Mountains Are Cool...Right!!!
Mountain ranges are some of the most awe-inspiring, majestic natural features found on Earth. They have held people captivated by their presence since time immemorial. We see them stretching into the skies, often shrouded in cloud, and blanketed by lush forests up their ragged flanks.
Mountains have been a central part of human existence, culture and religion for eons. They have been a place of deep cultural and spiritual meaning to a great many past and present ethnic groups.
In modern times, mountains have been seen as personal challenges of strength, endurance and personal character as natural elements to climb and subdue. As such, the mainstream media, and the self-help, self-motivation world-views that have arisen - all tell us that the mountains in our lives must be conquered and tamed for us to be the best version of ourselves.
The question that arises then is this… “Is this view of metaphorical mountains and our engagement with them correct, is it accurate in the light of the biblical scriptures?”
In the biblical accounts, in both Old and New Testaments, mountains (or high places) play a significant role. They do so as places of important events - spiritually and culturally. We’ll have a look at some of the ways that the Bible discusses and portrays mountains.
The following are some (not all, and in no particular order) the ways mountains and high places are mentioned in the biblical narrative:
Places of Sacrifice & Worship:
Across all of the continents on Earth, from east to west/north to south, mountains to this day still contain places of worship (and I dare say sacrifices). Across cultures and religions they are seen as places that reach up into the heavens, that place humanity physically closer to the divine - as they seek to draw closer to the divine spiritually.
It is interesting to note that this is something that humanity has sought to do since the time of the Tower of Babel. It is a consequence of the separation of humanity from God (Yahweh) after the ‘Fall’ in the Garden of Eden.
Since those times mountains have been places where humanity has sought to worship God (Yahweh) and a plethora of false gods and demons posing as divine entities.
Scriptural References:
Genesis 22 - is the account of Abraham and the near sacrifice of Isaac on Mount Moriah. Mount Moriah then becomes an area of worship under King David, and the location of the Temple of God (Yahweh) under King Solomon - Mount Zion mentioned in a vast array of other scriptures.
Psalm 99:9 in talking about worshiping God, says “Exalt the Lord our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the Lord our God is holy.”
1 Kings 14:23 discusses the northern tribe of Israel erecting places of worship to the Canaanite false gods when it says “They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree.”
Places of Encountering God & Solitude:
It is interesting to note that Satan - as the master counterfeiter - tries to get people to worship demons and false gods in high places.
Why does he do that? It’s simple really - God wanted to be worshipped and met in specific mountains. And in those places, God would meet with the person/s and bless them with knowledge, guidance, peace, and solitude.
Scriptural References:
Exodus - chapters 3, 18 & 19 - Moses encounters God on Mount Horeb through the burning bush, then again in the delivery of the 10 Commandments and the other words of instruction and knowledge that he was given.
1 Kings 19 - Elijah ends up on Mount Horeb as a holy place, and encounters the presence and glory of God there.
Psalm 3:4 says “I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain.”
Matthew 14:23 shows us that even Jesus went up onto the high places (including the Mount of Olives) to seek the presence of the Heavenly Father, “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone…”
Places of Refuge:
Mountains and high hills have always been a palce of refuge and of safety. From a high place you can see if any enemies are moving towards you from a far distance, and attacking up a hill/mountainside is extremely difficult - so hilltops and mountaintops form a natural defensive barrier. And on these forts, castles, villages and the like have been built to protect the inhabitants.
The Bible, being a historical books as much as it is a spiritual, theological book, acknowledges these realities in many places - and links God’s protection of His believers to those places.
Scripture References:
Judges 6:2 provides an example of people using mountains to hide in when it says - “Because the power of Midian was so oppressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.”
Isaiah 33:16 is another example of this, when it states, “they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them.”
Psalm 18:2 talks about God being “The Rock” meaning a mountain and a fortress in which we can be protected. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Places of Warfare:
Mountains and hillside, because of their defensibility, and their cultural/religious significance - tend to be places of conflict and warfare.
Within the biblical narratives, there are many examples of both spiritual warfare and physical warfare being played out upon mountaintops.
Scriptural References:
I Samuel 23 finds King David fighting battles against the Philistines in mountainous terrain.
1 Kings 18 - we see Elijah engaging in both spiritual and physical battle against the prophets of Ba’al up on Mount Carmel.
Matthew 4:1-11 tells us of Satans’ tempting Jesus in the wilderness, including the tops of the mountain ranges.
Places of Instruction:
In relation to receiving instruction from God (Yahweh), mountaintops are seen to be significant places of spiritual encounter.
They are places where a person/s who is seeking the presence of God, once found listens in obedience to the Word of God, and receive instruction from Him.
Scriptural References:
Exodus 3 we find Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God (Yahweh), which become the moral minimums that humanity should be living by.
1 Kings 19 we read about Elijah who is hiding in a cave on Mount Horeb and he seeks the presence of God, and after hearing the small still voice of God, he receives instructions from God about what he is to do next.
Isaiah 2:3 mentions that, “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”
Matthew 5 significantly provides us the Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”, where Jesus provides all those within earshot wisdom and teaching about life and the Kingdom of God.
Closing Remarks:
So, we can see that mountains do indeed play a role in our spiritual formation, and in hearing from God - just not in the way that the world sees it. We are blessed that we do not have to travel great distances and climb mountains to seek the presence of God, rather we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within us. From that place of blessing we can seek the presence of God, and hear from Him about what we are to do in obedience for His kingdom.
May God bless you mightily in the days ahead. May you seek his presence, and learn from Him - and act in obedience to His instructions.