One of the most important passages of the book of Deuteronomy is in chapter 18:15-22. It creates for the nation an office that will carry forth the Word given to Moses. While the Levites and Priests were charged with carrying out the law…there is also to be an expectation that God will continue to speak to his people. What is weird about the passage is that it is one the one hand SINGULAR, “A prophet” and PLURAL in it’s testing procedure of “a prophet.”  This dual nature of the text leads to an expectation by the new testament that there will be a singular prophet like Moses.

A couple of things from the text first: Note the reason God is not going to speak to the Israelites one on one…they asked for a mediator because they were afraid.  God seems to commend them for their reverence, and he sets forth a few statutes about the prophet. He is to be heeded, and he is to be tested. This is why many prophets have short term prophecies embedded in long-term prophecies, so that one may test the authenticity of the word.

Note also that it says, “a prophet LIKE MOSES” and yet, when someone tacks an ending onto Deuteronomy later saying, “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, “ it made the people long for one LIKE MOSES, who speaks with authority, who gives bread from heaven, who leads with humility, who radiates the presence of YAHWEH.  Hello Jesus!

Acts 3:22–26 (NIV) — 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.’24 “Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’ 26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”