1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:05,994 Good morning. 2 00:00:12,770 --> 00:00:16,017 Some of you know, some of you don't know. 3 00:00:16,900 --> 00:00:22,833 But I was born in Michigan, but I don't claim Michigan as home. 4 00:00:25,492 --> 00:00:35,870 If you ask me where am I from, you ask me where home is, the answer is going to be Eastern Kentucky, up in the mountains. 5 00:00:36,491 --> 00:00:41,505 You ask me where would you like to be, on a mountain or on a beach? 6 00:00:41,505 --> 00:00:43,216 The answer is on a mountain. 7 00:00:44,377 --> 00:00:46,999 I love the mountains. 8 00:00:48,361 --> 00:00:55,146 You're more likely to die on the mountains than on the beach, but you know, give and take in life. 9 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:01,177 Mountains are just something that have been a part of my life since I was four years old. 10 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:14,578 And yet when you open the book of Scripture, you'll find mountains have an interesting place in Scripture. 11 00:01:16,642 --> 00:01:22,966 There are a number of mountains of great significance in the Bible. 12 00:01:23,827 --> 00:01:39,397 And not only do they carry significance because of the events that occurred on those mountains and the historical literal event, but also metaphorical usage of the terminology 13 00:01:39,397 --> 00:01:43,279 of those mountains that was derived from those events. 14 00:01:45,477 --> 00:02:05,036 notice this idea in a couple of lessons, but we're going to begin first with some mountains in the Old Testament where events occurred and actions took place that will 15 00:02:05,036 --> 00:02:13,139 result in a great deal of understanding about teachings that come later on in Scripture. 16 00:02:14,007 --> 00:02:17,839 We're going look at four mountains this morning. 17 00:02:17,839 --> 00:02:20,861 We're going to begin in the book of Genesis. 18 00:02:21,802 --> 00:02:24,977 Genesis chapter 22. 19 00:02:25,704 --> 00:02:36,410 There is a mountain in this occasion, in this text, where God will call Abraham to this mountain. 20 00:02:36,810 --> 00:02:42,133 In Genesis 22, Isaac was born in the prior chapter. 21 00:02:42,987 --> 00:02:52,984 God had told Abraham, his name was Abram at the time, God had told Abram back in Genesis chapter 12, you leave your home, you leave your kindred, you leave your country, and you 22 00:02:52,984 --> 00:02:55,265 go to a land that I will show you. 23 00:02:55,886 --> 00:03:07,893 And that land will become the inheritance of your family, but he also promises to Abram that you will become the father of many nations. 24 00:03:09,175 --> 00:03:12,839 and that in your seed all nations of the earth will be blessed. 25 00:03:12,839 --> 00:03:16,552 Yet Abram at the time was childless. 26 00:03:17,614 --> 00:03:29,735 He and his wife Sarai had no children and that would continue to be true for another 25 years. 27 00:03:30,923 --> 00:03:32,916 They followed and did what God said. 28 00:03:32,916 --> 00:03:35,260 They traveled where God told them to go. 29 00:03:35,260 --> 00:03:37,413 They sojourned in this land. 30 00:03:37,413 --> 00:03:39,246 They were pilgrims and sojourners. 31 00:03:39,246 --> 00:03:46,725 They dwelled in tents, and yet no child, no child, no child, no child for 25 years. 32 00:03:48,481 --> 00:03:59,235 Then in Genesis chapter 21, Isaac is born when Abraham is the age of 100 years old and Sarah is the age of 90. 33 00:04:01,909 --> 00:04:11,317 And then in chapter 22, now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham, and he said, here I am. 34 00:04:11,678 --> 00:04:23,648 Then he said, take now your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall 35 00:04:23,648 --> 00:04:24,629 tell you. 36 00:04:25,599 --> 00:04:35,252 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son and he split the wood for the burnt offering and arose and he 37 00:04:35,252 --> 00:04:38,053 went to the place of which God had told him. 38 00:04:38,353 --> 00:04:46,336 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off and Abraham said to his young men, stay here with the donkey. 39 00:04:46,336 --> 00:04:50,497 The lad and I will go yonder and worship and we will come back to you. 40 00:04:51,785 --> 00:04:56,764 God tells Abraham, Abraham you take your son, your only son. 41 00:04:58,935 --> 00:05:02,090 who probably at this time was still just a boy. 42 00:05:03,723 --> 00:05:14,853 He says, take your son, your only son, the son you've been waiting on your entire life, the son that I promised you 25 plus years ago, the son that you have finally received, you 43 00:05:14,853 --> 00:05:22,719 take your only son and you go to a mountain that I will show you and there you offer him as a burnt sacrifice to me. 44 00:05:25,751 --> 00:05:29,587 And Abraham does not refuse. 45 00:05:30,710 --> 00:05:35,318 Abraham does not argue with the Lord. 46 00:05:36,221 --> 00:05:39,024 Abraham does not even delay. 47 00:05:41,457 --> 00:05:46,899 Abraham prepares what is necessary and he leaves. 48 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:59,785 And when he sees the mountain that God had said, you go there, he leaves the men who were with him behind, the servants, and he and Isaac continue. 49 00:06:00,725 --> 00:06:06,968 Notice that it was a three-day journey to get to this mountain. 50 00:06:07,688 --> 00:06:10,109 The third day they finally see the mountain. 51 00:06:10,231 --> 00:06:14,824 where God said, this wasn't they get up in the morning and they're there by afternoon. 52 00:06:17,559 --> 00:06:19,041 But then notice... 53 00:06:21,793 --> 00:06:29,296 Verse 5, So Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey and the lad, and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you. 54 00:06:29,436 --> 00:06:38,900 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and the two of them went together. 55 00:06:39,020 --> 00:06:42,692 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, My father? 56 00:06:42,692 --> 00:06:44,823 And he said, Here I am, my son. 57 00:06:44,963 --> 00:06:50,465 Then he said, Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? 58 00:06:50,677 --> 00:06:58,360 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for Himself the Lamb for a burnt offering. 59 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,401 So the two of them went together. 60 00:07:00,601 --> 00:07:03,462 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. 61 00:07:03,462 --> 00:07:07,064 And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order. 62 00:07:07,064 --> 00:07:10,965 And he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 63 00:07:10,965 --> 00:07:15,010 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 64 00:07:15,010 --> 00:07:19,345 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham. 65 00:07:19,345 --> 00:07:21,547 So he said, here I am. 66 00:07:23,145 --> 00:07:29,991 And he said, the angel, Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him. 67 00:07:30,512 --> 00:07:45,557 For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught 68 00:07:45,557 --> 00:07:47,809 in a thicket by its horns. 69 00:07:48,043 --> 00:07:52,915 So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 70 00:07:52,915 --> 00:07:59,078 And Abraham called the name of the place, the Lord will provide. 71 00:07:59,738 --> 00:08:14,365 As it is said to this day, in the mount of the Lord it shall be provided." Here in this first text in Genesis 22, we find what we term Mount Moriah. 72 00:08:15,861 --> 00:08:20,443 This mountain that's inside the mountain range of Moriah. 73 00:08:21,623 --> 00:08:25,545 We don't know exactly which mountain it was, but we know this. 74 00:08:26,125 --> 00:08:34,048 It was known as the mountain where God provided. 75 00:08:34,188 --> 00:08:44,072 As a matter of fact, when you go down in the text, we read that Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh. 76 00:08:44,793 --> 00:08:45,873 That is 77 00:08:46,101 --> 00:08:51,024 the place, or sorry, the Lord will provide. 78 00:08:51,565 --> 00:08:54,746 And that's the way it was known from that point forward. 79 00:08:55,808 --> 00:09:10,047 In this text, we find a mountain which represented something from that day forward, and it was the provision of God. 80 00:09:11,705 --> 00:09:24,523 Abraham had left his home, his land, his family, his country, and all throughout his sojourning God had provided. 81 00:09:26,153 --> 00:09:30,292 And Abraham had trusted in God to provide. 82 00:09:31,937 --> 00:09:40,762 But then Abraham received that promise that Abraham had been desiring more than all the other things, a son. 83 00:09:42,063 --> 00:09:46,125 And he knew that God had provided that son. 84 00:09:49,325 --> 00:09:51,266 So why was God testing him? 85 00:09:51,746 --> 00:09:54,547 Abraham had been faithful for 25 years. 86 00:09:54,828 --> 00:09:56,108 What changed? 87 00:09:57,549 --> 00:10:07,553 One of the things that you can see here is sometimes when we receive the thing that we have most desired... 88 00:10:10,593 --> 00:10:14,985 we can forget why we received it. 89 00:10:17,239 --> 00:10:18,509 Think about that. 90 00:10:19,530 --> 00:10:25,253 Think about all of the effort that is gone to achieve something great. 91 00:10:25,614 --> 00:10:37,401 And when that great thing is achieved, how it is quite easy to forget everything you went through to achieve it and only focus on the achievement. 92 00:10:40,577 --> 00:10:52,060 God is going to test Abraham to see if Abraham still trusts and fears him as much as he did when he desired a son. 93 00:10:53,241 --> 00:11:07,105 If Abraham's longing and desire and actions would be to God still the way they had been when Abraham was waiting for this thing that he desired so much. 94 00:11:08,309 --> 00:11:20,469 In actuality, what you're seeing is a test to see whether or not Abraham had gone through all of these things to receive a son or had done all of these things to obey a God. 95 00:11:24,351 --> 00:11:42,865 And God has validated through His command and through His action that Abraham was faithful to Him out of fear of Him, out of love for Him, but not out of a desire to have a son. 96 00:11:45,525 --> 00:11:52,261 Now, as you go through this text, you may ask some of the similar questions as others. 97 00:11:52,261 --> 00:11:57,034 You can say, well, wait a minute, I thought human sacrifice was wrong. 98 00:11:57,916 --> 00:11:58,916 It is. 99 00:12:00,105 --> 00:12:07,703 I thought it was against God's commands to offer a human sacrifice. 100 00:12:08,244 --> 00:12:09,285 It is. 101 00:12:11,071 --> 00:12:19,633 So how could Abraham have willingly done what God told him to do all the way to the point of picking up the knife? 102 00:12:23,021 --> 00:12:30,901 It's right there in the text because God told him to do it. 103 00:12:33,495 --> 00:12:37,848 But further in the text, you see the other aspect of it. 104 00:12:38,469 --> 00:12:42,971 And it's when Isaac asks Abraham, where's the lamb? 105 00:12:44,473 --> 00:12:47,795 Abraham doesn't tell Isaac there is no lamb. 106 00:12:48,936 --> 00:12:52,358 Abraham doesn't tell Isaac you're the lamb. 107 00:12:53,059 --> 00:12:54,830 Abraham doesn't do anything of the sort. 108 00:12:54,830 --> 00:13:02,445 Abraham says with great divinity, God will provide the lamb. 109 00:13:06,431 --> 00:13:08,034 over in the book of Hebrews. 110 00:13:10,453 --> 00:13:28,921 we're told by the Hebrew writer that Abraham, who had fathered a son when his body was dead in the sense of he was no longer capable of naturally fathering a son, and Sarah, who 111 00:13:28,921 --> 00:13:38,555 had carried a child and given birth to a child when she was beyond the point of doing that, that he determined that if God was able to do that, he was able to raise Isaac back 112 00:13:38,555 --> 00:13:40,109 to life. 113 00:13:42,993 --> 00:13:52,709 Abraham knew this was the child of promise, but Abraham knew he only had this provision because God had provided it. 114 00:13:54,455 --> 00:14:10,799 Now for us, as we strive to internalize this lesson, we have to ask ourselves, do we provide? 115 00:14:13,005 --> 00:14:15,538 There's a whole bunch of men in the audience this morning. 116 00:14:17,385 --> 00:14:20,124 Are you the provider for your family? 117 00:14:22,889 --> 00:14:36,383 In a sense, the answer better be yes, because Paul will tell Timothy, as he writes concerning those widows who are in and among the congregation and in need of support of 118 00:14:36,383 --> 00:14:46,635 the congregation, that if they have a male family member that is part of their family, a nephew, a grandson, anything of the sort, that he 119 00:14:46,635 --> 00:14:53,363 better provide for that woman because if he doesn't he is worse than an infidel. 120 00:14:55,553 --> 00:14:58,010 God says, better provide if you're a man. 121 00:14:58,010 --> 00:15:01,950 And there is a woman in your family who is in need. 122 00:15:01,950 --> 00:15:03,433 You better provide. 123 00:15:05,313 --> 00:15:12,557 But behind that question is, how do you provide? 124 00:15:13,938 --> 00:15:20,191 And the answer is, you only provide if God provides. 125 00:15:21,995 --> 00:15:31,088 Jesus would teach His disciples when His disciples came to Him and said, Lord teach us to pray as John taught His disciples to pray. 126 00:15:32,249 --> 00:15:43,283 One of the things that Jesus taught in that example model prayer was, Lord give us this day our daily bread. 127 00:15:45,651 --> 00:15:55,157 Jesus taught His disciples to understand that every day that they had food was a day God had provided. 128 00:15:58,061 --> 00:16:00,941 So in Genesis 22, we are taught. 129 00:16:02,455 --> 00:16:15,117 to learn the lesson from this mountain, the mountain of God's provision that God provides and not us. 130 00:16:16,539 --> 00:16:26,899 But when God provides, we better not withhold anything that God provided from God. 131 00:16:29,991 --> 00:16:37,404 Abraham did not withhold the son that God provided from God. 132 00:16:38,225 --> 00:16:52,371 You see another example of this elsewhere in Scripture when Hannah desires a son and God blesses Hannah with a son and then Hannah gives Samuel back to the Lord to serve the Lord. 133 00:16:53,232 --> 00:16:55,052 But consider another mountain. 134 00:16:55,372 --> 00:16:57,093 Exodus chapter 3. 135 00:16:58,763 --> 00:17:05,915 In Exodus chapter 3, there's a man named Moses who is tending his father's sheep. 136 00:17:06,635 --> 00:17:10,286 is taking them into the pasture to tend the sheep. 137 00:17:10,286 --> 00:17:20,689 Verse 1 of chapter 3, now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the 138 00:17:20,689 --> 00:17:21,629 mountain of God. 139 00:17:21,629 --> 00:17:24,313 It wasn't known as the mountain of God then. 140 00:17:24,313 --> 00:17:27,341 It would be known as the mountain of God later. 141 00:17:27,831 --> 00:17:37,775 But he brings them to Horeb, the mountain of God, and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush, and he looked, and behold, the bush was 142 00:17:37,775 --> 00:17:40,626 burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. 143 00:17:40,626 --> 00:17:47,369 Then Moses said, I will go now, turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn. 144 00:17:47,369 --> 00:17:56,893 So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses, and he said, Here I am. 145 00:17:57,259 --> 00:18:04,612 Then he said, Do not draw near this place, take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. 146 00:18:04,612 --> 00:18:11,574 Moreover, he said, I am the Lord your God, the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 147 00:18:11,574 --> 00:18:18,417 And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. 148 00:18:20,236 --> 00:18:30,549 Here in Exodus chapter three, Moses comes to the place, Horeb, to a mountain there in Horeb. 149 00:18:31,369 --> 00:18:42,152 And this mountain as he's guiding the sheep by the mountain, as he's serving as a shepherd for this physical flock that belongs to his father-in-law, he looks up on the mountain and 150 00:18:42,152 --> 00:18:46,513 there is a bush on the mountain and it is burning. 151 00:18:48,897 --> 00:18:54,099 but it is uniquely burning because it is burning and not being consumed. 152 00:18:55,539 --> 00:18:58,460 It is burning and not being destroyed. 153 00:18:59,901 --> 00:19:05,262 So Moses leaves the sheep with the servants and says, I'm going to go see what's going on. 154 00:19:06,257 --> 00:19:12,965 And he comes to the mountain, he comes up on the mountain, he comes to the bush and he's told don't come any further. 155 00:19:17,633 --> 00:19:30,256 When you study a bit further into chapter 3 and 4 and the command that God's going to give Moses to go to Egypt, to go to Pharaoh, to bring his people out, God is going to give a 156 00:19:30,256 --> 00:19:33,009 very specific command. 157 00:19:35,165 --> 00:19:41,804 Moses, when you bring the people out of Egypt, you bring them back to this mountain. 158 00:19:44,169 --> 00:19:45,371 Moses is going to do that. 159 00:19:45,371 --> 00:19:46,292 Turn to Exodus chapter 19. 160 00:19:46,292 --> 00:19:50,917 In Exodus chapter 19... 161 00:19:58,123 --> 00:20:08,277 Verse 1, the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, the same day they came to the wilderness of Sinai, for they had departed from Rephidim and 162 00:20:08,277 --> 00:20:11,539 had come to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness. 163 00:20:11,539 --> 00:20:15,500 So Israel camped there before the mountain. 164 00:20:15,940 --> 00:20:26,075 And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall stay to the house of Jacob and tell the children of Israel, You have seen what I did 165 00:20:26,075 --> 00:20:27,297 to the Egyptians and how I 166 00:20:27,297 --> 00:20:32,004 bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself. 167 00:20:33,067 --> 00:20:42,401 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine." 168 00:20:42,527 --> 00:20:46,339 And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. 169 00:20:46,339 --> 00:20:54,423 These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." So Moses came and called for the elders of the people and laid before them all the words which the Lord 170 00:20:54,423 --> 00:20:55,484 commanded him. 171 00:20:55,484 --> 00:21:00,016 Then all the people answered together and said, all that the Lord has spoken we will do. 172 00:21:00,016 --> 00:21:02,727 So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. 173 00:21:02,727 --> 00:21:06,699 And the Lord said to Moses, behold, I come to you in the thick cloud. 174 00:21:06,699 --> 00:21:11,372 that the people may hear when I speak with you and believe you forever. 175 00:21:11,372 --> 00:21:17,637 So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord. 176 00:21:17,637 --> 00:21:25,022 Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, and let them be ready the third day. 177 00:21:25,022 --> 00:21:30,445 For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." 178 00:21:32,393 --> 00:21:36,276 Mount Horeb is Mount Sinai. 179 00:21:36,533 --> 00:21:37,957 They're the same place. 180 00:21:38,919 --> 00:21:48,527 The place where Moses saw the burning bush is the same place God commanded him, you bring the people back here. 181 00:21:49,208 --> 00:22:00,005 And of this place, God says to Moses, when Moses arrives with the people, I brought you or I brought them to me. 182 00:22:01,911 --> 00:22:05,867 Horeb, Sinai, the same place. 183 00:22:06,909 --> 00:22:16,865 Now, when you look at Mount Sinai, you see here the mountain of God's presence. 184 00:22:18,729 --> 00:22:25,075 In this place, Moses stood before the presence of God. 185 00:22:25,836 --> 00:22:31,181 God tells Moses, take the sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground. 186 00:22:31,181 --> 00:22:32,262 What made it holy? 187 00:22:32,262 --> 00:22:35,545 God's presence was there. 188 00:22:37,099 --> 00:22:42,776 When Israel returned back, God told Moses, you make sure and consecrate the people. 189 00:22:42,776 --> 00:22:50,565 You take these two days because on the third day my presence will be here and they better be holy. 190 00:22:51,627 --> 00:22:53,268 Notice what we read. 191 00:22:54,029 --> 00:23:00,629 So Moses went down, verse 14, from the mountain and people sanctified and sanctified the people and they washed their clothes. 192 00:23:00,629 --> 00:23:03,589 And he said to the people, Be ready for the third day. 193 00:23:03,589 --> 00:23:04,989 Do not come near your wives. 194 00:23:04,989 --> 00:23:10,789 Then it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunderings and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain. 195 00:23:10,789 --> 00:23:15,529 And the sound of the trumpet was very loud so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 196 00:23:15,529 --> 00:23:18,849 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God. 197 00:23:18,849 --> 00:23:21,069 And they stood at the foot of the mountain. 198 00:23:21,069 --> 00:23:23,983 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke. 199 00:23:23,983 --> 00:23:26,845 because the Lord descended upon it in fire. 200 00:23:26,845 --> 00:23:31,888 Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 201 00:23:31,888 --> 00:23:36,191 Then the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder. 202 00:23:36,191 --> 00:23:39,073 Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 203 00:23:39,073 --> 00:23:46,938 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai and upon the top of the mountain, and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 204 00:23:46,938 --> 00:23:53,702 And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. 205 00:24:17,443 --> 00:24:22,533 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them and God... 206 00:24:22,533 --> 00:24:26,197 spoke all these words. 207 00:24:27,539 --> 00:24:39,624 In chapter 19 you have God telling Moses, bring the people up, you consecrate the people, they're going to see the glory of my presence, they're going to observe all these things, 208 00:24:39,624 --> 00:24:42,516 and I'm going to speak to them. 209 00:24:43,565 --> 00:24:51,147 And when you read the Ten Commandments as given in Genesis chapter 20, you're not reading what Moses says to the people. 210 00:24:51,147 --> 00:24:54,608 You're reading what God spoke from the mountain. 211 00:24:56,149 --> 00:25:03,331 So much so that you'll get to the end of chapter 20 and the people will come to Moses and they'll say, it is not good for us to hear the voice of the Lord. 212 00:25:03,331 --> 00:25:10,833 You go up on the mountain and you receive his word and you bring it back to us because if we continue to hear him, we're going to die. 213 00:25:13,739 --> 00:25:23,255 Mount Sinai is the mountain of God's presence, the mountain of God's law. 214 00:25:24,616 --> 00:25:31,601 It is the place where the law is given and where the voice of God was heard. 215 00:25:35,137 --> 00:25:42,096 but it was not a place that the people who heard the voice of God enjoyed. 216 00:25:45,693 --> 00:25:51,555 Over in the book of Hebrews, the Hebrew writer will make a point of this. 217 00:25:53,173 --> 00:25:59,919 In Hebrews chapter 12, he will point out that we do not come to the mountain burning with fire. 218 00:26:01,500 --> 00:26:14,865 He points out that in Christ we come before the throne of God, not with quaking and fear and trembling, but rather as the assembly of God's people. 219 00:26:16,107 --> 00:26:19,127 having boldness to come into his presence. 220 00:26:20,979 --> 00:26:26,212 Moses trembled and fell at the presence of God at the burning bush. 221 00:26:26,713 --> 00:26:33,877 The people were so afraid of the presence of God, they asked for Moses to go up so they wouldn't hear God's voice anymore. 222 00:26:35,478 --> 00:26:46,745 And yet, through Christ, we're told that we can boldly approach the throne of God to find grace and help in time of need. 223 00:26:49,417 --> 00:26:52,540 Sinai teaches us of God's presence. 224 00:26:54,182 --> 00:26:57,144 It teaches us of God's glory. 225 00:26:57,866 --> 00:27:08,136 It teaches us that we should fear the Lord, but it also teaches us of the blessings of being in Christ. 226 00:27:09,698 --> 00:27:13,177 Then there's another mountain, 1 Kings chapter 18. 227 00:27:14,893 --> 00:27:18,375 1 Kings chapter 18 you find Mount Carmel. 228 00:27:18,815 --> 00:27:25,038 Mount Carmel is there toward the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. 229 00:27:25,139 --> 00:27:32,042 There's a little jut out of land as you follow the coast and on that jut out of land is Mount Carmel. 230 00:27:32,783 --> 00:27:42,953 And in the days of Elijah, Elijah had declared that it would not reign in the northern kingdom of Israel until he said so. 231 00:27:43,413 --> 00:27:47,977 Now that wasn't Elijah being pompous or beyond his authority. 232 00:27:47,977 --> 00:27:49,389 He was speaking as a prophet. 233 00:27:49,389 --> 00:27:59,708 He was speaking on behalf of God, and Elijah said, it is not going to rain until I say so and I'm not going to say so until God puts the words in my mouth to say so. 234 00:28:01,450 --> 00:28:09,637 And so for three and a half years it doesn't rain. 235 00:28:13,131 --> 00:28:18,727 During that time Elijah will be taken care of by God. 236 00:28:20,089 --> 00:28:23,652 He will be provided for by God. 237 00:28:25,034 --> 00:28:31,381 And then coming towards the end of that time Elijah comes back to King Ahab. 238 00:28:33,165 --> 00:28:37,626 and says we're going to find out who God really is. 239 00:28:38,447 --> 00:28:41,927 We're going to find out if Baal is God. 240 00:28:42,388 --> 00:28:50,830 We're going to find out if Ashtaroth is God, because Ashtaroth was the God that Ahab's wife Jezebel worshiped. 241 00:28:51,871 --> 00:29:00,593 And so Elijah is going to tell Ahab, you bring your prophets to Mount Carmel. 242 00:29:01,759 --> 00:29:03,750 And this is what we're going to do. 243 00:29:04,351 --> 00:29:07,293 They can build an altar, and I'll build an altar. 244 00:29:08,655 --> 00:29:11,116 They can put the sacrifice on it. 245 00:29:11,437 --> 00:29:12,648 They can put the wood on it. 246 00:29:12,648 --> 00:29:14,739 They can't light it. 247 00:29:16,121 --> 00:29:21,505 And they have to pray to Baal to see if Baal will light the altar. 248 00:29:22,206 --> 00:29:26,789 Now this was a fair fight because Baal was the god of storms. 249 00:29:27,050 --> 00:29:28,871 So you ought to be able to light the altar. 250 00:29:32,225 --> 00:29:42,613 The prophets of Baal start off first thing in the morning praying and crying out to their God to light the altar. 251 00:29:43,814 --> 00:29:48,018 And all through the morning they're praying, they're crying out, they're doing everything they can. 252 00:29:48,018 --> 00:29:51,540 They just can't touch the altar and light the altar for him. 253 00:29:52,401 --> 00:29:57,905 And Elijah provokes them, maybe your God's going on a long journey. 254 00:30:00,053 --> 00:30:03,864 Maybe he's relieving himself. 255 00:30:06,262 --> 00:30:07,995 Maybe you should cry louder. 256 00:30:09,781 --> 00:30:18,278 And they cry, and they begin cutting themselves in order to get their God to light the altar. 257 00:30:18,278 --> 00:30:25,793 Around midday, altars still not lit. 258 00:30:28,343 --> 00:30:30,664 So Elijah points out, my turn. 259 00:30:32,577 --> 00:30:36,960 So Elijah prepares the sacrifice, puts it on the altar. 260 00:30:38,042 --> 00:30:46,629 Then he does something that you should see the significance of it, not just in what he does. 261 00:30:48,705 --> 00:30:52,747 but in the three and a half years of no rain. 262 00:30:53,488 --> 00:30:58,030 Because Elijah calls for water. 263 00:30:59,251 --> 00:31:10,217 That thing that was so precious that you'll find in the context earlier Ahab and his servants were going throughout all the land finding anywhere where they could take their 264 00:31:10,217 --> 00:31:13,199 cattle, their horses to find water. 265 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,005 And Elijah is going to have water. 266 00:31:17,005 --> 00:31:19,165 poured out on the altar. 267 00:31:20,285 --> 00:31:29,845 So much water that it will fill the altar with water, it will drench the altar with water, he digs a moat around it and it fills the moat around the altar with water. 268 00:31:33,581 --> 00:31:36,359 And then Elijah praised to God. 269 00:31:40,375 --> 00:31:46,917 to demonstrate that He is God. 270 00:31:48,685 --> 00:31:59,505 And fire comes down from heaven and consumes the sacrifice, consumes the wood, consumes the water, and consumes the altar. 271 00:32:03,807 --> 00:32:12,673 Elijah then calls upon the people who are present to deal with the false prophets. 272 00:32:14,669 --> 00:32:18,589 and the people will kill the 450 false prophets of Baal. 273 00:32:20,269 --> 00:32:28,533 Now all of that is significant as we address Mount Carmel because Mount Carmel is the mountain of God's prophets. 274 00:32:30,387 --> 00:32:40,410 It's the mountain where God establishes quite clearly, this is who speaks on behalf of me, and this is who doesn't. 275 00:32:41,472 --> 00:32:45,947 But God's not done yet in 1 Kings chapter 18. 276 00:32:47,851 --> 00:32:56,010 because God will then tell Elijah to tell Ahab, you better get down off this mountain. 277 00:32:57,172 --> 00:33:02,367 You better get on your chariot and you better head home because the rain's coming. 278 00:33:05,107 --> 00:33:20,785 and Ahab will get on his chariot and proceed back to Samaria to his home, to his castle, to his dwelling place and Elijah will pray for rain. 279 00:33:22,226 --> 00:33:27,399 And then Elijah will take off on foot and Elijah will beat Ahab back home. 280 00:33:30,079 --> 00:33:31,817 as the rain begins. 281 00:33:34,891 --> 00:33:40,574 During that time, Elijah is praying while he's on Mount Carmelite, he sends a servant to go look. 282 00:33:42,349 --> 00:33:44,932 And the servant goes and looks, no clouds. 283 00:33:45,714 --> 00:33:50,239 Elijah continues praying, sends the servant to go look, the servant goes and looks, no clouds. 284 00:33:50,941 --> 00:33:57,609 Third time Elijah continues praying, sends the servant to go look, the servant says, I see the clouds. 285 00:34:00,193 --> 00:34:01,310 What's this mean? 286 00:34:03,339 --> 00:34:09,108 God demonstrates on Mount Carmel, this is who speaks for me. 287 00:34:10,731 --> 00:34:12,481 This is my prophet. 288 00:34:13,642 --> 00:34:27,827 The thing you should know about a prophet is when God establishes through actions, especially miraculous ones, that that man is a prophet, you better do what he says. 289 00:34:28,688 --> 00:34:31,669 You better hear and obey his voice. 290 00:34:33,377 --> 00:34:40,442 So God establishes on Mount Carmel, this is the one who speaks with my voice. 291 00:34:41,302 --> 00:34:44,245 This is the one you ought to listen to and obey. 292 00:34:46,199 --> 00:34:47,910 How do we learn from this? 293 00:34:49,312 --> 00:34:56,698 Jesus will point out in Matthew chapter 11 the lesson that should have been understood in all Israel. 294 00:34:57,619 --> 00:35:08,788 Because in Matthew chapter 11, Jesus points out to the cities of Capernaum and others that if the miraculous deeds that had been done in their city had been done in Sodom and 295 00:35:08,788 --> 00:35:14,483 Gomorrah, those cities would have repented in sackcloth and ashes and would have... 296 00:35:14,867 --> 00:35:16,575 Still been alive today. 297 00:35:18,337 --> 00:35:26,545 Those cities would have remained to this day, Jesus says, if they had seen the works that you've seen and yet Capernaum had not repented. 298 00:35:28,653 --> 00:35:39,296 You see, we're taught by Mount Carmel that when we identify who speaks on behalf of the Lord, that is who we obey. 299 00:35:40,596 --> 00:35:43,817 And Jesus Christ speaks on behalf of God. 300 00:35:44,757 --> 00:35:49,398 Jesus said, I did not come to speak my own words, but the words of Him who sent me. 301 00:35:50,539 --> 00:35:56,260 So when Jesus tells us, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. 302 00:35:56,521 --> 00:35:58,641 He that believeth not shall be damned. 303 00:36:00,077 --> 00:36:12,121 The same way that Ahab knew that when Elijah told him, get on that chariot and you head home because the rain's coming, he needed to get on that chariot and head home. 304 00:36:13,021 --> 00:36:24,485 And when Elijah told the people that not one of those prophets of Baal should remain alive, the people should know and obeyed not one prophet was left alive. 305 00:36:27,245 --> 00:36:30,605 Mount Carmel is the mountain of God's prophets. 306 00:36:31,085 --> 00:36:35,525 One last mountain, 2 Samuel chapter 5. 307 00:36:37,047 --> 00:36:39,084 in second Samuel chapter five. 308 00:36:47,949 --> 00:36:50,349 were introduced to Mount Zion. 309 00:36:51,729 --> 00:37:03,509 2 Samuel 5, we read in verse 6, and the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land who spoke to David, saying, You shall not come in 310 00:37:03,509 --> 00:37:09,469 here, but the blind and the lame will repel you, thinking David cannot come in here. 311 00:37:09,469 --> 00:37:14,189 Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion. 312 00:37:14,189 --> 00:37:16,289 That is the city of David. 313 00:37:16,649 --> 00:37:18,509 also known as Jerusalem. 314 00:37:41,830 --> 00:37:43,594 from Milo and inward. 315 00:37:43,594 --> 00:37:48,365 So David went on and became great and the Lord God of hosts was with him. 316 00:37:48,365 --> 00:37:50,469 Turn over to 1 Kings chapter 8. 317 00:37:51,969 --> 00:38:01,896 There in that chapter we find David taking the city through the work of Joab. 318 00:38:02,017 --> 00:38:05,109 And yet it will become known as the city of David. 319 00:38:05,109 --> 00:38:10,963 It was the city of Jerusalem, yet it will also become known as Mount Zion. 320 00:38:11,489 --> 00:38:17,919 And in 1 Kings chapter 8, as David's son Solomon is now on the throne. 321 00:38:20,213 --> 00:38:32,673 Solomon is going to consecrate the temple there on Mount Zion and there during that consecration event we read in verse 22 then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in 322 00:38:32,673 --> 00:38:43,772 the presence of all the assembly of Israel and Spread out his hands toward heaven and he said Lord God of Israel There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like you who 323 00:38:43,772 --> 00:38:49,739 keep your covenant and mercy with your Servants who walk before you with all their heart 324 00:38:49,739 --> 00:38:53,811 You have kept what you promised your servant David, my father. 325 00:38:53,811 --> 00:38:59,154 You have both spoken with your mouth and fulfilled it with your hand as it is this day. 326 00:38:59,154 --> 00:39:09,890 Therefore, Lord God of Israel, now keep what you promised your servant David, my father, saying, You shall not fail to have a man sit before me on the throne of Israel, only if 327 00:39:09,890 --> 00:39:14,743 your sons take heed to their way and they walk before me as you have walked before me. 328 00:39:14,743 --> 00:39:19,135 And now I pray, O God of Israel, let your word come true. 329 00:39:19,135 --> 00:39:25,716 Let which you have spoken to your servant David my father, but will God indeed dwell on the earth? 330 00:39:26,057 --> 00:39:29,624 Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain you. 331 00:39:29,624 --> 00:39:33,109 How much less this temple which I have built." 332 00:39:33,321 --> 00:39:43,411 Yet regard the prayer of your servant and his supplication, O Lord my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which your servant is praying before you today, that your eyes may 333 00:39:43,411 --> 00:39:56,024 be opened toward this temple night and day, toward the people of which you have said, My name shall be there, that you may hear the prayer which your servant makes toward this 334 00:39:56,024 --> 00:39:57,025 place." 335 00:39:57,321 --> 00:40:03,266 And you may hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. 336 00:40:03,266 --> 00:40:09,771 Hear in heaven your dwelling place and when you hear, forgive. 337 00:40:11,073 --> 00:40:15,055 Solomon knew of the promise of God. 338 00:40:15,476 --> 00:40:26,501 Solomon reiterates over and over and over, you said this, you promised this, and we're praying that you keep your promises. 339 00:40:28,959 --> 00:40:30,230 And so, Mt. 340 00:40:30,230 --> 00:40:36,397 Zion you see the mountain of God's promises. 341 00:40:38,219 --> 00:40:42,918 God promised to put His name with Israel. 342 00:40:43,841 --> 00:40:50,003 God promised to put His name there in Jerusalem. 343 00:40:52,287 --> 00:40:59,004 And as this temple is being consecrated, Solomon realizes this temple can't hold God. 344 00:40:59,906 --> 00:41:02,589 The heaven of heavens can't hold God. 345 00:41:04,545 --> 00:41:19,796 but make this the place where God, when He promises, and when Israel obeys, make this the place that signifies God keeping His promises. 346 00:41:23,241 --> 00:41:29,631 And so, Mount Zion will stand all the way through until the end of Scripture. 347 00:41:31,231 --> 00:41:35,392 as the place of God's promises. 348 00:41:37,815 --> 00:41:39,627 So what do we learn? 349 00:41:40,710 --> 00:41:46,038 Do we learn that God just hates low land? 350 00:41:46,345 --> 00:41:47,453 No. 351 00:41:49,357 --> 00:41:52,044 It's not about the mountains. 352 00:41:53,759 --> 00:41:59,793 It's about the events that take place on the mountains. 353 00:42:00,814 --> 00:42:07,798 It's about the relationship of God to His people. 354 00:42:09,220 --> 00:42:17,345 And when we look at those mountains, we see God's provision. 355 00:42:18,005 --> 00:42:21,888 We see God's presence. 356 00:42:22,388 --> 00:42:23,589 We see 357 00:42:23,777 --> 00:42:28,085 God's prophets and His message. 358 00:42:28,949 --> 00:42:33,237 And we see God's promises. 359 00:42:34,849 --> 00:42:42,961 And we are to see and we are to remember that the God who created the mountains... 360 00:42:44,863 --> 00:42:46,962 is not a God who's passive. 361 00:42:48,535 --> 00:43:04,265 but a God who's present, a God who keeps His promises, who provides for His people, whose presence is with them. 362 00:43:05,833 --> 00:43:10,859 and who speaks to them so they might know how to live. 363 00:43:12,342 --> 00:43:15,125 It is at Mount Zion. 364 00:43:16,865 --> 00:43:22,695 where Christ will be offered as the sacrifice for our sins. 365 00:43:25,037 --> 00:43:50,997 and God provided and God's presence was there and God's prophet died for our sins and God's promises were kept that there would be one who would bring salvation. 366 00:43:52,037 --> 00:43:54,213 The mountains of Scripture are 367 00:43:54,515 --> 00:43:59,888 intricately and interwoven into the story of Scripture. 368 00:44:00,628 --> 00:44:02,459 And we ought to learn their lessons. 369 00:44:02,459 --> 00:44:16,207 If you're here this morning and you're outside the body of Christ, if you're outside of the place where salvation is, maybe spend a little time thinking about the mountains of 370 00:44:16,207 --> 00:44:24,301 Scripture and what it means to come to a God and be obedient to a God. 371 00:44:24,435 --> 00:44:44,373 of such great power, such great majesty, such great provision that He cared enough to speak, to reveal Himself to mankind that He might keep His promise. 372 00:44:45,354 --> 00:44:48,735 And His promise is eternal life. 373 00:44:48,855 --> 00:44:54,217 If you have need of the invitation of God this morning, why not come forward now as we stand? 374 00:44:54,241 --> 00:44:55,384 and as we sing.