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The Scriptorium

Valid Prophets

Who's a true prophet? Here's a sure way to tell.

The Law of God Miscellanies (5)

“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.’” Deuteronomy 18.15-20

Reflect and discuss.
1.  What is a prophet? What do the prophets of the Old Testament have in common? What does Jesus – the Prophet – have in common with the Old Testament prophets?

2.  How was Jesus as the Prophet like Moses in His work of prophesying? What makes someone a false prophet?

Think about it.
In the larger picture of redemption, Jesus, the great Prophet, is foretold here. He not only has the Word of God, He is the Word of God. Whoever will not listen to Him will die in his sins, just as Jesus said (Jn. 8.24).

But Jesus was the culmination of a line and tradition of prophets, all of whom could be recognized, the Lord explained, by their being like Moses in their work. What does this mean?

First, the true prophets are called of God. Like Moses, they recognize that theirs is a terrible calling, that they are insufficient for it apart from the Lord’s continuous help, and that they can only fulfill their calling by maintaining a continuous presence and communion with the Lord.

Second, prophets are invested with a special message for God’s people, a message of covenant promise and renewal that focuses on the great and precious promises of God, especially as these are realized in the great Prophet, our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 1.4). Like Moses, every prophet is charged with proclaiming all that the Lord speaks to him.

Finally, all true prophets are authorized and expect to speak in ways consistent with the Law of God. The teaching of the prophets, including our Lord Jesus and the apostles, did not diverge from the Law. Instead, all true prophetic preaching and teaching is validated by the consistency it demonstrates with the Law and covenant of God. 

Preachers and teachers today have received the mantle of Moses, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles. They must make sure that they are like Moses in all respects, and that their preaching and teaching encompass all the counsel of God in Scripture, including His Law. That prophet who will not preach or teach the Law has become a law unto himself, depriving God’s people of all His inspired Word and deciding on his own authority what they shall hear.

God has not commanded such neglect of His Law. Quite the opposite, in fact. Those prophets who neglect it are therefore not speaking in the Name of the Lord, and are not valid prophets at all.

Meditate and discuss.
1.  Meditate on Acts 20.25-28 and Luke 24.25-27. How should these passages encourage those who are entrusted with preaching and teaching God’s Word?

2.  Meditate on 2 Timothy 3.15-17. How much of Scripture is profitable? For what is it profitable? If we neglect the Law of God in our preaching, teaching, and reading of Scripture, can we expect to profit as the Lord intends? Explain.

3.  We see how God pointed through Moses to Jesus in our text for today. How many other ways does the Law of God point to Jesus? Is it profitable for us to consider these? Explain.

“We can be prepared to find some prophet even of impiety—and perhaps not just one but several—who will tell us of a word of the Lord, which the Lord has not at all commanded, or a ‘word of wisdom’which has nothing whatever to do with wisdom.” Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

Pray Psalm 19.7-14.

As you pray, give thanks to God for the various ways His Word has profited you.

Psalm 19.7-14 (St. Christopher: Beneath the Cross of Jesus)
The Law of God is perfect, His testimony sure; 
The simple man God’s wisdom learns, the soul receives its cure. 
God’s Word is right, and His command is pure, and truth imparts; 
He makes our eyes to understand; with joy He fills our hearts. 

The fear of God is cleansing, forever shall it last. 
His judgments all are true and just, by righteousness held fast. 
O seek them more than gold most fine, than honey find them sweet; 
Be warned by every word and line; be blessed with joy complete. 

Who, Lord, can know his errors? O keep sin far from me! 
Let evil rule not in my soul that I may blameless be. 
O let my thoughts, let all my words, before Your glorious sight 
Be pleasing to You, gracious Lord, acceptable and right!

T. M. Moore

For more insight to the Law of God and its role in the life of faith, order the book The Ground for Christian Ethics by clicking here. If you’d like a free copy of our Kingdom Catechism, write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.and request it.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
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