Listening for the Promise
Sola Publishing – Weekly Devotions
Transfiguration – March 2, 2025
SOWeR Site — Weekly Devotional © Sola Publishing: www.solapublishing.com, 2019, written by Mark Werner. Scripture taken from ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright ©2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
(permission granted to active subscribers to reproduce this sheet for local congregational use)

“And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses,
whom the Lord knew face to face.”
- Deuteronomy 34:10 -
The people of Israel wept for Moses for 30 days.  For 30 days they observed a period of mourning for their prophet.  They had been wandering around in the wilderness with him for years and years, complaining all the way.  They had questioned and doubted and rebelled and generally caused trouble throughout the journey.  And then Moses died and the people cried for 30 days.
Despite their grumbling and rebellion, despite their complaint and troublemaking, Israel had always counted on Moses.  They knew he was there.  Like children testing the limits of their parents, Israel had tested Moses as a way of testing God.  They complained about his rules, but in reality they took comfort in the fact that he was with them, guiding them, showing the path God had laid out for them.
After his death Israel realized that Moses had been one of a kind.  There was never another prophet in the entire history of Israel like Moses.  There was never another prophet who saw God face to face.  Never another prophet who did the kinds of signs and wonders Moses did.  There were other prophets, certainly, but none like Moses.
On the mountain of transfiguration, Peter thought that Jesus and Moses (and Elijah) were three of a kind.  He thought they should build some tents to keep them all there together.  But they were not three of a kind.  They were not peas in a pod.  Moses had been a one of kind prophet.  Jesus is something else entirely.  He isn’t just another prophet.  He isn’t just another wise teacher.  He isn’t just another Spirit-filled leader.  
Jesus is God in the flesh, truly one of a kind.  He’s not a new Moses.  Moses’ work is done.  The law has been delivered.  In Christ Jesus we encounter someone completely new.  We encounter the Living God, face to face. Through Moses, God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt. Through Jesus, God is delivering you from sin and death. There is no other like him, able to do this on your behalf.