Over the years, going back decades, and probably even centuries, a common statement has become popular with Christians. This statement can be heard across all denominations, in all kinds of churches, spoken by pastors and people in the pews alike. They'll say, “The Lord spoke to me and said,” or today you may hear them say, “God’s laid this or that on my heart.” The idea behind these kinds of statements is that God speaks to His people; and He certainly does that. God does speak to us. But these kinds of statements suggest that He speaks to us directly as individuals, on a One on one basis, like our conversations with a friend. But the Lord hasn’t promised to speak to us in that way. He never promised to speak to us directly, by a direct revelation. Instead, He promised to speak to us through His Son; and so it’s best for us to listen to His Son, to listen to Jesus and His Word; just as God commanded on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Our God isn’t a far off God. He’s never been a far off God, isolated from His people. He’s never been silent. He’s always spoken to His people. In the days of old, He did this through His prophets. That’s what the whole Old Testament is, the Lord speaking to His people by His prophets. And of the greatest of those prophets was Moses.
The history of Moses' prophetic career began with that burning bush. As he was tending his father-in-law’s flock, he saw that bush on fire, not burning up, and so he approached it to investigate. But as he got closer the voice of God called out to him.
Now, for some reason today, people think they’d welcome this kind of experience. They think they’d be overjoyed to hear the voice of God. They wish for their own burning bush moment. But that’s never how it plays out in Scripture. When Moses heard God’s voice, he wasn’t excited about it; he was afraid. He hid his face. He didn’t want to hear God’s voice. He didn’t want to see His presence in that burning flame. And He didn’t want to be God’s prophet. He made up all kinds of excuses to get out of it: the people wouldn’t believe; they wouldn’t listen to him; and he wasn’t a good speaker either. But the Lord used Moses to be one of His greatest prophets.
After Moses, the Lord continued to send His prophets. He sent Elijah at the time of King Ahab. Ahab was one of the most wicked and evil kings of Israel. He worshiped false gods and led Israel to do the same. God sent Elijah to confront Ahab with his idolatry and to call the people back to God with repentance. Elijah heroically stood up to Ahab and all the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Over and over and over again God spoke through His prophets. He wouldn’t turn His back on His people, even when they turned their backs on Him. He sent His prophets to speak, and every single one foreshadowed the time when God would speak through His Son.
Today is Transfiguration Day, and we remember the miraculous events that took place on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up onto this mountain, and there, Jesus’ divinity was briefly revealed. Christ’s face was altered. His clothing became dazzling white, and standing next to Him were Moses and Elijah. Christ and those two prophets were talking about His upcoming departure, His exodus; they were talking about His death and resurrection; which Moses and Elijah foretold. And then the cloud of God’s presence appeared and the Father’s voice was heard: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” And with that, the prophetic age ended and the Messianic age began.
It’s significant that Moses and Elijah were there with Jesus at that time. It’s significant because it pointed to the fact that all of the Old Testament points to Jesus. But more than that, these two prophets were especially a foreshadowing of the Messianic age, the coming of the Savior.
Right before Christ’s Transfiguration Jesus asked the disciples about what the crowds were saying about Him. Who was He? At that time, some believed Jesus to be the reincarnation of John the Baptist or Elijah. Others believed Him to be one of the other OT prophets resurrected. But then Jesus asked the disciples who they believed Him to be. Peter answered for the group, “[You are] the Christ of God” (Luke 9:20). Jesus is the Christ, God’s Chosen One, the Anointed One, the One who is the Prophet like Moses.
At the time of Moses' death, it was said that no prophet had arisen like him who knew the Lord face to face. But in Christ, that new Prophet had come, not only knowing the Lord face to face, but being the Lord Himself. God sent John the Baptist to be the last prophet, to do the same work Elijah did, to prepare the people for Christ, to call them back with repentance. With John’s work finished; with Moses and Elijah standing there with Jesus, the time of the prophets was over. The Son of God, the Savior is here; and through Him, the Lord speaks to you now.
God speaks to you through His Son. He speaks to you through His Word, the very Word that Christ spoke, the very Word that reveals your Savior to you, the very Word of God Incarnate. There’s no better Word to listen to than this Word proclaimed in Scripture, this Word visible in His Sacraments. This Word is for everyone, not just for certain individuals. The Lord doesn’t hide His Gospel, speaking it to some and not to others. He speaks to all, so all may hear and believe. And in this Word He says to you, “I have died for you. I’ve taken your guilt away. I paid the price of your sin. I sacrificed my life on the cross so that you’d have life. Because of that act of love, you’re free. You’re free from sin, death, and the devil. Salvation is yours. Believe in me. Trust in me. Trust in my Father’s grace and mercy; and receive all the blessings of everlasting life that He gives.”
Can the Lord speak to us directly, as individuals? I guess He can; He’s God. He can do whatever He wants to do. But He’s never promised to do this, and so we shouldn’t be looking for it. We shouldn’t be looking for a burning bush moment. We shouldn’t be looking for a Mount of Transfiguration moment. Instead, we should listen to what He has revealed. We should listen to His Son, clearly proclaimed in Scripture, clearly proclaimed in the books of the prophets and apostles.
It’s interesting to note that Peter, who was there on the Mount of Transfiguration and heard God’s voice directly, it’s interesting that in his second letter he says that we have a more certain word than that miracle; the Word of Scripture. The certainty of our faith doesn’t come from the voice of God that only we can hear, but from the Word of that God has spoken to all people. Listen to that Word. Listen to Christ. Trust in His Word. And with faith, receive exactly what His Word gives: forgiveness, life, and salvation. In Jesus’ name…Amen.
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