Acts 3:22,23

DISCOURSE: 1745
MOSES AND CHRIST COMPARED IN THEIR PROPHETICAL OFFICE

Acts 3:22. 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. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

THERE are innumerable beauties in the Holy Scriptures, which escape the notice of the superficial observer, but which, when discovered, abundantly compensate all the labour that can attend the minutest investigation. Critics have bestowed much pains in searching out the beauties of heathen authors, and have often given them credit for excellencies, that were neither designed, nor discovered, by the authors themselves. But we need never be afraid of ascribing too much to him, who delivered to us the sacred oracles. If time would permit, we might point out a great variety of passages that would illustrate this remark. But that before us, may stand as a specimen of the rest. Peter had exhorted the Jews to believe in Christ, that their sins might be blotted out by his blood. The Jews imagined, that a compliance with this exhortation would be a defection from Moses. Peter therefore obviated this objection by an appeal to the writings of Moses; and shewed them, that Moses himself, not only foretold the advent of this new prophet, but enjoined an unreserved obedience to him under the severest penalties. Thus he turned their regard for Moses into an argument in support of that very doctrine, which for the sake of Moses they were inclined to reject. His words naturally lead us to set before you,

I. The character of Christ—

The words of the text are twice mentioned in Deuteronomy 18 and twice mentioned in the Acts of the

Apostles [Note: Acts 7:37.]. They may well therefore be considered as deserving peculiar attention.

They set forth the character of Christ literally—

[When God had spoken to the Jews in thunderings and lightnings, they entreated that he would, in future, communicate his mind and will to them through a mediator. He, approving their request, promised them a prophet raised up from among themselves, who should fully reveal to them his most secret counsels [Note: Deuteronomy 18:16.]. Such a prophet was Jesus. He was raised up in a most extraordinary way, being the son of a pure virgin. He was taken from among their brethren, being of the tribe of Judah, and of the family of David. “Though he was in the form of God, and thought it no robery to be equal with God, he took upon him the form of a servant;” yea, “became a worm and no man, the very scorn of men and the outcast of the people.” He revealed all that it was needful for men to know, and “opened their understandings that they might understand it.” To him did the Father himself, by an audible voice from heaven, apply this prophecy [Note: Matthew 17:5.]. And Jesus thus literally executed the commission given him of the Father.]

But it is in a typical view that the text is principally to be considered—

[Our Lord resembled Moses in the offices of a lawgiver, a saviour, an intercessor. But, waving all observations respecting these, let us trace the resemblance which subsisted between them, as “prophets” of the Most High God.
Both of them received their doctrines in the same way. Moses was not merely instructed, like other prophets, by visions, or dreams, or by the “still small voice” of inspiration, but was admitted to converse with God as a man talketh with his friend, and received the law from the hands of God, engraven upon stones by God himself. In this he differed from all the other prophets that ever existed in the world, till this new Prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ, arose. But Christ had been from all eternity “in the bosom of the Father [Note: John 1:18.];” and he taught the very truths which he had heard, and learned, of the Father [Note: John 8:28.].

Both of them also taught the very same doctrine. Moses gave the law to be a “ministration of death,” and a rule of life; and our Lord explained, and enforced it, for the very same ends. Moses also pointed the people to the sacrifices as the only means of expiating their offences: our Lord also declared, that he “gave his life a ransom for many;” and that it was by the shedding of his blood alone, that any could obtain the remission of their sins [Note: Matthew 26:28.].

Moreover, both of them taught in the same manner. Moses spake, not as one giving advice, but with authority, “Thus saith the Lord;” yet he instructed the people with astonishing meekness and forbearance: and when they, in direct opposition to what he had taught them, revolted from God, and set up a golden calf, he was so filled with compassion towards them, as to pray, that he himself might be blotted out of the book of God, rather than that they should suffer the punishment due to their transgressions. Thus did Jesus preface his instructions with that authoritative declaration, “I say unto you:” yet so mild was he, that he made his meekness a plea with persons, to encourage them to learn of him; “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart:” and to such a degree did he compassionate the obstinate refusers of his law, that he wept over them, and with his dying breath pleaded their ignorance in extenuation of their guilt [Note: Luke 19:41; Luke 23:34.]

While Moses thus explicitly foretold the prophetical character of our Lord, he declared to us also,

II.

Our duty resulting from it—

As all the offices of Christ are replete with benefits to our souls, so each lays upon us some correspondent duties and obligations. While we rely on him as our Priest, and obey him as our King, we must regard him as our Prophet, by attending to his instructions—
This is plainly declared in the text—

[“Him shall ye hear,” is the command of God. But it is not in a careless manner that we are to regard his voice; we must incline our ear to him, and hear him with fixed attention. We must so consider the dignity of his person, and the importance of his message, as to receive his word with the deepest reverence; not gainsaying it, and sitting in judgment upon it, but bringing every high thought and every proud reasoning into subjection to it [Note: 2 Corinthians 10:5.]. It becomes us also to listen to it with lively joy, as to the voice of our Beloved; knowing that there is not a word of his lips, in which there are not treasures of knowledge, and inexhaustible fountains of salvation [Note: Isaiah 12:3.]. Above all, we must attend to it with unreserved submission to his will; we must obey it “in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto us:” whatever he may enjoin or forbid, we must never reply, “This is an hard saying;” but must instantly “pluck out the right eye, or cut off the right hand, that has caused us to offend.”]

Nor is this merely declared; it is enforced also by the most awful sanctions—

[God will put a difference between his friends and his enemies, in the last day. They shall all indeed appear before his tribunal; but “he will separate the goats from the sheep.” They, that hear not this great Prophet, shall be taken from among those who have obeyed his voice; “they shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.” As Korah and his company were destroyed from among Israel, so shall the disobedient from among the just. It will be of little avail for them to say, I was sober, charitable, devout: if they did not hear that Prophet with attention, reverence, joy, and an unreserved submission to his will, their destruction is sure, their doom is sealed. Nor will there be any exception to it in favour of the great and learned: every soul is alike included. Let none reply, God forbid: for God says, “It shall come to pass;” and “he is not a man that he should lie, or the son of man that he should repent.” What madness then is it for any person whatsoever to persist in a neglect of the words of Christ! O, let us turn to him. Let us sit, with Mary, at his feet [Note: Luke 10:39.]. Let us hear him, and him only. Let us believe on him as “the way, the truth, and the life.” Let us “deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow him.” “So shall we be his true Disciples,” and, in due season, experience the accomplishment of that promise, “Where I am, there shall also my servant be [Note: John 12:26.].”]

In this threatening, however, there is a blessed promise implied—

[If the disobedient be destroyed from among the Lord’s people, it follows, that the obedient shall not be destroyed; the humble, and sincere follower of Jesus shall never perish. This also extends to all; “every soul” that shall unfeignedly obey his voice, whatever his past life may have been, shall most assuredly be saved. Unbelief may be ready to make exceptions; but God says, “It shall come to pass.” Nor is this merely an uncertain inference from the text, but an express promise from God himself; “Hear, and your soul shall live [Note: Isaiah 55:3.].” Let this encourage us to listen more than ever to the voice of Jesus in his word. Let us read, and meditate, and pray. Let us get our souls cast, as it were, into the mould of the Gospel, that, being altogether formed and fashioned by it, we may be “meet for the inheritance” reserved for us. Thus will this Prophet be glorified in us; and we receive the full benefit of his instructions.]