Deuteronomy 18 Devotional

The Voice God Provides

“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him.”Deuteronomy 18:15 (BSB)

Israel was entering a land full of ways to seek hidden knowledge: divination, omens, sorcery, spells, mediums, and consulting the dead (18:10-11). God forbids all of it. His people are not to grope in the dark for guidance, because he intends to speak to them himself. Moses promises that the LORD will raise up a prophet like him from among their own people, put his words in that prophet's mouth, and require them to listen (18:15, 18).

This was God's answer to the request Israel made at Horeb, when the fire terrified them and they asked not to hear his voice directly (18:16-17). He did not leave them without a word. He gave them a mediator. Peter, preaching after the healing of a lame man, says this promise points to Jesus, the servant God raised up (Acts 3:22-26). In him God has spoken clearly. That frees us from chasing signs or secret knowledge to find out what to do next. The one who speaks God's words has already come, and the next step is to listen to him.

To think about: Where are you looking for guidance apart from God's word, and what would it look like to listen to Jesus instead?