Pastor's Message
July 2024
Mountains
I recently had the experience of seeing the tallest mountain in North America, once thought the tallest mountain in the world. For around a century, it was called Mount McKinley, named after our 25th president, but now it is known by its more ancient, local name Denali (meaning “the Great One”). This got me thinking about the role of mountains in the Bible. Before reading any further, what mountains come to your mind?
We first hear about mountains in Genesis. While not a specific mountain, we are told that even the highest mountains were significantly covered by the floodwaters (Genesis 7:19-20). The flood account also leads us to the first named mountain, Mount Ararat (more specifically, the mountains of Ararat) (8:4).
The next significant mountain mentioned is Mount Moriah. The Lord told Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:2). The next day, Abraham complied and, after passing the Lord’s test, Abraham called the place “The Lord will provide” because “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (22:14). It is also thought that this same mountain (we would call it a hill) is where the temple would be built (or the place where Jesus would be crucified).
In Exodus, we come to a very important mountain, Mt. Sinai (sometimes called Mt. Horeb). There is some debate among scholars regarding why the two names are used, even within one chapter of each another. One might refer to the specific mountain, while the other might refer to the region or mountain range. One might emphasize the wilderness while the other might emphasize the burning bush. Bible critics will say it’s because of different authors used different names, but we can dismiss that, especially because of the proximity within the biblical narrative and the Holy Spirit’s authorship.
Mt. Sinai plays a significant role in Bible history. Moses saw the burning bush on the mountain (Exodus 3:1). The Israelites gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai where God would give them the Ten Commandments and the Law (Exodus 18-34). Later, Elijah would flee to it following the showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 19). Mt. Carmel is where the Lord answered from heaven with fire and licked up the sacrifice, the wood and even the water surrounding it.
When the Israelites entered the Promised Land and found rest from their initial warfare to take the land, half of the tribes of Israel were to sit on Mount Gerizim, and the other six tribes were to sit on Mount Ebal. Then the whole nation would then recite the blessings and curses from Deuteronomy on these twin peaks at the entrance to the Jezreel Valley (Deuteronomy 11:29; Joshua 8:33).
The largest mountain in Israel is Mount Hermon on the northeastern edge of the land. At 9,230 feet, Mt. Hermon usually has a snowcapped peak. Much of the water for the nation comes from the runoff and natural springs of Hermon. It is usually in this connection that Mt. Hermon is referenced in Scripture. It also serves as the backdrop for Peter’s confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” and the Lord’s response “on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:16 & 18).
Some think that Mt. Hermon was the mountain top where Jesus was transfigured in Matthew 17, but more likely this took place on Mount Tabor a little bit east of Nazareth and west of Gerizim and Ebal.
The most important mountain of all was Mount Calvary, which really wasn’t a mountain at all, but a high stone cropping west of the walls of Old Jerusalem. Known at that time as Golgotha, “the skull place” (Mark 15:22), there they crucified Jesus. (Calvary is our English name for that placed based on the Latin word Calvaria, from the Greek kranion, skull. Golgotha is Aramaic.)
There is one final mountain that we should mention and that is Mount Zion. While there is some confusion and even disagreement about which hill in Jerusalem is really Mount Zion, Zion is most closely associated with the temple specifically and the place where God dwells generally. In time, Zion became synonymous with the people of God, especially in Hebrew poetry. Two New Testament passages stand out:
The first is Hebrews 12:22-24, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” In contrast to Mount Sinai and the burden of the Law, Mount Zion is all gospel in light of Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross.
The other is Revelation 14:1ff, “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads…” Because of this passage, Mount Zion has become synonymous with heaven and the Church Triumphant. For there our eternal dwelling is with God.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little stroll through the mountains with me. How many of them did you think of at the beginning? Which other ones would you have liked added or made your list? Please share them with me when you have the opportunity.
Pastor Ben Golisch
Mountains
I recently had the experience of seeing the tallest mountain in North America, once thought the tallest mountain in the world. For around a century, it was called Mount McKinley, named after our 25th president, but now it is known by its more ancient, local name Denali (meaning “the Great One”). This got me thinking about the role of mountains in the Bible. Before reading any further, what mountains come to your mind?
We first hear about mountains in Genesis. While not a specific mountain, we are told that even the highest mountains were significantly covered by the floodwaters (Genesis 7:19-20). The flood account also leads us to the first named mountain, Mount Ararat (more specifically, the mountains of Ararat) (8:4).
The next significant mountain mentioned is Mount Moriah. The Lord told Abraham, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you” (Genesis 22:2). The next day, Abraham complied and, after passing the Lord’s test, Abraham called the place “The Lord will provide” because “On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided” (22:14). It is also thought that this same mountain (we would call it a hill) is where the temple would be built (or the place where Jesus would be crucified).
In Exodus, we come to a very important mountain, Mt. Sinai (sometimes called Mt. Horeb). There is some debate among scholars regarding why the two names are used, even within one chapter of each another. One might refer to the specific mountain, while the other might refer to the region or mountain range. One might emphasize the wilderness while the other might emphasize the burning bush. Bible critics will say it’s because of different authors used different names, but we can dismiss that, especially because of the proximity within the biblical narrative and the Holy Spirit’s authorship.
Mt. Sinai plays a significant role in Bible history. Moses saw the burning bush on the mountain (Exodus 3:1). The Israelites gathered at the foot of Mt. Sinai where God would give them the Ten Commandments and the Law (Exodus 18-34). Later, Elijah would flee to it following the showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 19). Mt. Carmel is where the Lord answered from heaven with fire and licked up the sacrifice, the wood and even the water surrounding it.
When the Israelites entered the Promised Land and found rest from their initial warfare to take the land, half of the tribes of Israel were to sit on Mount Gerizim, and the other six tribes were to sit on Mount Ebal. Then the whole nation would then recite the blessings and curses from Deuteronomy on these twin peaks at the entrance to the Jezreel Valley (Deuteronomy 11:29; Joshua 8:33).
The largest mountain in Israel is Mount Hermon on the northeastern edge of the land. At 9,230 feet, Mt. Hermon usually has a snowcapped peak. Much of the water for the nation comes from the runoff and natural springs of Hermon. It is usually in this connection that Mt. Hermon is referenced in Scripture. It also serves as the backdrop for Peter’s confession, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” and the Lord’s response “on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:16 & 18).
Some think that Mt. Hermon was the mountain top where Jesus was transfigured in Matthew 17, but more likely this took place on Mount Tabor a little bit east of Nazareth and west of Gerizim and Ebal.
The most important mountain of all was Mount Calvary, which really wasn’t a mountain at all, but a high stone cropping west of the walls of Old Jerusalem. Known at that time as Golgotha, “the skull place” (Mark 15:22), there they crucified Jesus. (Calvary is our English name for that placed based on the Latin word Calvaria, from the Greek kranion, skull. Golgotha is Aramaic.)
There is one final mountain that we should mention and that is Mount Zion. While there is some confusion and even disagreement about which hill in Jerusalem is really Mount Zion, Zion is most closely associated with the temple specifically and the place where God dwells generally. In time, Zion became synonymous with the people of God, especially in Hebrew poetry. Two New Testament passages stand out:
The first is Hebrews 12:22-24, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” In contrast to Mount Sinai and the burden of the Law, Mount Zion is all gospel in light of Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross.
The other is Revelation 14:1ff, “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads…” Because of this passage, Mount Zion has become synonymous with heaven and the Church Triumphant. For there our eternal dwelling is with God.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little stroll through the mountains with me. How many of them did you think of at the beginning? Which other ones would you have liked added or made your list? Please share them with me when you have the opportunity.
Pastor Ben Golisch