Deuteronomy 18 Footnotes

18:9 It is unfair to characterize Israel as narrow-minded for calling the religious practices of the Canaanites detestable. Both the Bible and archaeological evidence attest to the depravity of Canaanite worship, which incorporated temple prostitution, child sacrifice, mutilation, and other inhumane features. But it was detestable chiefly because it pandered to nonexistent gods in defiance of the one true God who reveals himself through his word and actions, not through ritualistic practice.

18:15-19 Moses relates the Lord’s promise that he would raise up a (true) prophet like him. This is not arrogant self-promotion. One hallmark of the inspiration of Scripture is the fact that authors sometimes speak favorably of themselves, something they would not be likely to do unless compelled by God’s Spirit (see 34:10; Nm 12:3,7). Considering the hardships and opposition Moses had endured, and his foundational role in establishing Israel’s covenantal faith, it is understandable that the Lord would hold him up as a model for future occupants of the prophetic office.

18:22 The test of fulfilled prophecy must obviously be effective only for a prediction made in the near future during the lifetime of the prophet himself and those who heard him. Not one long-range OT prophecy has ever been shown not to have been fulfilled, even if the fulfillment took a form that was unexpected (e.g., the prophecies of Messiah that were fulfilled in the crucified, risen and ascended Christ, and not in the appearance of a political or military leader).