"Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, for all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh, all his servants, and all his land, and for all the mighty power and for all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel." (Deuteronomy 34:10-12)Moses enjoyed a special relationship with God, that of a friend and close confidant. "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend." (Exodus 33:11) He was not like the other prophets to whom God spoke in dreams, visions, and dark sayings. "If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, shall make Myself known to him in a vision. I shall speak with him in a dream. Not so, with My servant Moses, he is faithful in all My household; with him I speak mouth to mouth, even openly, and not in dark sayings, and he beholds the form of the Lord." (Numbers 12:6-8)
It would be two thousand years before another prophet would arise who would have a greater relationship with God; one whom God would be His Father. Peter understood this when, in reference to Jesus, he quoted the Old Testament prophesy. "Moses said, 'The Lord God will rise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; To Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you.'" (Acts 3:22) Jesus is "The Prophet", the one who could come like Moses and be greater than Moses. "Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house — whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end." (Hebrews 3:5-6) Jesus is greater than Moses in that He is a son and God is His Father. Moses knew God face-to-face as a servant, but Jesus, as a son. And now, through Jesus, we are His sons and, as sons, we are also called to know Him face-to-face. "For God, who said, 'Light shall shine out of darkness,' is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6)
Today there is renewed interest in dreams, visions, and biblical symbolism. However we must not loose sight of the fact that God desires more in our relationship with Him. He desires us to become more than the Old Testament prophets; He desires to relate to us openly and plainly rather than through the veil of dreams and visions; He desires to know us face-to-face. He wants us to press beyond mere spiritual experiences to know Him on a personal level; to be His friends and His sons and daughters. To know Him as Moses did and even as Jesus did; openly, mouth-to-mouth, and face-to-face.
David Robison
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