Mountains are very salient things. In many cultures around the world usually it locates some form of divinity.
In the localities around Israel are certain mountains:
- Mount Sinai – Egypt, Elevation: 2,285 m
- Mount Nemrut, Turkey, Elevation 2,134 m
- Mount Olympus – Greece, Elevation: 2,918 m
- Mount Carmel, Israel – Elevation: 525.4 m
- Har Karkom (Jabal Ideid) – Negev desert in Israel, Elevation: 1 035
One of the oldest maps in the world was discovered in Iraq.
It reminds me of the time when I was at university studying the Psalms and we touched on the importance of mountains in the minds of the local communities surrounding them. On this ancient map scholars think that the triangles on the outer circle are mountains of the gods.
Anyhow today we are reading the story of two mountains in which the Israelites met with God:
- Mount Sinai
- Mount Zion
At mount Sinai God made a covenant with Israel that he would be their God and they would be his special people. It is in this period of time that God commanded Israel to make a Tabernacle. Basically, it was a mobile Holy Temple. Eventually the people of God would settle down and a promise was made to king David that his royal line would never end. King David conquered Jerusalem and it became the capital city. It was in the heart of king David to build a temple to God. The problem was that in God’s sight David had blood on his hands in the many wars that he took part in. However, he did provide the timber and resources for King Solomon and on Mount Zion (The Temple Mount) the first temple to the God of Israel was built.
Scholars have suggested that the Old Testament in places leaned on the idea that no foreign army would ever conquer the Temple Mount. Obviously, History tells us otherwise. The Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians (587BC) and again by the Romans in AD 70. However things turned out; for Christians the real Zion is in God’s presence and it can never be destroyed. God allowed the Jewish people to return and rebuild the temple. It was rebuilt and the temple became fully functional again. Other things happened as well and eventually King Herod wanted to make his mark. He modernized the Temple Mount, and it was a magnificent thig to look at. We need to remember though that Herod the Great was a blood thirsty murderer. We know in the Christmas story how he slew ‘Rachael’s children’ ‘and ‘they were no more’. If Kings David the greatest king of Israel and Judah had blood on his hands and was not allowed to build the temple; How does Herod stand before God?
It doesn’t surprise me that some Israelites (Essenes) went into the desert to worship God. They knew the abomination that was happening in Jerusalem.
(Note:
I ought to read the Dead Sea Scrolls a little closer I’m pretty sure that this is possibly one reason to move to the desert.)
The real Zion is in Heaven. Mount Sinai and the earthly sanctuaries in Jerusalem were steppingstones to the real sanctuary not made with hands:
“For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, 19 and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. 20 For they could not bear the command, “IF EVEN A BEAST TOUCHES THE MOUNTAIN, IT WILL BE STONED.” 21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling.”
22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.” Hebrews 12:18-24 NASB
There are two mountains with two stories.
At mount Sinai the Law of God was given, the ten commandments and all the other laws. The law was Holy but whether we are Gentile or Jewish we have all failed to keep the Law. This does not mean the law was bad. No, the law is good because it came from God, but apart from Christ no one could keep it perfectly. The teachings of Jesus in Matthews Gospel show us this to be the case. It is only when we realized that we are spiritually poor and helpless before God that we can start this walk of grace. The good news is that Christ kept the law perfectly and in Him we can have eternal life.
Here we have two covenants in the Old Testament:
- The covenant with Moses and the people of God
- The covenant of David and the people of God
Jesus comes from the line of David and in Christ the ‘second Adam’ we have been recreated and found to be blameless before a holy God by faith.
Christ indeed is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. The law will always be good but only through the work of Christ; the Mediator between God and Man. We also need to remember that at the Transfiguration of Jesus Moses and Elijah were present. We had a glimpse into heaven itself and in this story, we see Christ’s Divinity.
There are those who would like to see the Old Testament to be forgotten and ripped out of the Bible. This is what the heretic Marcion tried to do. The Old Testament is beautiful. This is where we see the creation of the world; the creation of Humanity; the Fall of humanity; the promised restoration of humanity; the coming of Christ into the world; That Jesus would save his people and bring them with himself into the real Zion in which we share in the life and communion of the Trinity.
Reflection
Just imagine you were standing at the foot of Mt Sinai; What would you be feeling? You would be afraid and with your finite mind would not be able to grasp the big picture that God had in mind.
We are privileged because we are of the household of faith and as believers we can look back retrospectively and see what amazing things God has done for us! Not only retrospectively but the here and now. We can fall on our knees and worship God today whatever area in the world we are in. Whether we are on a mountain top or in the valleys, we can fall on our knees and worship God in spirit and truth.
Bibliography
A very old Babylonian map; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_Map_of_the_World
A translation of the Babylonian text; https://digitalmapsoftheancientworld.com/ancient-maps/babylonian-map-of-the-world/
The list of sacred mountains; https://youth-time.eu/sacred-mountains-homes-of-ancient-gods-2/
Weaver1has's Blog 
October 23, 2021 at 3:35 pm |
Thank you Hasan for a very interesting and readable blog.
October 23, 2021 at 5:07 pm |
I’m glad that you enjoyed it and I hope day by day we become more like Christ the second Adam