God’s Will Revealed

Have you encountered well-meaning individuals who presume to know God’s will? I have. It can be exhausting.

They pretend to know exactly what the future holds, and they urge you to behave in a specific way because “the Lord told them . . .” At least that is what they claim. Knowing the will of God, they assume special authority over others.

As the people of Israel stood on the threshold of the Promised Land, God warned them not to follow the ways and methods of the neighboring countries when it came to inquiring after God’s will.

In the heathen nations there were a plethora of gods. The Old Testament names more than 10 such deities. Several people claimed to speak on behalf of these gods, and they employed various practices to determine what they believed was the will of their god.

The living God, the Creator of heaven and earth, expressly forbade utilizing heathen methods in finding out His will. “When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there” (Deut. 18:9). There is always a temptation to imitate practices of the societies in which we live. The people of God were, however, called to a different lifestyle. Primarily because the heathen lifestyle was physically and spiritually detrimental (Ex. 15:26).

Superstition in the Modern Age

God presented Israel with a catalogue of practices that those who belong to God must not engage in. “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead” (Deut. 18:10, 11, NIV). It is difficult to know the exact nature of these nine prohibited practices, but we can safely say they all belong in the category of the occult and were magical endeavors to contact the dead, among other things. These practices were superstitious and often lewd in nature.

Unfortunately, even in our scientific age, many people are attracted to superstition and are even willing to experiment with mediums to come in contact with the dead. Some studies report that two thirds of the bereaved have had such experiences.[1]

The word from God through Moses to those who were about to enter the Promised Land was clear: “The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the Lord your God has not permitted you to do so” (Deut. 18:14, NIV).

A Trusted Channel to Know God’s Will

Instead of the superstitious and detestable practices that the heathen nations used to discern the will of their gods, God provided Israel with a sure and reliable way to know His will: through the prophets. Along with judges (Deut. 16:18-20), kings (Deut. 17:14-20), and priests (Deut. 18:1-8), the prophets were one of the four offices God established to create a well-ordered society.

Knowing the will of God was necessary to make wise decisions for both individuals and the nation. God Himself would take the initiative in revealing His will; it was not dependent on human effort. We see such divine initiative in the following verse: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him” (Deut. 18:18, NIV).

The point is this: There is absolutely no need to resort to occult practices to ascertain the will of God. The Creator Himself will reveal all that is necessary for His people to know. That is why throughout the history of the Jewish nation, the prophets played a significant role as the spokespersons of God.

Moses—The Model Prophet

Moses was the model of how the relationship between God and His spokespersons was meant to function, even though Moses was unique in being allowed face-to-face communication with the Lord. The last few verses of Deuteronomy explain the transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua after the death of the man who led Israel out of captivity.

In a final tribute to a great man of God, the Bible reiterates the unique position of Moses: “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut. 34:10, NIV). The regular way God would communicate with His prophets was through visions or dreams (Num. 12:6). But Moses enjoyed a special relationship with God. “With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles,” God said on one occasion (verse 8).

Joshua—A Prophet

Although the Bible does not use the title prophet for Joshua, he was considered one of the prophets by the Jews. This is evident from the fact that the book of Joshua was placed as the first book of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible.[2]

The first verse of the book of Joshua states explicitly that God spoke to him. “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide” (Joshua 1:1, NIV). The instructions God gave him are primarily details about how he was going to lead the people of God into the Promised Land and how the different tribes should be allotted land. The first message of God to the new leader included a promise of divine guidance and protection: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (verse 9, NIV).

Jesus is the true prophet. He is in a better position to convey the will of God to man than anyone else.

Spokesman in a Critical Time

As God’s spokesperson at a critical moment in Israel’s history, not only did Joshua deliver words from the Lord (Joshua 3:9), but his prophetic ministry was largely characterized by the actions he took at the Lord’s command.

When the people of God had successfully crossed the Jordan River, Joshua carried out God’s command in erecting a memorial of the event. Twelve stones taken from the middle of the river and erected at Gilgal were intended to be a lasting memorial of God’s saving acts and would undoubtedly elicit questions from future generations. The answer to their questions would be clear: “Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground” (Joshua 4:22, NIV).

Joshua served as the first prophet after Moses in a long line of distinguished prophets, such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. But even with such illustrious prophetic ministries, the public sentiment was that God had something more in store for them.

The description of the prophetic office in Deuteronomy 18 came to be seen not only as a job description of the ongoing prophetic ministry, but as a promise of a prophet of exceptional status: The Prophet.

Particularly after the postexilic prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi had disappeared from the scene, that expectation grew stronger. As the centuries passed during the 400-year period of prophetic silence, the desire for a prophet like Moses grew.

When John the Baptist stepped on the scene, people wondered if he might be “the Prophet” (John 1:21). Some of the Jews who heard Jesus speak at the Feast of Tabernacles were probably filled with both anticipation and hope when they gave their assessment: “Surely this man is the Prophet” (John 7:40, NIV).

Jesus, the True Prophet

Peter, after healing the paralytic by the Beautiful Gate, explained that he and the other apostles were simply human instruments for the divine and that the healing really was the result of faith in Jesus. Peter draws the line back to Deuteronomy 18 by quoting the passage and applying it to Jesus: “For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you’ ” (Acts 3:22, NIV).

Stephen, in his defense before the Sanhedrin, also applied the text in Deuteronomy and argued that the religious leaders killed the Prophet (Acts 7:37, 52).

Jesus is the true prophet. He is in a better position to convey the will of God to humanity than anyone else. In a heated conversation with Jewish leaders, He spoke about his close connection to His Father: “What I have heard from him I tell the world” (John 8:26, NIV).

Knowing the Will of God—And Doing It

Because Jesus faithfully conveyed the will of God in word and action, we do not have to speculate what the will of God is for us and all humanity. Jesus is Immanuel, God with us, and the mission of Jesus was inseparably linked to the Father’s will. Jesus carefully explained that will in an exchange with some Jews: “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day” (John 6:40).

Salvation for every person on the face of the earth is the preeminent will of God. The main function of the Bible is to lead us to a saving faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus.

Therefore, I encourage you to read the Bible with this thought in mind: What is the passage I am now reading teaching me about God’s will to save me and my family? By reading in this way, you will be greatly blessed, and you will gain a clearer understanding of the saving will of God.

Then you are ready to do His will by living as a person saved by His loving grace.

[1] Can There Be Communication After Death? | Psychology Today United Kingdom, accessed Sept. 10, 2025.

[2] The Jewish Scriptures were divided into three sections: the law (Torah), the prophets (Nevi`im), and the writings (Ketuvim). The initial letters of the three division titles gave rise to the acronym “Tanakh” as a term used for the whole of the Jewish Scriptures.