The Prophet as Israel's Defense Against Superstition

Maclaren's penetrating analysis reveals that the promise of 'a prophet like unto Moses' in Deuteronomy 18 was not primarily a messianic prediction but rather Israel's practical safeguard against the occult practices plaguing Canaan. The passage introduces this promise immediately after condemning eight species of diviners—those who read lots, murmur incantations, interpret omens from liquids in cups, work with charms like African medicine men, bind with magic knots, raise ghosts, consult familiar spirits, and traffic with the dead.…