The Mountains of the Lord

December 22, 2020

I love to visit the mountains. Fortunately, from where I live, I can make a day trip out of visiting the mountains. One of my favorite places, Valle Crucis, is located in the mountains. The mountains can look so different in each season, and the seasons seem more distinct there. They can offer respite in the heat of the summer, beautiful foliage to behold in the fall, blooms and many shades of green to announce new life in the spring, and beautiful serene blankets of snow in the winter. Every season is different.

I find it interesting that mountains are not mentioned in the bible until the flood. The ark, containing the fullness of the promise of a new world, "rested" on the mountains of Ararat. An interesting location for a boat to land, don't you think? In the mountains? Genesis 8:4-5 The ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat. The water continually decreased until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains became visible. Notice that it was then 2.5 months later until the tops of the mountains became visible. How long did it take Noah and his family to realize that God had grounded their boat on a mountain? God does like to surprise us, doesn't He? He sometimes chooses places for us to settle that we often wouldn't choose for ourselves. This is where God chose to "begin again." It is where he even made a new covenant with Noah and His promise still stands true for us today. Genesis 9:8-17 Again God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying, “As for Me, I establish My covenant with you, and with your descendants after you; and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that comes out of the ark, every beast of the earth. I establish My covenant with you. Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood. Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Then God said, “This is the sign of the covenant which I am making between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. I have set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth. When I bring a cloud over the earth, the rainbow will be seen in the cloud; then I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters will never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow will appear in the cloud, and I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” So God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Even though mountains are not mentioned until the flood, after that, they seemingly become a place of much interest and activity of the Lord. Yahweh summons Moses to the top of a mountain and entrusts him with the ten commandments. Abraham is called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice of his son, Isaac, and told to "offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” Jehovah calls His people to the top of a mountain so they can get a good view of their Promised Land in Deuteronomy. David found shelter and protection from his enemies in the mountains. He also had much to say about the mountains in his psalms of praise of his God. Psalm 90:2 You have always been God—

long before the birth of the mountains, and Psalm 97:5 Mountains melt away like wax

in the presence of the Lord of all the earth. In humble reverence, Job tells us "It is God who removes the mountains." Our Lord Jesus spoke mightily from the mountains in his now well known "Sermon on the Mount." He chose the twelve apostles in the mountains. He was transfigured on a mountain. Christ frequently retreated to the mountains to be alone in prayer with His Father. Evidently, even satan himself knew the mountains offered an unrivaled vantage point. Matthew 4:8-9 Finally, the devil took Jesus up on a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms on earth and their power. The devil said to him, “I will give all this to you, if you will bow down and worship me.” Then coming full circle, in a pattern of perfect completion, in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Revelation 21:10 and 3-4 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. And I heard a loud voice from heaven, saying, “Look! The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them. They shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. ‘God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death.’ Neither shall there be any more sorrow nor crying nor pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Most of us are familiar with Matthew 17 in which we are told that if we have the faith of a mustard seed we can move mountains. We are even boldly told that nothing will be impossible for us. What an amazing promise! Ever tried to "move a mountain" with your mustard seed faith? Ever tried to "claim" this promise over a seeming obstacle in your life? It's often a quick place to jump in hopes of bypassing painful and unwanted situations. However, it seems that our Almighty King does some of His most memorable and meaningful undertakings on those mountains. Unbeknownst to us, those mountains that we are attempting to move from here to there may be the very birthplace of new life, agreement, and alignment as they were for Noah. That mountain that seems to be the place of ultimate sacrifice as it was for Abraham may be the ONLY place for your obedience to introduce you to Jehovah Jireh, your very Provision. You may need to climb to the top of that mountain to experience the Shekinah Glory of the Lord as Moses did. Perhaps you need the view from the top of the mountain, above your circumstances, not mired down in them, to see His promised land for you. The mountain could actually be a hidden haven protecting you from worse enemies. Perhaps your current mountain is the place that will transform you into what you could never imagine. Your lone mountain where perhaps no one else is willing to go could be the place where the Lord is inviting you to lean hard into Him and learn more of His heart for you. It's quite possible that on that mountain you can clearly see the devilish ways of the world around you. We cannot always know the high purposes of our Creator; however, we can be certain just as Job and David were that He will remove your mountain when it has served His purposes. We don't have to wait for heaven as wonderful as that will be. He is here with us now, Emmanuel. He knows how to wipe away all your tears and He has already conquered death for us. Let the former things pass away and trust the new He has prepared for you. Look for each season of your mountain experience and know He created the mountains.