Daily Thoughts from Deuteronomy 18:15-19: Prophet (Nabi)

20. Prophet (Nabi)

Yahweh will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, just as when you were assembled at Horev and requested Yahweh your God, ‘Don’t let me hear the voice of Yahweh my God any more, or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!’  On that occasion Yahweh said to me, ‘They are right in what they are saying.  I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him.  Whoever doesn’t listen to my words, which he will speak in my name, will have to account for himself to me.

(D’varim 18:15-19)

Satan was still with him.  This was no doubt part of his strategy, to weaken him through repetitive nagging.  He thought of the proverb that said it was better to dwell in the corner of a roof than to listen to such incessant quarreling.  He was constantly having to make a decision whether to answer a fool according to his folly or not to answer a fool according to his folly.  It was tiring, but he was leaning on the Father’s Spirit in him.

Moshe had spoken of a prophet like him whom Yahweh would raise up from Moshe’s kinsmen.  He had no doubt that this was Father’s calling for him.  King and prophet.  But for some reason he was also drawn to Moshe’s words about the Levite who was moved to leave his town to come to Jerusalem to serve in the sanctuary.

He was not a Levite, but this openness to someone not of the priestly caste to serve in the sanctuary was a reminder that Yahweh had other options for the sanctuary.  He was reminded of David’s prophecy that his son, the Messiach, would be made a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

“So you would have all three of the positions of power in Yisrael!  How is that not a commendable arrogance?”

It was disconcerting, to say the least, that satan seemed to know what he was thinking, even if he did distort it to his own ends.

“I will only take to myself what my Father gives me.”

“So he trusts you with all the power, for after all, there will be no one to contradict you, no prophet to speak to your behavior, no priest to challenge your teaching.  My, my, and all you have to do is die!”

This was not worth responding to.  But it was worth meditating on.  Was the Father really giving him all authority?  Would it really be safe to remove all accountability?  He had seen where that could lead.  Who would have called to account his father David on his cruel adultery and murder had it not been for Nathan?  And who would have spared David as he fled Saul if the priest had not given him showbread and Goliath’s sword?

On the other hand, there were those pockets of resistance to David’s and Saul’s absolute power, but the kings were able, nonetheless, to incur great damage.  Such accountability was not perfect.  But consolidation of power?  It seemed dangerous.  It would only work if the one in whom all power was consolidated operated only in compliance with Yahweh’s law and Yahweh’s love.

“Father, am I equal to the task?”

The satan began to make his incessant nonsense syllables, a tortuous thing to listen to, something you could not really tune out.

“Father, what do I do?”

“Rest my son.”

He made camp, such as it was, in a little hollow in the dirt.  Funny, he no longer worried about what creatures there might be out here to threaten his life.  He was in God’s care and nothing could happen to him that God did not allow.  Somehow, despite the noise, he slept.