The Mountain
When it comes to vacation preferences, I often ask people: beaches or mountains? I don’t even know which one I prefer myself. Some people enjoy viewing the mountain from afar; others like to challenge themselves by climbing it for the more rewarding view. Sometimes, I view my life as this long, dangerous, and exhausting climb up a mountain. In our journeys with Jesus, we might view our own pursuit and sanctification as this upward climb.
Many figures in Scripture found themselves atop the mountains when they were with God. Jesus routinely retreated to the mountains to pray and underwent the Transfiguration. Elijah stood atop Mount Horeb to hear the still, small voice of God. Moses received the Ten Commandments, and Abraham climbed Moriah and discovered Jehovah Jireh. The pattern continues with Joshua, Elisha, David, and others throughout Scripture to teach us to draw close to Him.
Let me take you to really ancient times. During the times of Noah, there was a catastrophic flood that completely submerged the earth. Finding evidence of marine life and ancient petrified wood at mountain peaks around the world is not a new discovery, nor is the understanding that abrupt water pressures of this scale have the ability to rapidly cause the formations of what we see with the Grand Canyon. While this blog isn’t meant to be an apologetic account, scientific evidence suggests that a flood on a global scale is highly probable, even if one sets aside the truth of Scripture.
When the floodwaters receded, the Ark did not park itself in a valley. Genesis tells us that it came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. When deep waters of death are surrounding us on every side, we are brought to our redemption, just like Noah—not just in salvation, but in justification.
"...and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat." —Genesis 8:4
The thing about climbing the mountain of life is that we can never reach the top on our own, like Noah in the flood. A flood of mercy and grace by Jesus Christ is the only way to bring us into that union with God. We may climb and climb, or work and work, but it will never be enough. It is a climb that we were never meant to climb on our own. It is a climb that the Lord follows us through to teach us in this life. And when the lights in our eyes come to a final close here, He will bring us to the peak in the presence of His glory.
“Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more through Jesus Christ.” — Romans 5:20
"Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy..." — Jude 1:24