The Mountain of God

Introduction – Tuning to the Standard

Have you ever been somewhere that immediately made you feel small? Maybe the Grand Canyon, a vast ocean, or a mountain peak where the air is thin and the view goes on forever. Places like that remind you—you’re not in control; something bigger is at work.

That’s what Israel experienced at Mount Sinai. This was no ordinary camping trip in the wilderness. The mountain became God’s throne room on earth—thunder rolling, lightning flashing, the ground trembling. Boundaries were drawn. Approaching casually meant death.

It makes me think of something from my musical background. Rev. Dr. Kathleen Kind once spoke about a “divine A440”—the concert pitch to which every instrument must tune. An orchestra can only play in harmony when each musician tunes to the same standard, not to themselves. Holiness works the same way. At Sinai, God set the pitch. Israel wasn’t free to define holiness on their own terms; they had to tune their lives to His standard.

Scripture Reading

Exodus 19:1–25 — God’s descent on Sinai, boundaries, and consecration.

Hebrews 12:22–24 — The contrast between Sinai’s fear and Zion’s joy.

Context – Covenant on the Mountain

In the ancient Near East, kings made suzerainty-vassal treaties—promising protection in exchange for loyalty and obedience. At Sinai, God made such a covenant with His people, extending the promise He gave to Abraham: “If you obey Me fully and keep My covenant, then out of all nations you will be My treasured possession” (Ex. 19:5).

Before the Aaronic priesthood, elders or chosen men served as priests. But now, with God’s direct presence coming to Sinai, the stakes were higher. As Jeremy Taylor might put it, Israel had to live with the awareness that they were “always in the presence of God.” Holiness required intentional preparation.

Main Point 1 – Sinai as God’s Holy Mountain

Mountains in the Bible are more than landmarks—they’re meeting places between heaven and earth.

Tim Mackie from The BibleProject points out that in biblical theology and the ancient Near East, mountains are cosmic touchpoints—places where heaven and earth intersect. Eden was a mountain garden, a sacred source of life flowing out to the world. Sinai is God’s mountain, His throne room on earth. The thunder, lightning, dense cloud, and trumpet blast aren’t random; they are throne-room symbols, declaring that the King has arrived.

At Sinai, God’s presence transformed ordinary geography into sacred space. Taylor’s “purity of intention” comes into play here: the people had to approach with hearts and lives aligned to God, because holiness isn’t just about rules—it’s about tuning to the divine pitch.

Illustration: It’s like a construction site with “Authorized Personnel Only” signs. The signs aren’t there to be mean—they’re there because certain areas are dangerous if you’re not prepared. Holiness without preparation is like stepping into a blast zone without protection.

Main Point 2 – The Covenant Pattern

The Sinai covenant had three parts:

Pledge: God as Protector and King.

Condition: Faith and obedience.

Mediator: Moses standing between God and the people.

Boundaries at Sinai weren’t arbitrary—they were love in action, keeping the unprepared from destruction. Wesley would say holiness here was “deliverance from the power of sin” in its Old Covenant form—maintained through law and sacrifice.

William Law would challenge us here: too often, like ancient Israel, we are “content in our failings,” satisfied to fall short rather than striving toward the perfection God calls us to. Law’s reminder that perfection is a constant devotion to please God in all things fits perfectly at Sinai. God wasn’t calling Israel to partial obedience; He wanted their full intention.

Main Point 3 – From Sinai to Zion: Holiness Then and Now

At Sinai:

Dangerous — God’s holiness consumed the unprepared.

Separating — Boundaries kept the unclean away.

Mediated — Access was through Moses.

Transformative — God’s presence sanctified the place.

In Christ:

He is the meeting place of God and humanity—the true mountain, the true temple.

His holiness draws near without annihilating, because He purifies us.

Access is now “with confidence” (Heb. 4:16) because of His blood.

The call to holiness remains—Wesley’s perfect love—loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself.

Mackie notes that the story of God’s mountain presence moves from geography to person. Sinai’s holiness was dangerous and unapproachable; Zion’s holiness is welcoming because the mediator is Jesus Himself. The mountain has moved into the heart of the believer through the Spirit—God’s sacred space is no longer a physical location, but a people made holy by His presence.

Hebrews 12 contrasts the two:

Sinai: trembling and terror.

Zion: joyful gathering and welcome.

Sinai: covenant sealed with animal blood.

Zion: covenant sealed with the sprinkled blood of Jesus, which speaks mercy instead of condemnation.

As Philip Spener would remind us, this is the grace-empowered life—sanctification as a cooperative journey with God’s Spirit, continually renewing us.

Application – Life in the Construction Zone

Road construction means delay, detours, and the constant reminder that the road isn’t finished yet. Our spiritual lives are the same—we are under construction by the Holy Spirit.

John Wesley’s Historic Questions still challenge us:

“Are you going on to perfection?”

“Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?”

The means of grace—Scripture, prayer, worship, the Lord’s Supper, works of mercy—are God’s construction tools shaping us. Like the Israelites at Sinai, we prepare to meet God by aligning our lives to His holiness.

Wesley’s encouragement is clear: perfection isn’t about being flawless; it’s about being filled with perfect love. And perfect love is what turns the “Authorized Personnel Only” sign at Sinai into the “Welcome Home” banner at Zion.

Conclusion – Destination: Perfect Love

Sinai taught that God’s holiness was untouchable without a mediator. In Christ, the Holy One Himself is our mediator. The awe and majesty remain, but now His throne room is our home.

Wesley would urge us not to settle for spiritual mediocrity. Aim for perfect love now—not as an unreachable dream, but as the promised destination God is building into your life.

The journey from Egypt to Sinai to Zion is the road God has set before us. The signs along the way—“Yield to the King,” “Slow Down for Holiness Zone,” “Authorized Access Only”—are not obstacles; they are invitations to tune our hearts to the divine pitch, walk in perfect love, and arrive at the city of the living God.