CT - Catholic Telegraph

God will send us a prophet

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), Deuteronomy 18:15-20. (Lectionary 071, Jan. 29, 2006)

Deuteronomy is one of the most often used books of the Old Testament in the Sunday liturgical cycle. Only Isaiah, Genesis, and Exodus are read more frequently.

Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Pentateuch, that collection of Scripture that constitutes the Torah, the basic law that provided direction and inspiration for every conscientious Jew.

Deuteronomy is presented as a speech of Moses addressed to the people after 40 years of wandering in the desert, just before they entered the promised land. Although it is founded in the teachings that God gave to Moses, the final version of the book that has come down to us represents a compendium of the law that seems to have been put together about 622 B.C. as part of the religious reform that took place under King Josiah. However, it also contains material that had come into the mainstream of the Kingdom of Judah from the northern Kingdom of Israel after its destruction 100 years previously.

The section of Deuteronomy from which this Sunday’s reading is taken has to do with the officials who would exercise authority in the Promised Land. These included judges, priests and kings. There would also be spokesmen for God - the prophets. Just before our reading begins, God tells the Israelites through Moses not to pay attention to the fortune-tellers and soothsayers that they would find in the land the Lord was giving them.

Now God tells them that, instead of soothsayers and fortune-tellers, He would send them a prophet (i.e., a spokesman) like Moses, someone from among their own kin. To him they were to listen. This would be a continuation of God’s care for the people at Sinai (Horeb) when He agreed to speak to them through a mediator rather than directly (Exodus 20:19-21). This prophet would have God’s words in his mouth and would proclaim the words and the will of God, just as Moses had done. The people were to listen to him on pain of punishment from God. If anyone pretended to be a prophet who had not been commanded to speak by God, or who spoke in the name of other gods, that person would die.

While Moses speaks only of a single prophet here, it seems likely that the text was meant to refer to all those who would be called to succeed Moses as proclaimers of God’s word. He is teaching the children of Israel about the religious institution of prophecy, an aspect of religious faith that would play an important role in the implementation of God’s will for His people. Moses was not to be the only spokesman they would have from God. There would be others who would come after Moses and who would continue the intermediary role that Moses had played. God would not leave His people uninstructed. He would continue to provide direction for them. He would apply the demands of His law to succeeding contemporary situations.

The Jews of Jesus’ time seem to have been looking for this promise to be fulfilled by one special emissary of God. In the gospel of John we find them wondering whether Jesus might be "the prophet." (Jonah 1:21, 6:14, 7:40) In fact, Jesus was indeed the prophet par excellence, the spokesman for God that surpassed all others. The Acts of the Apostles show us Peter and Stephen applying the words of Moses about "the prophet" to Jesus. (Acts 3:22, 7:37)

In this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mark 1:21-28), we see Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry teaching with confidence, with authority, like an authentic spokesman for God. He was providing to the people of His time what God had guaranteed through Moses: ongoing instruction, direction about God’s will in the circumstances of the time. Just as God blessed the people through the ministry of the prophets over the centuries of the old covenant, so in Jesus God blessed the people through the final, most definitive prophet of all, Jesus. God would not leave His people uninstructed. He would continue to provide direction for them.

After Jesus had finished His earthly ministry, He provided for continued instruction and direction for His new chosen people through the Holy Spirit in the context of the community of faith that we call the Church.

Moses, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church: all have been instruments of the teaching of the heavenly Father, all have been gifts of the Father. God has always provided for His people, in different ways and different times, a prophet like Moses. He still does today.

For Reflection and Discussion.

Who are the prophets among God’s people today?

How can authentic prophets be identified?



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	*Overtures* Reflection on the first readings of the Sunday liturgy By Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk God will send us a prophet Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (B), Deuteronomy 18:15-20. (Lectionary 071, Jan. 29, 2006) Deuteronomy is one of the most often used books of the Old Testament in the Sunday liturgical cycle. Only Isaiah, Genesis, and Exodus are read more frequently. Deuteronomy is the fifth and last book of the Pentateuch, that collection of Scripture that constitutes the Torah, the basic law that provided direction and inspiration for every conscientious Jew. Deuteronomy is presented as a speech of Moses addressed to the people after 40 years of wandering in the desert, just before they entered the promised land. Although it is founded in the teachings that God gave to Moses, the final version of the book that has come down to us represents a compendium of the law that seems to have been put together about 622 B.C. as part of the religious reform that took place under King Josiah. However, it also contains material that had come into the mainstream of the Kingdom of Judah from the northern Kingdom of Israel after its destruction 100 years previously. The section of Deuteronomy from which this Sunday’s reading is taken has to do with the officials who would exercise authority in the Promised Land. These included judges, priests and kings. There would also be spokesmen for God - the prophets. Just before our reading begins, God tells the Israelites through Moses not to pay attention to the fortune-tellers and soothsayers that they would find in the land the Lord was giving them. Now God tells them that, instead of soothsayers and fortune-tellers, He would send them a prophet (i.e., a spokesman) like Moses, someone from among their own kin. To him they were to listen. This would be a continuation of God’s care for the people at Sinai (Horeb) when He agreed to speak to them through a mediator rather than directly (Exodus 20:19-21). This prophet would have God’s words in his mouth and would proclaim the words and the will of God, just as Moses had done. The people were to listen to him on pain of punishment from God. If anyone pretended to be a prophet who had not been commanded to speak by God, or who spoke in the name of other gods, that person would die. While Moses speaks only of a single prophet here, it seems likely that the text was meant to refer to all those who would be called to succeed Moses as proclaimers of God’s word. He is teaching the children of Israel about the religious institution of prophecy, an aspect of religious faith that would play an important role in the implementation of God’s will for His people. Moses was not to be the only spokesman they would have from God. There would be others who would come after Moses and who would continue the intermediary role that Moses had played. God would not leave His people uninstructed. He would continue to provide direction for them. He would apply the demands of His law to succeeding contemporary situations. The Jews of Jesus’ time seem to have been looking for this promise to be fulfilled by one special emissary of God. In the gospel of John we find them wondering whether Jesus might be "the prophet." (Jonah 1:21, 6:14, 7:40) In fact, Jesus was indeed the prophet par excellence, the spokesman for God that surpassed all others. The Acts of the Apostles show us Peter and Stephen applying the words of Moses about "the prophet" to Jesus. (Acts 3:22, 7:37) In this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Mark 1:21-28), we see Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry teaching with confidence, with authority, like an authentic spokesman for God. He was providing to the people of His time what God had guaranteed through Moses: ongoing instruction, direction about God’s will in the circumstances of the time. Just as God blessed the people through the ministry of the prophets over the centuries of the old covenant, so in Jesus God blessed the people through the final, most definitive prophet of all, Jesus. God would not leave His people uninstructed. He would continue to provide direction for them. After Jesus had finished His earthly ministry, He provided for continued instruction and direction for His new chosen people through the Holy Spirit in the context of the community of faith that we call the Church. Moses, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Church: all have been instruments of the teaching of the heavenly Father, all have been gifts of the Father. God has always provided for His people, in different ways and different times, a prophet like Moses. He still does today. For Reflection and Discussion.** Who are the prophets among God’s people today? How can authentic prophets be identified?

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