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.
— Deut. 18:15
Author: ???
Written: 1405 B.C.
Synopsis
The fifth and final book of the Torah, Deuteronomy highlights the moment where Israel arrives at the plains of Moab, which is close to the land their Lord had promised them. He recounted their journey: from the exodus from Egypt to the present, and how the Lord helped them find their way to the promised land; but also how He punished them for turning their backs on Him in times of hardship.
He also reviewed with them the laws that were passed down to them in order to live a Godly life, and emphasized that breaking them would bring consequences. The law was then written on stone tablets so that it may be preserved and taught to younger generations.
Moses also prophesied that there will be a prophet that will rise from them (Deut. 18:15) and warned of any false prophets that do not speak God’s word or that of other gods (Deut. 18:20-22). He then appoints Joshua as new leader of Israel so that they may inherit the promised land (Deut. 31:7). To finalize his speech, he tells Joshua, the elders, and the officers, that they will soon rebel against God after his death, forsaking them and allowing evil to devour them (Deut. 31:16-18, Deut. 31:26-29).
The Lord barred Moses from entering as he sinned at the waters in Meribah-Kadesh (Num. 20:1-13, Deut. 32:49-51). At Mount Nebo, Moses passed away and was buried by God, with Israel mourning his death for 30 days.