:24: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [money].”