The book of Deuteronomy is the last of the five books of Moses. Jews refer to these books as Torah; Christians call them the Pentateuch. The books contain many of Israel’s oldest oral traditions.
Genesis has stories of creation and Israel’s early ancestors. Exodus tells the story of Israel’s escape from slavery in Egypt and the covenant of the ten commandments. The book of Leviticus collects Israel’s laws. Numbers contains genealogies, rules, incidents, and battles from Israel’s time in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy is a retelling of Israel’s history for the Israelites of the late 600s B.C. Its aim is reform, to rekindle faith in Israel’s one God and to center worship in the temple in Jerusalem. It also links the books of Torah to the historical books that follow — Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings.
In Sunday’s reading Moses acknowledges the necessity of God raising up other prophets to interpret God’s word and call people into the ongoing future. People ask John the Baptist if he is such a prophet (John 1.21). Jesus’ disciples report that many ask the same question about him (Mark 8.28).
God promises another prophet.
Moses spoke to the people, saying: The Holy One your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall listen to this prophet. This is what you requested of the Holy One, your God, at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, “If I hear the voice of the Holy One my God anymore or ever again see this great fire, I will die.”
The Holy One said to me, “They are right in what they have said. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people.
I will put my words in the mouth of this prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Everyone who does not heed the word of the prophet who shall speak in my name, I will hold accountable. But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word I have not commanded the prophet to speak — that prophet shall die.”
Deuteronomy 18.15-20
- Who continues the task of interpreting God’s word in our time?
- What need is there for a mediator of God’s word?
- At baptism the Christian is anointed, like Christ, as prophet, priest, and king. How do you live out this baptismal call to be prophetic?