Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (KJV) The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken; [16] According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. [17] And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. [18] I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. [19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
Moses is getting ready to leave his beloved Israel. Moses was raised up by God to lead Israel from Egypt. I find it interesting that most of the great leaders in the Bible were not young, but older. Certainly there are exceptions. Samuel was a great prophet who came to the Lord as a child. David was a shepherd boy when God called him to be king of Israel. There are exceptions. But most of the great leaders were older people. Abraham received the promised son Isaac at the age of 100 years old. And Moses was called to shepherd Israel when he was 80 years old.
Now Moses is 120 years old. He had the opportunity to enter the Promised Land with Israel, but disobeyed God. In Numbers 20 we read that Israel was gathered together at Kadesh-Barnea, just an eleven (11) day march from Canaan. Moses had lead Israel, and had faithfully stood between a hard hearted people and God. But now things come to a head. Moses loses his beloved sister Miriam. The Bible simply says “Miriam died there, and was buried there” (Numbers 20:1). No explanation. No extended disease. Just “Miriam died there”. It is often this way with death. The Bible says:
Hebrews 9:27 … it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment …
Miriam dies, and goes to the judgment of God. She is face to face with the Great I AM. So shall we all be. But Moses is left grieving his sister, and left leading a bunch of sinners called with the singular name “Israel”. Any time there is a group of people gathered together you can be certain that those people are imperfect sinners. I am a sinner. You are sinners. You say, “Oh no, I’m not a sinner”. The Bible says:
1 John 1:10 (KJV) If we say that we have not sinned, we make {God} a liar, and his word is not in us.
Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Israel has sinned numerous times, and Moses has interceded for them. He has prayed for Israel, and pleaded their case before God. At one time God told Moses:
Deuteronomy 9:14 (KJV) Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
but Moses stood in the gap. He prayed for the people:
Deuteronomy 9:26-29 (KJV) I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. [27] Remember thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin: [28] Lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness. [29] Yet they are thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out by thy mighty power and by thy stretched out arm.
Moses was a great Mediator. Because of his prayers and his patience he stood between God and Israel, lifting the sinner up to that Holy God we serve. God is holy, holy, holy. We sing:
Holy, holy, holy
Lord, God Almighty
Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy
Merciful and mighty
God in three persons blessed Trinity
Holy, holy, holy
Though the darkness hide Thee
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in love, and purity
Time after time Moses has prayed for God’s Israel. But on the day that Miriam his sister died it was just too much. Israel began to complain again, to sin against God, and began to once more attack the mediator Moses. God tells Moses:
Numbers 20:8 (KJV) Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and SPEAK YE UNTO THE ROCK BEFORE THEIR EYES; AND IT SHALL GIVE FORTH HIS WATER, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.
Moses was to once more intervene, to mediate between sinful Israel and sinless God. Speak to the Rock, Moses, and water will flow from the Rock. What does the Bible tell us? Who brings water to us? Is it Moses? No, it is God.
Psalms 114:7-8 (KJV) Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; [8] Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
God is the Rock. God is solid. He is faithful. The Apostle said:
1 Corinthians 10:4 (KJV) {Israel} drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST.
Moses was to speak to the Rock, and water would come out. But then the unthinkable happened. Moses failed God. You see, Moses is fallible, a sinner as we all are. His soul is tender from the loss of his sister. Now Israel attacks him. “You lead us into the wilderness to kill us”. Not true, but the words hurt. So Moses stands in front of the Rock. This Rock is Christ. It is symbolic of the Christ Who is to come, the Jesus Who will save whosoever believeth in Him (John 3:15-16; 11:26; 12:46; Romans 9:33). Jesus is the Living Water of God. Jesus said:
Revelation 21:6 (KJV) … I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Christ is the Rock of God, the wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God in human form. He will give water. But Moses is upset. He is angry. He was to speak to the Rock, and let the people see the Grace of God. But Moses failed. The Great Mediator Moses – the one who had saved Israel time and time again – failed. He gathered Israel in front of the Rock (that was Christ) and became part of the problem rather than the solution.
Numbers 20:10 … Hear now, you rebels; must WE fetch you water out of this Rock?
With this sinful statement Moses puts himself in the place of God. We have all done this at times. We put ourselves in the place of God. We pretend we are not sinners, and that we are better than those that are around us. We are not better. No, we are all sinners. But we make ourselves out to be better.
“God and I talked about you today.
WE decided that you are out of line.
YOU are sinners, rebels against God.
But ME, I’m fine.”
Moses broke. He placed himself in the category of the sinless person. Moses was no more than “a turtle on a post”. If you see a turtle on a fencepost you know he didn’t get up there by himself. Someone had to put him there. God in His Grace had elevated Moses, and blessed him. But Moses forgot – as we all forget – that any blessing or exaltation we have we have because of God’s Grace. I am nothing. You are nothing. We are but dust and water, and about a hand full of chemicals. What we have, we have because God has been good to us.
With these prideful words Moses lost the Promised Land.
God Must Raise Up Another Mediator
Moses was not going into the Promised Land with Israel. For forty years Moses had been the mediator that stood between Israel and God. But Moses forgot His place. He failed God as we all do. So God decided that Moses would be replaced with Joshua, a man who love the Lord. But God also told Moses to tell Israel something.
Deuteronomy 18:15 (KJV) The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken
God was going to raise up another Prophet – Someone Who stood between God’s people and God Himself. The LORD thy God would do this. Who would this mysterious Prophet be? He would come from the midst of Israel. The Prophet would be a Jew. The Prophet would be like Moses, a Mediator Who stood between God’s people and God.
A Mediator is necessary because of the immensity of God. We are told:
Habakkuk 3:3-6 (KJV) God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. [4] And his brightness was as the light; he had horns coming out of his hand: and there was the hiding of his power. [5] Before him went the pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his feet. [6] He stood, and measured the earth: he beheld, and drove asunder the nations; and the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting.
God is immense in His power. When Israel dwelt at the base of Mount Sinai and God came to the Mountain to give the Commandments we read:
Exodus 20:18-19 (KJV) And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. [19] And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
God is immense! When God hid His power to come to the mountain, He just showed Israel a small portion of His might. Several years ago I heard a fool scientist say “When I get to Heaven – if there is a Heaven – God is going to have to explain to me why we had so much trouble on this earth”. These are the words of a fool! When God came to the mountain of Sinai the sounds and power that shined forth from that place brought terror into the hearts of Israel.
We are broken, mortal things … but God is immortal and immense.
We are fallible … but God never errs.
We are at times faithless …. but God is ever faithful.
We lie, and smirk about it … But God never lies.
What He has said, He will do!
What He has purposed will come to pass!
Oh, how desperately we need a Mediator to stand between us and God. Moses said to God “Lord, show me Your glory!”. The Lord told Moses:
Exodus 33:19-23 (KJV) … I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. [20] And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. [21] And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: [22] And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: [23] And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Moses the Mediator was unable to see the face of God. Were we to have God Himself visit us this day, and show us His face, the power of His Glory would kill us all. No one can see Him and live. But God put Moses on a Rock, and covered Moses’ face with His hand.
That Rock was Christ!
That perfect Mediator is Jesus Christ!
The Bible tells us:
John 1:18 (KJV) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.
The word translated “declared” is the greek ἐξηγέομαι exēgéomai, (pronounced ex-ayg-eh’-om-ahee) which means “to fully reveal or explain”. Jesus Christ is the Mediator Who God promised would replace Moses. One day one of our Lord’s Apostles named Philip asked Jesus “Lord, show us the Father and we’ll be content”. Jesus replied:
John 14:9-11 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? [10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. [11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Jesus Christ is the Mediator that God sent to replace Moses. Moses had an old sin nature just like we all have. But Jesus Christ has NO old sin nature. Christ was not born of fallen man, but of infinite God. The Scripture prophesied:
Isaiah 7:14 (KJV) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The Angel Gabriel told Joseph that Mary his bride …
Matthew 1:21-23 (KJV) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. [22] Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, [23] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
No one could look on the face of God and live. Sin indwelt us all, even faithful Moses. So how can God speak with sinful man? By becoming Sinless Man Himself. The virgin bore a Child, a Holy Thing created of God the Holy Spirit:
Luke 1:35 (KJV) And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also THAT HOLY THING which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
God is Holy, so He sent His Son to be the HOLY THING which would be our Mediator. Moses was born of natural human parents, and was saved from drowning by an Egyptian Princess. But Christ was born of God. He was brought forth without sin and without evil. He is the Perfect Mediator. As our High Priest He represents us to the Father, and the Father to us. He promises us that He will faithfully intervene for us.
Hebrews 4:14-16 (KJV) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. [15] For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, YET WITHOUT SIN. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Among humanity we all – even Moses – have sin. It sneaks up on us. It makes merchandise of us. The devil whispers it. Though we may strive against it, then in the end there it is. It is where ever man is. BUT for Christ. Jesus Christ is the Perfect Mediator. He is God, God with us as the Prophet said, but He is also man, Perfect and Immortal Man. He has suffered as we suffer. He was afflicted as we are afflicted. Yet Christ was without sin. He is the Perfect Mediator for us all.
And – praise God – we all need a Mediator.
We all need Jesus.
Moses the Mediator did the best he could do – yet in the end sin caused him to lose his job. A mediator must represent both parties. The mediator between God and man must represent God as well as man. Moses could not do this. Moses had the same problem that we all have. He had a sin nature. But Jesus does not. The Scripture says of Christ:
1 Peter 2:22-25 (KJV) WHO DID NO SIN, neither was guile found in his mouth: [23] Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: [24] Who HIS OWN SELF BARE OUR SINS IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE TREE, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. [25] For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
When Moses was reviled at Kadesh-Barnea he reviled again. It is naturally human (for again, we are all sinners) to give back as you have been given. Jesus told us that the Father does not want us to do this. Jesus told us that we who are His are to …
Matthew 5:39-41 (KJV) …. resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. [40] And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. [41] And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Moses failed to do this, and lost the Promised Land. We as humans often fall into that trap. When sin rears its ugly head in those around us we justify our own bad behavior in response to it. But flesh begets flesh, sin begets sin, evil adds to evil. Moses failed, we all fail. Yet Jesus did not fail. Beaten by His enemies, He did not curse. He kept His eyes on the Father at all times. The Father said of His Son:
Deuteronomy 18:18 … I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Jesus spoke only that which the Father bid Him speak. Jesus the Rock never struck the Rock. He spoke the words of God. Impaled on a Tree in a landfill called Calvary, betrayed of all, forsaken and bleeding, Jesus still looked Godward. He bore our sins. Oh Beloved, He bore OUR SINS in His body ON THE TREE (1 Peter 2:24). As our Great and Sinless Mediator
the Bible says that …
Hebrews 9:24-26 (KJV) For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: [25] Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; [26] For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Jesus stood in our place. He stood between us and God. He bore our sins. He is the One True Mediator, the Savior of the world.
1 Timothy 2:3-6 (KJV) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; [4] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. [5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; [6] Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Jesus Christ is the One Mediator between God and Man. The Lord God Almighty said that He would send Him from among Israel to represent us all. There are some who say:
I am good enough on my own.
I can follow the Law of Moses.
I can be moral, and right before God in my power.
But Moses failed. As great a man as Moses was, he failed. Moses could not enter the Promised Land on his own. He died outside that Promised Land. Until he met Christ.
One day Jesus took Peter, James and John on a field trip to a high mountain which several suggest was Mount Hermon (Matthew 17:1). Moses met God on a Mountain called Sinai. Now Jesus goes to a high mountain. As the three Apostles watch, the Bible says Jesus was transfigured. His face shined as the sun, and his clothing became bright white. Who came to Him on that Mountain?
Moses and Elijah
I wish I could speak more on this, but my time is running out. I just want you to notice Moses got into the Promised Land by way of Christ. Beloved, you will never be where you need to go with God apart from Christ. Jesus is the Prophet that the Father raised up to replace Moses. Jesus is the Mediator that stands between God and Man. The Bible declares without apology:
Acts 4:11-12 (KJV) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. [12] Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 3:35-36 (KJV) The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. [36] He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
If you wish to see God, you must see Him through Christ.
If you wish to be saved of God, you must be saved through Christ.
There is no other way to God but by Christ.
He is the Mediator, the Savior, our High Priest.
Deuteronomy 18:19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
If you fail to hear Him, it will not go well with you. Receive Him. Believe Christ. In Him and Him alone you will find access to God. May God touch your hearts with His Word.
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