All sorts of voices compete for our attention, who should we listen to? There is so much confusion in the world, who knows what is best? There is so much suffering in the world, who can help us to navigate it?
Our reading from Deuteronomy tells us that God will raise up a prophet like Moses – He is the one you should listen to (Deut 18:15). Well what was Moses like so we know what to look out for? He was a humble leader who led God’s people out of slavery to the promised land. He gave instructions about the Passover so that people would remember God’s rescue. He oversaw the Lord giving them bread from heaven in the wilderness on the way to the promised land.
In our reading from Luke 9, Herod heard about what Jesus was doing and people suggest that Jesus is one of the prophets of old (a prophet like Moses?) has arisen. Jesus then miraculously feeds a multitude in the wilderness with bread that results in 12 basketfuls being left over.
There are further questions as to who Jesus is, again a suggestion that He is one of the prophets (v19), before people proclaims that Jesus is the Christ (God’s anointed king). Who is He? Next we get Moses and Elijah (who have been dead for over a 1000 years by this point!) turning up and talking to Jesus about his departure (the word is Exodus in the original) that he was about to accomplish. And then there is a voice from heaven telling us that Jesus is God’s Son and that we should listen to him!
It’s almost as if the Bible has been written by one author over thousands of years! Praise God for how it all fits together and points us so clearly to Jesus. Here we see Jesus is the prophet like Moses, only so much greater. He is the one who leads His people to the promised land of heaven through His Exodus. He is the Passover Lamb who will never sacrificed as our substitute. He is the one who sustains his people on the way to the promised land, and who is sovereign over every single detail, even how much bread is left over! The 12 basketfuls are surely symbolic of the 12 tribes (old Israel), and then the 12 apostles (the new Israel). Jesus has made so much bread so as to deliberately leave enough to make a point!
Here is the prophet like Moses, the anointed king, the Son of God. He’s the one we should listen to. He is the one we should listen to in all of life, but especially in the church, for if Jesus is prophet like Moses, then the church is the new Israel.
Are you listening to him today? Do you trust Him to lead you to the promised land and know that He will provide all you need on the way? Talk to Him now and tell him, bring Him your concerns and trust Him.
Light and Momentary Troubles 
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