What are the consequences of ignoring the prophet mentioned in Acts 3:22? A Spotlight on the Prophet in Acts 3:22 “Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers; you must listen to Him in everything He tells you.’” (Acts 3:22) • Peter identifies this promised Prophet as Jesus of Nazareth, risen and exalted. • The verb “must listen” carries an imperative—obedience is not optional. • Moses’ prophecy draws from Deuteronomy 18:15-19, where God Himself warns that failure to heed this Prophet brings divine accountability. Consequences of Ignoring Him Acts 3:23 continues the thought: “Everyone who does not listen to that Prophet will be exterminated from among the people.” 1. Separation from God’s covenant community • “Exterminated from among the people” means being cut off—excluded from the blessings, identity, and protection enjoyed by God’s people (cf. Numbers 15:30-31). 2. Exposure to divine judgment • John 12:48: “There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not accept My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” • Hebrews 10:28-29 warns that ignoring the greater revelation in Christ merits “much worse punishment” than disregarding Moses. 3. Loss of eternal life • John 3:18: “Whoever does not believe has already been condemned.” • Revelation 20:15 speaks of the lake of fire for those whose names are not found in the Book of Life—a final and irreversible cutting off. 4. forfeiture of present blessings • Refusal to heed Jesus forfeits the Spirit’s indwelling (Acts 2:38-39), the joy of fellowship (1 John 1:3-4), and the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7). Biblical Echoes of the Warning • Israel at Kadesh-barnea (Numbers 14): Ignoring God’s voice through Moses led to forty years of wilderness wandering—temporal loss that pointed to a deeper spiritual peril. • Jerusalem in A.D. 70: National devastation fulfilled Jesus’ warnings (Luke 19:41-44) when many rejected His prophetic call to repent. • Hebrews 2:1-3 summarizes: “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” Personal Application • Listening involves more than hearing—it means believing, obeying, and submitting to Jesus’ authority (Matthew 7:24-27). • Delayed obedience is disobedience; the longer we postpone, the more calloused the heart becomes (Hebrews 3:12-15). • The promise is as sure as the warning: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Ignore Him, and Scripture guarantees separation; heed Him, and Scripture guarantees life. |
    |