September 23 | Acts 7:37-43

---

DAILY READING

Acts 7:37-43

---

REFLECTION

A Prophet Like Moses

By Pam Mann

In Acts 7:37, we read what Stephen says to the council members, who suspect him of blasphemy against Moses and God. Stephen has already gone into great detail on the major events of Moses’ life to the council and his accusers. Now he quotes Deuteronomy 18:15 as he says: This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’

But wait. Who is this guy, Stephen? We get the backstory on Stephen in Acts 6 which explains how he and six other guys were chosen to manage the distribution of food to poor believers. The idea is that the Twelve could then give all their time to preaching. Though this seems like a good plan, it turns out that the Holy Spirit has more than kitchen duty in mind for Stephen. The Spirit blesses Stephen with both preaching skills and a ministry in miracles. Here’s an amazing guy who loves an amazing God.

But not everyone is impressed. Certain folks move quickly from annoyance with Stephen to malicious plotting against him. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Or, in Stephen’s case, the Spirit gets going. Acts 6:15 says that the Sanhedrin members “saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

Aglow with this angelic aura, Stephen recounts the call of Abraham, the enslavement of Joseph, the rescue of Jacob’s family from famine, the enslavement of the Israelites in Egypt, and then major events in the life of Moses. Stephen explains all of this so that he can quote that prophetic gem in Deuteronomy 18:15.

The great prophet and receiver of the law, Moses himself says that another prophet is coming like him. Now, Stephen longs for his listeners to understand that Jesus is that very One to whom Moses refers. Jesus is the prophet like Moses.

But wait. Let’s leave Stephen as he stands before the council and let’s consider what Hebrews 3:1-3 says about Jesus and Moses:

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest. ² He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ³ Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.

Jesus is like Moses. Moses predicts this in Deuteronomy 18 and Stephen preaches it in Acts 7. Indeed, Jesus does lead people out of slavery just as Moses did for the Israelites. Jesus intercedes between God and humanity as Moses did many times for the Israelites.

But, as the writer to Hebrews explains, Jesus isn’t simply like Moses. Jesus is greater than Moses, in the same way that a builder is greater than the house he builds. Jesus not only leads us out of slavery to sin, death, and the power of the devil. Jesus himself is the Lamb of God sacrificed to make our freedom possible.

PRAYER

Thank you, Jesus, for being exactly what the Law requires and for rescuing us from the bondage which holds us. Breathe into us Your Holy Spirit that we might experience in You the renewing power of freedom from sin.

---

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.