Deuteronomy 18:14-22 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 18:14-22. Let’s go!
Deuteronomy 18:14-22 (NIV)
14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.
15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.
16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.”
17 The LORD said to me: “What they say is good.
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
19 If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account.
20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.”
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?”
22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
On verses 14-22: In Deuteronomy 18:14-22, Moses tells the Israelites that they don’t need to resort to things like divination and fortune telling to discern the will of God. That’s because God has given His people something greater that divination and fortune telling: He has given His people prophets and the gift of prophecy (v14-15).
In particular, Moses says in verse 15: “God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you…You must listen to him” (v15). What does Moses mean? Moses is referring to two things.
First, Moses is foreshadowing the coming of Jesus Christ, the greatest prophet of all (and more than a prophet, He is our Saviour and the Son of God). As Christians, we don’t need to resort to divination and fortune telling because we have Someone who is far greater and more reliable than all divination practices combined: we have Jesus Christ the Son of God, and through faith in Jesus we also have His Holy Spirit living within us, here to speak to us and to guide us in the way we should go. Who needs fortune tellers when you have Jesus and the Holy Spirit?
Second, in verse 15 Moses is acknowledging that after him God will give others the gift of prophecy — that is, the gift of being able to speak on God’s behalf and to communicate God’s heart and mind to others. Prophecy is a real gift that God gives to certain of His people and should be taken seriously. In verse 19, Moses quotes God as saying several important things about the gift of prophecy: (1) that God has chosen to speak His words through prophets; (2) that God’s people are to listen and take prophetic words seriously; and (3) that God will call to account anyone who does not listen to a prophetic word that is from Him.
The New Testament also recognizes prophecy as a spiritual gift which God will give to certain Christians. Clearly for God, prophecy is serious business!
So how should you respond when someone claims to have a prophetic word for you?
1. Be open to the gift of prophecy. If a Christian with the gift of prophecy and a good track record claims to have a word from God for you, the humble and right thing to do is to be open to hearing what that person has to say. Don’t retort, “I don’t believe you are a prophet”, or “I don’t believe God speaks through people like that today”. Unless that person’s character or track record disqualifies them, be humble enough to hear that person out.
2. Test the message you receive. Don’t assume that every message that is supposedly “prophetic” actually is. You need to test it. What tests can you apply? Moses identifies 3 ways to test a prophetic word in verses 20-22:
Test 1: If the message is telling you to do something that God has not commanded in His Word or is inconsistent with Scripture, then you know it is not a message from God (v20). God will never tell you to do something or believe something that is contrary to or inconsistent with what God has already said in Scripture.
Test 2: If the person begins to invoke the names of other gods or spirits as they are giving the so-called “prophetic word”, then you know it is not a message from God (v20).
Test 3: If the person claims that something will take place and it clearly does not take place, then you know it is not a message from God (v20).
So on one hand, be open to receiving prophetic words from other Christians. At the same time, be careful to test those prophetic words to make sure they’re actually from God. What if you’re not sure? Seek advice from your spiritual leaders.
Praise God! Prophecy is a powerful gift, and it needs to be communicated and received with wisdom. May God give you a humble and discerning heart when it comes to the gift of prophecy.
Father, I pray that I would have a healthy and humble approach when it comes to the gift of prophecy. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
