Matthew 17:2-6 A Bright Cloud Speaks
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 6, 2019 Matthew 17:2-6
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
(Understanding the Text) The SDA commentary gave me an insight as to why Peter, James, and John had to be the disciples who were chosen to witness the Transfiguration. They were going to be the witnesses of Gethsemane also. They needed to see this transfiguration in order to deal with Gethsemane. The commentary says that they had demonstrated more spiritual understanding than the other disciples. I’m not sure that we can say that based on the information in the Bible because it is an assumption based on lack of information about the other disciples rather than upon information about the three. However, I think that maybe those three might have trusted Jesus more. They were with Him longest and had seen more than some of the disciples. It may have also been turned around. These might be the disciples at Gethsemane because they were the ones who had witnessed the transfiguration. Maybe, they were called to be witnesses again. However, I think it more likely that they would need encouragement for Gethsemane, so Jesus took them with Him to the Transfiguration.
(Revelation of God) The SDA commentary says that this was a time when Jesus went into a secluded place to pray for guidance about the next stage of His mission. “In this instance the problem was how to help the disciples understand the true nature of His mission, and how to prepare them for His death (see on Matt. 16:13). The entire night was spent on the mountainside (see DA 426).” “Jesus and His companions had kept on climbing, apparently, until it became too dark to go farther. It would seem that Jesus had already spent a considerable portion of the night in prayer by the time of the Transfiguration, for, as the hours passed slowly by, the dew of night was ‘heavy’ upon Him. He prayed for personal strength to face the great test that lay ahead, and also for His disciples, that their faith in Him as the Son of God might be strengthened, that they might understand the necessity of His death as part of the plan of salvation, and that they might be prepared for the hour of trial (see DA 420). Accordingly, He prayed that they might behold His divine glory, which thus far, except for fleeting moments, had been hidden from their gaze (see on Luke 2:48).”
(Understanding the Text / Revelation of God) I don’t think that Peter immediately said something to Jesus about the tents. I think the transfiguration lasted for a while before Peter spoke. I think that the speaking happened when Peter thought everything was winding down because I don’t think he would have dared interrupt at the beginning. The three disciples were witnessing and taking part in some kind of ceremony that the disciples did not comprehend. They didn’t realize or see others who were part of the ceremony, but they were there. Was the voice from the cloud a pronouncement of judgment? Had Jesus’ life to the present time been under examination? This almost smacks of an evaluation of Jesus’ performance to that time. This was to show that there was no sin in Him to the universe, I think. The glory of God filled Jesus, yet it did Him no harm because there was no sin in Him, only pure trust and love for His Father. He had not become corrupted by being human. The examination by glory stopped and Moses and Elijah began speaking with Jesus. The SDA commentary indicates that I am wrong in this. It says that it was Jesus’ divinity that flashed out through Him, not the Father’s glory touching Him. When I read the DA chapter on this, it says that it is a combination of glory from heaven arousing Christ’s divinity in a kind of sympathetic reaction. “His prayer is heard. While He is bowed in lowliness upon the stony ground, suddenly the heavens open, the golden gates of the city of God are thrown wide, and holy radiance descends upon the mount, enshrouding the Saviour’s form. Divinity from within flashes through humanity, and meets the glory coming from above. Arising from His prostrate position, Christ stands in godlike majesty. The soul agony is gone. His countenance now shines ‘as the sun,’ and His garments are ‘white as the light’” (<https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/130.2042#2052>) . There are a few little indications in DA that there may have been more going on than simply comfort for the disciples. “Moses upon the mount of transfiguration was a witness to Christ’s victory over sin and death.” and “Upon the mount the future kingdom of glory was represented in miniature,—Christ the King, Moses a representative of the risen saints, and Elijah of the translated ones” (<https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/130.2042#2055>) . This part seems to indicate that something more was going on if there needed to be representatives of the two kinds of humans who will be in the kingdom of heaven. I need to think about these ideas more.
What did they talk of? That would have been interesting to overhear. Finally, when the disciples had gotten over their shock, Peter made his silly offer, but what else could he have said or done? He had just taken part in something that was far outside his limited experience, and all he could think of was to try to make some kind of shelter for everyone if the two glorified humans were going to stay around for longer. Without context, Peter was not sure how long that the humans from heaven were going to be there. The SDA commentary says that the Feast of Tabernacles was near, and Peter may have thought that the two men from heaven were going to stay for it. At the very least, the two ideas were together in Peter’s mind. DA says that the disciples liked what was going on so much that they wanted to just stay there on the mountaintop with their Master, who normally looked lowly and humble, shining out in glory. Peter was trying to serve the three by preparing a nice resting place for them there as they stayed for a long time.
(Revelation of God) Then, the judgment of the Father was pronounced to all the humans (and whoever else was there). Jesus, the Father’s beloved Son, had done well. The Father was pleased with Him. The first part of the plan was finished. Jesus had lived the sinless life required of the sacrifice. He was without blemish. He was officially accepted for the sacrifice. The SDA commentary indicates that the Father’s words “listen to him” probably mean to listen to Jesus when He tries to tell you about His death and resurrection since the disciples were being hardheaded about accepting the warnings that Jesus was giving them. If this is so, then it shows that even when God in power tells us to listen, it still can’t get through our thick skulls.
(Understanding the Text) The SDA commentary and DA seem to indicate that I am probably wrong about the examination by glory thought. They indicate that this was about Jesus praying for the disciples and the next stage of His mission. Luke confirms that they were speaking about Jesus’ death when the disciples woke up from sleep and saw them. “And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him” (Luke 9:30-32). I will need to study more.
Being in the presence of God’s power is overwhelming for humans. Just the sound of His voice causes us to fall on our faces with fear, yet we presume upon God so often never respecting who He really is. We are arrogant fools who think we are powerful and independent. God’s power humbles us and brings us to our knees.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I need to respect God more than I do. I need to be aware of His power and glory. Part of my lack of faith has to do with my not understanding that I do not serve a weak God. He is powerful and more intelligent than I can imagine. His plans are far-reaching and intricate so that I should have faith that He will know the way and guide me through to where I should be. Forgive me for not respecting You as I should. I want to trust in Your intelligence, Your plans, and Your character, as well as Your power.