Read: Deuteronomy 17
In Today's Scripture Reading:
Idolaters and obedience to authority; offerings due priests and Levites; heathen practices; prophecy concerning the coming of Christ; cities of refuge
Moses foretold: The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet (Jesus) from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto Him ye shall hearken. . . . the Lord said unto me. . . . I (God) . . . will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him. . . . whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him (Deuteronomy 18:15,17-19). Many centuries later, the prophet Jeremiah foretold that, at Christ's return, God will make a new Covenant with His people who will hearken (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
In conversation with His critics, Jesus said that both Moses and the Scriptures bore witness of Him: For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me: for he wrote of Me. But if ye believe not his writings (Genesis — Deuteronomy), how shall ye believe My words? (John 5:46-47).
Jesus declared to Pilate: My kingdom is not of this world, meaning it has no earthly origin but is a spiritual kingdom without end (18:36). On the Day of Pentecost, Peter boldly proclaimed that Jesus had fulfilled the prophecy of Moses, who said: 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. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days (Acts 3:22-24; compare Deuteronomy 18:18-19). While the Jews sought both the promised Prophet and the Messiah (John 1:25), they failed to recognize that the Prophet whom Moses foretold is Jesus who also is the Messiah. Jesus, declared: He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life (John 8:12; also 10:30).
The writer of the Book of Hebrews wrote: He that despised (rejected) Moses' Law died without mercy . . . how much sorer (more severe) punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant (Agreement), wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto (insulted) the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:28-29).
Word Studies:
17:1 evilfavoredness, any defect; 18:8 sale of his patrimony, sale of his family property; 18:10 pass through the fire, be burned alive as a sacrifice to the idol god Molech; 20:11 be tributaries unto, be subject to.
Christ Revealed:
Through the Old Testament sacrifices which were made without blemish or defect (Deuteronomy 17:1). Christ was perfectly pure from all sin and all appearance of evil. Christ . . . without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:19).
Optional Reading: Luke 22
Memory Verse for the Week: Joshua 1:8
