Who can Ascend His Mountian?

My name is Kenneth Padgett and this is The Story of God Podcast, presented by Wolfbane Books.

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I’ve mentioned before that you can easily recall the grand story of the Bible if you just memorize a handful of mountains. Let me show you again as a way of keeping the big picture in our imagination as we approach the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus in this episode.

It all began in the mountaintop garden of Eden. This was the very good - the tov m’ode - beginning that God spoke into existence. He established for himself a people and a place, they would dwell together on this mountain as the people grew and flourished, cultivating the land. On the mountain of Eden heaven and earth overlapped and interlocked, and in Eden God planted a seed that was meant to blossom into a global garden city, filled with billions of people dwelling forever in the presence of the one triune God. The story starts on a mountain – the mountain of Eden. But Adam and Eve choose to disobey God’s loving laws and they are exiled out of the garden. As humanity heads east and down the mountain of God, death consumes generation after generation, but they press on in their rebellion. It all comes to a head in Genesis 11, at that great and terrible city of Bavel – east of Eden. It is here where humanity, united in their defiance and disobedience, attempt to erect a rival mountain – the Tower of Bavel – the mountain of man in the midst of the city of man. A gross perversion of the City God had envisioned in the beginning. And He will not have it. He confuses the people and scatters them across the wild world. Two juxtaposed mountains. Eden and Bavel bookend the introduction to the biblical story in Genesis 1-11. But the response to Bavel isn’t just scattering judgment, God will not let his story end in tragedy. He is Good. He calls a wilderness wanderer named Abraham and promises to bless the scattered families of the earth through his offspring. Somehow God will use Abraham’s family to gather up the rebel nations and bring them into God’s presence again. Abraham is brought into a lush land in the west and ends up on Mount Moriah with his son Isaac. It is on this mountain where we learn that God will provide a substitute sacrifice, a faint intimation of how the holy God will make a way for sinful people to live in his presence. As the story moves forward we see that Abraham’s family, now called Israel, is rescued out of slavery in Egypt and brought to Mount SI-NI, the Mountain of God in the wilderness. It is here where God commissions the people to build the Tabernacle – a mobile mountain filled and flowing with all the same wonderful sights and smells of Eden. A great tent situated in the very center of the Israelite camp. For the first time since Eden, the glorious presence of God is once again in the midst of His people, burning bright as an all-satisfying source of life and light. Generations after the Israelites return to the Promised Land the Tabernacle gives way to the Temple. King David laments that God dwells in a tent while he lives in a palace. His son Solomon builds the tabernacle on Mount Zion, a mountain we’ve already encountered in Abraham’s story. Remember, Mount Zion was once called Mount Moriah; they are the same mountain. God, the creator king of the cosmos, rests on his throne on the Mountain of Zion, in the midst of his people in the holy city of Jerusalem. What a wonderful reality! But we know what happens. The people of God choose to disobey God’s loving laws and they are exiled out of the lush promised land. As humanity heads east and down to Bavel (which is also known as Babylon), God’s presence departs the Temple on Mount Zion. The Old Testament ends with a handful of Jews returning to Jerusalem, they are weeping because YHWH is not present in the newly erected temple. But prophetic words of hope carry them through continued exile and occupation.

So the mountains of Eden, Bavel, Moriah, SI-NI, and Zion can help you recall the Old Testament story with a theological focus on God’s presence with His people. And yes, there are other very important mountains that could be added into the mix (Ararat and Carmel for example).

But what about the New Testament? Does the mountain motif continue? Well, we saw in episode 8 that Jesus ascends the mountain in Galilee and gives divine wisdom and instruction to Abraham’s offspring (a clear reference to Mount SI-NI). In Mark and Luke Jesus chooses the twelve disciples on a mountain. In the forth chapter of John Jesus talks to a Samaritan women at a well, a discussion about which mountain should be associated with the worship of God. Perhaps the most fantastic mountain in the gospels is the high mountain of Transfiguration. Here, Jesus is suddenly surrounded by a dazzling light, his clothing is bright white. Matthew says his face shown like the sun and that there was a great luminescent cloud overshadowing them. Moses and Elijah appear in glory (two figures associated with mountains in the Old Testament) and they are talking about Jesus’ great exodus. Three disciples accompany Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration, one of whom is Peter. He recalls this moment in the first chapter of his second letter. He says that he and the other disciples where eyewitnesses of Jesus’ majesty, that they heard the thundering voice of “μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης” translated - the Majestic Glory - capital M capital G. All of this, according to Peter, happened on what he calls the Holy Mountain. Let us also not forget the numerous times we read about Jesus ascending various mountains to pray in solitude. Even Jesus himself communes with the Father on mountaintops. If you have ever been to Jerusalem you will know that the mountain across from the Temple Mount, from Zion, is the Mount of Olives. The gospels tell us that on this mountain Jesus told his disciples of what was to come in the Last Days. As they look across the Kidron valley to Zion, Jesus tells them of the coming desolation and destruction of the Temple, this teaching is often referred to as the Olivet Discourse. So, we can see that in the gospels mountains remain an important theological feature. All associated with God’s presence and purposes.

So it works like this. The God of the Bible is a mountaintop dwelling God (of course He is omnipresent, but in his great story, he is associated with mountaintops, I hope you’re seeing that). Humans originally dwelled on his mountain. When we were exiled we went down and away from God’s presence. When he pursued us, he met us on mountains, even his Tabernacle and Temple were modeled after his holy mountain. Mount Zion and Jerusalem become the locus of God’s presence in the OT. If you want to meet God, or approach his presence you will need to ascend his mountain. Then Jesus, who is God with us, comes and instructs us from mountains, brings his disciples to a mountain to see him in his majestic glory, and himself meets with God the Father on mountains.

So, I want to ask perhaps the most important question ever asked. Let me say that again. Here is the most important question that the biblical story leads a careful reader to ask. King David is the one to ask it, and he asks it twice: It is found in Psalm 15 and Psalm 24. Listen to the first verse of Psalm 15: “YHWH, who can dwell in your tent? Who can reside on your holy mountain?” Hear the first 3 verses of Psalm 24: “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the YHWH; for he laid its foundation on the seas and established it on the rivers. Who may ascend the mountain of the YHWH? Who may stand in his holy place?” Have you ever thought to ask this question? Who can ascend the mountain of the YHWH? I’m hoping that you’re seeing that this is the question that fallen, broken, exiles should be asking. How do sinners get back up the mountain of God and dwell in the presence of the μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης” - the Majestic Glory - the all satisfying source of life and light?

Well, I have bad news and good news. Bad news first. Let’s hear David’s answer to this question from Psalm 15: YHWH, who can dwell in your tent? Who can reside on your holy mountain? The one who lives blamelessly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart—who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbor, who despises the one rejected by YHWH but honors those who fear YHWH, who keeps his word whatever the cost, who does not lend his silver at interest or take a bribe against the innocent—the one who does these things will never be shaken. Ps. 24 gives a similar answer. The answer is that only the righteous one may ascend his mountain, only the blameless can reside in his holy place. Soooo is that you? Is that me? Are we blameless are we unstained by sin?