Thank you, Sherry. Okay, go back with me to Deuteronomy
18, which Brother Coffee read for us. Deuteronomy 18, we have been looking at Acts
chapter 3, where Peter was preaching again at Jerusalem in the temple,
or outside the temple there. And he quoted this. Peter quoted this passage recorded here. And let's read
it again. Let's read a couple of verses
again. and verse eighteen. Let's read
these two verses. The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a prophet. Notice the capital P. Not just
any prophet, but the greatest of all. From the midst of thee
and of thy brethren, like unto me, Moses said, unto him ye shall
hearken. He said the world hearkens unto
these diviners and these observers of time, but not my people. They're
not going to hearken to anyone but my Prophet, the Prophet.
Verse eighteen, I will raise them up a Prophet, capital P,
from among their brethren, like unto and will put my words in
his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command
him. Read the next verse. And it shall
come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which
he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. And Peter
said, That soul will the Lord destroy. We want to hearken to
this prophet. Now, what is a prophet? Well, a prophet was a man who
spoke the Word of God. Not his own thoughts or opinions,
but who spoke and declared the Word, the will of God, as God
spoke to him. Hebrews 1, verse 1 says, who
at sundry times in divers manner spake unto the fathers by the
prophets. But then he went on to say, hath
in these last days spoken unto us by his son. The prophets are
gone after him. Now, why doesn't God speak out
loud? Why didn't he speak out loud? Go with me to Exodus chapter
20, the book of Exodus chapter 20. We're going to stay in the
book of Exodus a little bit. Why did not God Himself speak
to man years ago, and why doesn't He do it now? Well, we read there, and we followed
along as it was read, where God said, in saying, let not us hear
the voice of the Lord our God, because God is holy and man is
sinful. And Scripture says, our God,
who is God, is a consuming fire. Scripture says, our God, no man
can see. He said, no man can see my face
and live. He said, no man hath, no man
hath or shall, no man can see my face and live. Nor can anyone
hear his voice, which Psalm 29 says, is powerful, is thundering. is majestic, which breaketh the
cedars." And man couldn't tolerate. Look at this, verse 18, "...all
the people saw the thunderings, and the lightning, and the noise
of the trumpet, and the mountains smoking. And when the people
saw it, they were moved, and stood afar off. And they said
to Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear. But let not
God speak with us, lest we die." People talk about God said this
to me and that to me. It's obvious it wasn't the God
of the Bible. People then had a little fear
of God and they knew God could not speak to them. He was holy.
So God raised up men who were prophets to speak for him to
the people. And Moses was a great prophet,
a man to reveal God's mind. Thank God for Moses. Thank God
for Samuel. Thank God for Elijah. Thank God
for Isaiah. Thank God for John. John the
Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets, men that
God raised up to speak God's Word. Now here, Moses says, and
later Peter preaches this, he says, another prophet, another
prophet, much, much greater, infinitely so. Much, much greater
shall the Lord God raise up from among the people, among the brethren. He looks like a man, and he is
a man, but he's much more than that. A prophet of whom Moses
wrote, all that he wrote was of this prophet. This wasn't
the only thing which Moses wrote of that prophet. You see, beginning
at Genesis 1 to the end of Moses' five books, It's all about this
woman. And the scripture says, to him
give all the prophets witness. So, in essence, the whole Bible,
the whole Old Testament is about this woman. They came to John
the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets. Our Lord
honored John and said, who did you go out to see, a prophet?
He said, more than that. Well, they came to John. They
realized he was a great man. They came to him and said, Are
you that prophet? And he didn't hesitate. He let
it be known very quickly. What did he say? No. And they kept prying him, plying
him. Who are you? Just a boy. And
he quickly pointed. He's a prophet, all right, but
to him, That prophet, John gave witness, he said, like the rest
of them. He said, he must enter it. I must enter it. Are you that
prophet? No. No, I am not. The woman at the
well, the woman at the well, the Lord was talking to her.
She didn't know who he was, and she said to him, and she, like
most of the people knew and expected, the Messiah was coming. The Christ
was coming. that prophet of whom Moses spoke.
And she said, when Messiah has come, he'll tell us all things.
Do we know that? When Messiah has come, he'll
tell us all things. And Christ said to her, fastened
his eyes on her, and said, I that speak unto thee, am. And she left her water pots Her
prized earthly possession left her water pot, went running home,
and she told her friends and her family, whoever would listen
to her, she said, she said, come see a man that told me all that
I ever did is not this, the Christ or that Christ. This is him. One time when our Lord, remember
when our Lord revealed himself, well, when our Lord simply said
to Philip. He said, when you were sitting
under the fig tree, I saw you. Long before Philip saw him, Christ
saw Philip. And Philip said, thou, you're
the Christ. And he went running back. Philip
went running and said, we've found him of whom Moses wrote. We've found him. And so, Peter preached that day.
We look at Sunday, there at Acts 3. He preached that this is the
crime. Look what Moses said of that
prophet, verse 15. The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren,
from the midst of thee. One of our ladies loves Psalm
89, 19 real well. which says, I have laid help
on one that is mighty. I have exalted one chosen out
of the people. He looked like a man. He was
a man. He was a man. But more than that,
more than that, God's man. He's one of us, yes, but wholly
harmless, separate from sin. Made flesh, yes, but just in
the likeness of sinful flesh, without sin. He's our near kinsman,
you see. He's flesh and bone. He said
that to his disciples when he rose, didn't he? Touch me, a
spirit, if not flesh and bone, as you see me have. He was a
babe in a manger. He was a child growing up in
stature and wisdom. He was a man. Scripture says
he was tempted at all points. What a blessing that is. The
Lord will raise up a prophet from among the brethren like
unto me, Moses said. Tempted at all points, but without
sin. He hungered. He thirsted. He
was weary. He was sorrowful. A man among
men. looked like a man, dressed like
a man, common man, lived as a man for men. Yes, the Lord will raise
up a prophet from among the brethren. Look at verse 15. Then he says,
He's like unto me. Moses said, He's like unto me. Well, Paul later wrote in the
Hebrews, he said, Holy brethren, I want you to consider with me.
This apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ Jesus,
consider he who was faithful to him that appointed him, as
also Moses was faithful in all his house. But this man, now
Paul is going to write a book called Hebrew. God wrote it through
him. But this book of Hebrews reveals
the whole Old Testament. practically. And he's about to
write this and he said, I want you to consider with me. We're
going to start considering this man who was counted worthy of
more glory than Moses in as much as he who builds a house is much
greater than the house itself. So I want you to consider with
me. We're going to look at it in Exodus, how Christ is like
Moses, this prophet like unto Moses only better. That's what
the Hebrews says throughout that he's a high priest like somewhat
like Aaron but but but like Melchizedek really is better. Better than
all these things. All right let's consider the
look look back at Exodus chapter two go back there with Exodus
chapter two let's look at several things for the sake of time.
I won't have you look at all of these. I did. I went through
and looked at probably 50 or 60 verses of Scripture that clearly
speak of Christ. Just amazing. Just amazing. Well, Moses, when Moses was born
back in chapter 2, he was a priest. He was born of Levi. And it says
his parents said of Moses when he was born, he's a goodly child. His mother Tammy said, he's such
a good boy. That's what all mothers say about
their sons, don't they? And they quickly reveal that
they're, you know, less than perfect. But now when you know
of a certainty that when Mary watched and observed that child
that she had the privilege of bearing. And I'm quite sure she
said, he's a he's a good boy. And yeah, no, you don't understand. I mean, he really is. He doesn't
cry needlessly. He doesn't have that obstinate
look on his face. He's a goodly child. That's because He's more than
a man. He's the Son of the Most High God, a goodly child. You know, Christ is not just
a goodly child. He's all the goodness of God
Himself, the goodness of God personified. When God told Moses,
I'll make all my goodness pass before you. I'll proclaim the
name of the Lord. Who was He talking about? the
goodness of God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, they took Moses as a child
and laid him in an ark, didn't they? A little ark, like a bread
basket, and cast that bread on the water. They saw it again
after many days, didn't they? But they put him in a little
ark, and he was born poor, another one. Moses was born Very poor,
very meager beginning, and our Lord was laid in a manger, wasn't
he? He said, The Son of Man hath not where to lay his head, as
no one ever lived poorer than he. He who was rich for our sake
became poor. Like unto Moses, laid in a manger. Well, Moses was destined to be
Pharaoh. the king of Egypt. Egypt has
always represented the world. Destined to be Pharaoh, king
of Egypt, yet Moses, Scripture says, when he was come of years,
it says he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of
God than all the treasures of the earth. Well, that fits our
Lord, doesn't it? Huh? He who was equal with God
thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself
of no reputation and took on himself the form of a servant.
Moses, destined to be Pharaoh, yet he served God's people. Christ,
King of kings, Lord of lords, he said, I am come not to be
ministered unto, but to minister. Yes, like unto Moses. Look at verse eleven in chapter
two. This is good. Verse 11, It came to pass in
those days when Moses was grown, he went out unto his brethren
and looked on their burdens. Moses said, God's going to raise
a prophet like me who will go out and look at his brethren's
burdens. Our Lord said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem. He stood in that great day and
said, Come unto me. All you that labor and heavy
laden, look on our burdens, aren't you? Thankful. Verse 14, and
he came to his own, though, and they received him not. Verse 13, he saw two men striving
together, and the Egyptian, verse 12, he was beating on this. Verse 11, I'm sorry, he was smiting
a Hebrew, one of his brethren. Look at verse 12. It says, He
looked this way and that way and saw no, there was no man. And then he slew that enemy of
his brother. Does that ring a bell, that scripture?
He looked and saw that there was no man. Now, you who are
well versed in scripture, Psalm 59 says this. He looked and saw
that there was no man. God looked down and it displeased
him. There was no judgment. Truth
had failed. His people were a prey. And it
says he saw there was no man to save them. So his arm brought
salvation unto him. His righteousness sustained him. He put on righteousness as a
breastplate, a helmet of salvation. He came down with vengeance.
And he said, I will repay. Looked on his brethren's burdens
and slew the enemy of his brother. Chapter 3. Go down to chapter
3. It says Moses was a shepherd. He kept the flock. What was Moses
doing before he became a prophet? What was Moses doing before he
led the people out of Egypt? He was keeping sheep. Keeping
sheep. He was a good shepherd. And our
Lord has been, always has been, the great shepherd. He said when
he came, I am the good shepherd. And long before he came, he was
keeping every one of God's people. He kept them, and will ever keep
them. Well, Moses went up the mountain
and spoke to God on behalf of the people, and spoke face to
face with God. Went up there and spoke face-to-face
with God as a friend speaks to his friend, and God said to Moses,
nobody else. God said to Moses, I will send
you. I will send thee. You are going
to go for me. You will be my spokesman to the
people, nobody else. If they hear from me, they will
hear from you. Moses said. Another promise. a prophet will God raise up like
me. And Christ, when he came, he
said, The Father hath sent me. All that I speak, I speak of
him. The words that I speak, I speak of the Father that sent
me. He's the sent one to teach his
people, to deliver his people, to save his people. Look at verse
eleven, chapter three, verse eleven. Look at this. Moses said
unto God, Who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh, that I bring
forth the children, the children now? And down in verse twelve,
God said to him, Certainly I will be with thee. This shall be a
token unto thee, that I have sent thee. When thou hast brought
forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this
mountain. You're going to bring them here and worship. when you
bring them out. In other words, there was no
doubt as to the outcome of Moses bringing them out. It was an
absolute certainty. When God said, I'm sending you
to bring them out, there was absolutely no doubt about it.
When God spoke it, they're coming out. And when Christ was born, God
told the angels, announced his birth, called his name Jesus,
for he not might not hopes to, not plans to, if men walk, he
shall save his people from their sin. He shall bring my people
out. And he'll bring them up into
that holy mountain with God someday and present them, I and the children
which the Father has given me, and their worship forever. Yes,
a prophet like unto me, Moses said. Moses had a rod and a staff,
didn't he? Everything Moses did, he did
with that rod and that staff. He ruled the people with it.
He would separate this and that and the other with his staff.
He would lead his people with that staff. He would protect
them with that staff. He made the way with that staff. The Scripture says concerning
Christ, Isaiah 11, he shall smite the earth with the rod of his
mouth. And yet that same rod and that
same staff, they comfort me. This is the word of Christ. The
word of Christ. Moses was called, well, look
at, let me see if I can find that. This says in chapter, yeah,
chapter four. You need to look at this. Chapter
four, look at verse sixteen. God said this to Aaron. of Aaron. Aaron shall be thy spokesman
unto the people. He shall be even, he shall be
to thee instead of a mouth. Aaron represents Christ's apostles
whom he sent out to speak. He said they hear you, they hear
from me, they hear from you. But look at this, but thou, Moses,
shall be to him in the stead of God. You know the word is
vicar. Me, I like to use titles today,
don't I? Reverend, and this and that and
the other, and Rector, and Vicar, and Jesus Christ is the only
Vicar. Vicar means in the stead of God. That's what it means. There's
but one Vicar, and that is Jesus Christ. In the stead of God.
Christ said this, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. He's in the stead of God, mediator,
advocate. Moses was great. A prophet like
unto me, Moses said. Moses was great in the sight
of all the people. He was great in the sight of
all the people. Even Pharaoh thought Moses was great. Well,
what does it say concerning Christ? He grew in wisdom and stature
and favor with men even. And even Pilate, his enemy, was
forced to say, there's a man. Even Pilate, who wanted to find
something wrong with him, said, I can find no fault in this man. I'm impressed with him. Pilate
trembled in his presence. Though Christ was the one in
chains, Pilate trembled in the presence of this great man. Yeah, a prophet like unto me,
Moses said. Great in the sight of all. This
is what the scriptures say. Moses sanctified the people. God told Moses, you sanctify
the people. That means set them apart. You
set my people apart. We love those scriptures, don't
we, John, where Christ said, for their sakes I sanctify myself
that they also might be sanctified. Hebrews 10. by the which will
we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Christ once for
all. He that sanctifies and they that
are sanctified are all one. Yes, like unto me, Moses said.
Moses, one day, the children of Israel were pursued by their
enemies. They came to an impasse. They came to a place where there
was no No way out. No way. There was a vast gulf
fixed between them and the promised land. And the enemy behind them, sure
to destroy them, dead set on destroying them. What happened? It says Moses lifted up his hand,
lifted up that rod. And it says that vast gulf that
was fixed between the children of Israel and the promised land
parted. Moses made a way. And they walked
across that way on dry land, no mud on their feet, because
Moses stretched out his hand. Yes, a prophet like unto me,
Moses said, shall the Lord raise up. Christ stretched out his
hand on Calvary's tree, did he not? And our sins pursued us. There's a gulf fixed between
us and God. And Christ by his outstretched
crucified hands became the way. And we walk into the presence
of God and the holy of holies except by this new and living
way. Christ said, I am the way. And there's no mud on our feet.
Not one sin. Not one sin. No, nothing left. Former things not be remembered
are coming to mind. out of the miry clay, set it
on a rock, dry land. Moses wrote a song, and I'm going
to quit. I don't want to, but I'm going
to. Moses wrote a song, and in that
song he said things like this, over in Exodus 15. You know we're
going to sing this in glory? as they're singing this song
of Moses in glory. Exodus 15, he sang and wrote
of things like this. The right hand of the Lord is
glorious in power. Verse 7, greatness of thine,
excellency. It overthrown them that rose
up against thee. Verse 11, who is like unto thee,
O Lord, among the God? Who is like unto thee, glorious
in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. Verse 13, Thou
in mercy has led forth your people. You've redeemed your people. Verse 17, you'll bring them in
and plant them in the mountain. Verse 18, the Lord shall reign
forever. So Moses wrote a beautiful song
of God's salvation, God's deliverance, God's victory, the glorious triumph
of our Lord, His redemption, His people brought in. That sounds kind of like John
17 to me, doesn't it? John 17. Our Lord said in that
high priestly prayer, I have glorified thee on the earth,
I've finished the work you've given me to do. He said, those
that you've given me, I've kept and none of them is lost. He
said, The glory you've given me, I've given them, that they
may be one, even as we are one. He said, Father, I will, that
they also whom you've given me be with me where I am, that they
may behold my glory." Yes, a prophet like unto me. A few more things.
Moses led two million people through a wilderness, and he
lost. It starts to. The similarity starts in he lost
most of them. But our Lord. We all shall have
that and shall lead a people as the stars of the sky and the
sands of the seashore and not lose one. Oh yeah, he's greater than Moses,
all right. greater than Moses. And Moses gave them water. Christ
is the water. Moses made an atonement, it says.
Christ is the atonement. Moses interceded. He interceded
for the people, to God. He said, block me out. God says,
I can't do that. Christ said, block me out. And
he did. He was made sin. He who knew no sin. was numbered
with the transgressions, that we might be made the righteousness
of God. Moses pitched, Scripture says
it, Moses pitched the tabernacle. That is, he erected the tents.
Christ built his church, didn't he? He built his temple. Except
the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.
Moses gathered the people. Moses gave to the people. Moses
was the mediator. Yes, like unto me, Moses said,
only greater. And Moses said, he's coming.
Peter preached, he's here. Paul wrote, he's coming again. That prophet, priest and king. Anybody interested in the other
two prophecies? A prophet, only greater, that
prophet. And he said, Peter in his message
quoting Moses said, any man does not hear him. That soul will
be cut off. Our Lord said heaven and earth
will pass away. There in Deuteronomy 18, how
you would know a prophet. We read all of that. The way
that you would know that a prophet was sent by God is if the thing
that he prophesied came to pass, then you'd know that God sent
him. Christ said heaven and earth
shall pass away. But not one word of mine, not
a jot, not a tittle, not a comma or a semicolon, will be misplaced
or pass away, but it all be fulfilled. And he kept telling them over
and over again things that wouldn't surely happen. He said, the Son
of Man must go to Jerusalem and be betrayed into the hands of
men, and mock him and stop him and spit upon him. Scripture
after scripture after scripture. And shall crucify him, but he
shall rise again the third day. Did it come to pass? Absolutely. Just like he said. Is this that
prophet? He most certainly is. you