Deuteronomy 18:15

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.

One of the exciting things I got to do as I got older was babysit my little sister and brother. I can remember several times my mom or dad said to them before leaving us for the day or night, “Listen to Jeremy while we are gone. He’s in charge.” And yes, there was also a reminder for me to be nice to them, too. But I felt so important when they told my brother and sister to listen to me. However, as you might guess, there were times I didn’t use that power the best. And yes, there were also times they didn’t listen either. It wasn’t perfect, but the fact remains, my parents placed me in charge for a time and my siblings were to listen to me.

God has given us someone to listen to much better than an older sibling or a friend. Moses tells us about him in Deuteronomy 18. Moses was on his way out of leadership for Israel. He was the first leader of this great nation, helping to rescue them from slavery, leading them through the desert for 40 years, and now ready to send them into the Promised Land of Canaan. People were sad. People wondered what Joshua, the next leader, would be like. Would it be better? The same? Worse?

Moses reassured them God would send them a leader, someone much better than either he or Joshua. God would raise up a prophet like Moses, but this prophet you MUST listen to.

The reason? It’s God’s Son.

God would send his Son not just to Israel but for the world. His Son would shine a light on people’s sinfulness and need for a Savior. He would preach the good news of sins’ forgiven through his life. He would share the way to live a godly and holy life in this world so people could be the light of the world.

Are you listening to him? Please don’t listen to him like you might have “listened” to a babysitter. Please don’t ignore him the way you might ignore an older sibling who babysat you. Please listen to Jesus because he brings us God’s Word and will for our life. He speaks words of forgiveness. He calls attention to the ways we need to change or improve our lives. His words are life and only good for our souls.

God has given you a great prophet to listen to, your Savior Jesus. Take his Word to heart. Cherish his Word. Trust his Word. Listen to all he says.

Pastor Jeremy Belter