Deut. 18:15-20 (NRSV)
Read Deut. 18:15-20 on biblegateway.com
Verse 15The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. Verse 16This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: "If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die." Verse 17Then the Lord replied to me: "They are right in what they have said. Verse 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Verse 19Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. Verse 20But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak-that prophet shall die."
Devotion
What is the loudest, most frightening sound you have ever heard? For me it was a tornado in Cleveland in June 1953. Maybe you have heard an earthquake or a huge explosion. Multiply this millions of times and maybe you are hearing the birth of a star or even the voice of God from heaven. No wonder Israel preferred Moses speaking. And we prefer the voice of Jesus to Mt. Sinai. But God’s words, via human speech, may not get the hearing they deserve. We are not scared silly even when Jesus says, “Repent.” We may actually prefer the false prophet who tells us only what we want to hear. Moses and his successors, including John the Baptist and Jesus, spoke what God needed said. When people heed it, in the end, there comes also a word of assurance and forgiveness. Otherwise, the net result is only fear, not hope.
Prayer
We thank you, Lord God, that we know Jesus as the one of whom Moses spoke. Open our ears so that we hear from him your warnings as well as your promises. Amen.