Act 3:22-26 “For 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. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
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No true prophet ever became a prophet by his own determination. The prophets in the Old Testament never said, “I went and found the word of the LORD.” Instead, they professed that “the word of the LORD came unto me.” God has always raised up His prophets.
Peter was telling them at the temple that day that God had raised them up a prophet from among them. He was raised for them according to God’s purpose. To those at the temple that day, and to those of us to whom God has revealed His Son, the Word of the Lord has come unto us. He is the living Word of the Lord, and we need to hear Him in all things.
Notice that there is a serious consequence for those who will not hear “that” prophet. The word “hear,” as used in this instance does not mean simply to recognize sound. It is to acknowledge the word of that prophet by obeying His word. Failing to obey leads to destruction.
Since those that fail to obey can obviously hear, it seems to me that a work has been done in them. If they were spiritually dead, then they would not have the ability to hear in a meaningful way. It does not say they will be destroyed from the presence of God in an eternal sense. Instead, they shall be destroyed from among the people.
We who hear and obey the truth of Jesus Christ are the children of the prophets today. We are blessed to be the children of the covenant which God made. This is not the covenant of circumcision made by hands. This is the covenant of the promise of Jesus Christ, who is the see of Abraham by which all the kindreds of the earth are blessed.
Life is so much more peaceful when we hear the words of this Prophet that God has raised up for us. Hearing (and doing) His words quietens the noise and turmoil of this world for us. We find fellowship among the people who recognize this Prophet and are thankful to God for Him. There is joy in the camp of those who can say “the Word of the LORD came unto me.”
God raised up His Son, Jesus Christ. God sent Him to bless us. That blessing exists in the fact that He has turned us from our iniquities. Being turned from our iniquities was His work.
May we be blessed to find great joy in the Lord at the appearing of His word, and may we yield ourselves obedient in all things that He says to us!
