Mountains
by Tom Reed
From my earliest memories, I have always been drawn to the mountains. Every family vacation in my childhood was a camping trip to the mountains in Colorado or Wyoming. These trips left me with both a desire to travel and a longing to heed the “call of the mountains.” I assumed in my later years that this “call,” which led me into a career in the geologic sciences, was the result of the vacation trips. But I see things differently now, especially in light of Romans 1, where Paul clearly states that God has made Himself known to mankind through His creation. God had His call on me, and He used His mountains to do it!
Because God created the heavens and the earth, it has been a blessing in my geology career to see the intricate details of His creation—how minerals and rocks are formed, how mountains are fashioned and how His earth is a living creation with ongoing volcanism, erosion and mountain building.
But far more important than the creation is the Creator Himself. To me, the mountains have always been a symbol of the nearness of God. Psalm 90:2 says, “Before the mountains were brought forth or ever You had formed and given birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting You are God”. The prophet Amos says, “For behold, He Who forms the mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what is his thought, Who makes the morning darkness and treads on the heights of the earth—the Lord, the God of hosts, is His name!” Psalm 125:2, a song of Ascents, states, “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people both now and forevermore.”
It seems that mountains have always played a significant role in the Bible—physically, symbolically and even prophetically. Mountains and hills are mentioned more than 500 times in Scripture. Probably the most important mountain mentioned in scripture is Mount Zion, God’s mountain and the location of His city—Jerusalem.
Mountain references can symbolically represent obstacles, faith issues or even great events in the lives of God’s people. In Genesis, Noah and the ark end up on Mount Ararat after the flood. Also in Genesis, one of the great examples of Abraham’s obedience to God takes place on Mount Moriah with Isaac and the symbolism of the substitutionary sacrifice. In Exodus, God speaks from Mount Sinai and gives the commandments to Moses. Later, on Mount Nebo, Moses sees the Promised Land before his death. And King Saul’s death on Mount Gilboa brought an end to his tragic rule as the first king of Israel. And still further in I Kings 18, we see God’s great victory over the Baal priests on Mount Carmel.
In the New Testament we see mountain references associated with many key events in Jesus’ life. As part of Jesus’ temptations presented in Matthew 4, Satan brings Jesus to a high mountain to survey the kingdoms of the world. Mark 4 describes Jesus’ transfiguration on another high mountain.
Although the Mount of Olives is more of a hill and not a high mountain, it still played a major role in Jesus’ final Passover week and beyond. It was from this location that Jesus wept over Jerusalem as He arrived for that final week. It was here that the “Olivet Discourse” was presented to the disciples later in the week. It was here that He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, and it was from here that He later ascended to heaven in the presence of His disciples. Finally, in Revelation 21, John is conveyed in the Spirit to a high and lofty mountain to see the New Jerusalem descending out of Heaven from God.
To sum up, mountains always point to something greater than ourselves. Psalm 121:1-2, another song of Ascents says, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” And Isaiah 52:7 puts the Gospel in the right perspective for us: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring glad tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
Author Bio
Tom was born and raised in Oklahoma. He and his wife, Krista, met in the singles department at First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. Tom and Krista joined Council Road in 1995. They have two daughters and four grandchildren. Tom was a geologist with oil and gas firms in Oklahoma City until early retirement. He later accepted a position on the CRBC staff as minister to senior adults for several years until full retirement. Tom is a teacher in his connection class at CRBC and serves on the board of directors of a Christ-centered after-prison care program where he teaches and mentors. Tom and Krista always enjoy opportunities to travel and visit the mountains!