Acts 3:22-26 For Moses truly said to the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brothers, like to me… Christ and Moses were alike — I. AS FOUNDERS OF DISPENSATIONS. It was the greatness of Moses that he was employed by God in inaugurating a new era in the history of His kingdom. In this respect he stood at the head of the Old Testament line of prophets, and in a sense apart from them (John 1:17). He had the ordering and settling of the "house" of God in the form in which it was to last till Christ came, who "as Son over His own house" would revise its arrangements and reconstitute it on a better basis (Hebrews 3:2-7). Prophets subsequent to Moses stood within the lines of economy already established. They could enforce and maintain, but while predicting the advent of a new age in which great changes would be wrought, they had no authority to introduce such changes. It was reserved to Christ to so remodel Mosaic institutions, or abolish and supersede them, as to place the Church upon a permanent basis, and adapt it for the reception of the Gentiles. II. IN THE FREEDOM AND INTERCOURSE THEY ENJOYED WITH GOD. Moses enjoyed, as was necessary, the freest intercourse with heaven. God spake with him, not in a vision, or dream, or in dark speeches, but "mouth to mouth" (Numbers 12:6-9), "face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10). This is made a feature of distinction between Moses and the later prophets. In Christ this peculiarity appears in a higher form. Intercourse with the Father reaches the highest degree of closeness and intimacy (John 14:10). Christ's insight into the Father's will was perfect (John 5:20, 21), His communion habitual and uninterrupted. III. AS MEDIATING BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND GOD. These points involve others. There was resemblance — 1. In the degree of authority with which they were clothed, and in the mighty signs which authenticated their mission. 2. In the fulness and grandeur of their revelations. 3. In the severe penalties attaching to disobedience to their words (Deuteronomy 18:19; Hebrews 2:1-5; Hebrews 10:28, 29). (J. Orr, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. |
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