The Valley of Transfiguration – Matthew 17:14-27

One of the most discouraging, typical, and telling scenes in the history of Israel's existence as a freed nation occurs upon Moses' descent from the mountain of law revelation. The scene that greets him in the valley causes Moses' anger to burn hot against his nation. The Lord's wrath also burned hot enough to consume this 'stiff-necked' people. The state of degenerate heart and mind evident in this condescension scene is indicative of man's sin nature and is paralleled in Matthew 17 as Christ descends His mountain of transfiguration where His glory has been revealed surpassing that of Elijah and Moses. He is greeted by a people He describes as a faithless and twisted generation. By this measure, it would seem that history just repeats itself with hopeless despair, but the record in Matthew continues to unfold not just in striking parallel, but also in striking contrast... as we behold Christ as Hebrew's author describes Him as distinct from Moses (Heb 3:5-6) “Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God's house as a son.” In Matthew 17, we behold the glorious distinction as the beloved Son with whom the Father is well pleased speaks. Listen to Him!