Two Mountains

Two Mountains 8-23-20 Beginning Scripture: Exodus 20: 18-19 When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpets and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die." NIV Mount Sinai, Fear and Punishment This passage from Exodus describes the reaction of Moses' people to the awesome power of God as had been demonstrated on Mount Sinai with flaming fire, dark clouds, thunder and lightning, and trumpets blasting. They were scared and spoke their intention of obeying all that God had commanded of them. There is much fear and punishment spoken of in this part of Exodus and of course there are the ten commandments. This is the picture and the aura surrounding Mount Sinai and those days. But there is also this that God tells Moses in Exodus 19: 4-6: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites." NIV So, in these two passages from Exodus we see and hear so much about the beginnings and the future of God's journey with his people in the Old and New Testaments. You might recall my devotional at the beginning of this month on the continuities and discontinuities in salvation history. Hebrews Chapter 12, the chapter we are studying in Sunday School today really illustrates this theme. The writer reminds his readers of the events at Mount Sinai. He then moves the readers from the fearful and awesome Sinai to another mountain. There is a massive history and transition presented in this single chapter in Hebrews. For the writer encourages the Hebrew Christians, telling them that they have come up into Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem and the church (Hebrews 12: 22-24). So here again we see the discontinuity between the old and the new. Fearful Sinai - the old - and joyful Zion - the new. Of course, there is always the message that if we want joy, if we want the fulfillment of God's promises to us of a better place, the end of our journey to his Kingdom, then we must obey, we must do his will. In the words of our pastor last Sunday, we must fulfill our obligations. We must be faithFULL - full of faith and trust in God. This is always our challenge is it not? Are we going to be a people looking forward in faith OR will we be stuck in our pasts, living in the shame of our dark and weak selves? To me these lessons for us in our pilgrimage are what makes being a Christian so life-giving and hopeful. If I and we follow Christ and his fresh message of love and salvation, then we will remain a redeemed people bound for glory. Mount Zion is not just a hill in Jerusalem beyond the walls of the old city. Mount Zion is indeed the city of our living God where we are protected, safe, and living a life of light, in God's light. That is our hope. Zion is the mountain where our faith has been rewarded and our hopes fulfilled. I think each morning when we get out of bed to begin our day we are in a position to choose the fear and darkness of the Sinai spoken of in Exodus OR we can choose the faith, hope, and joy of mount Zion. We can make the decision to be in faith in our resurrected Christ who lived a life of love, compassion, and victory over pain and suffering. Questions and Challenges * When we get up in the morning let us set our intentions on the light, love, faith, and joy of Jesus Christ. * As the day goes on when we are invited by mass media or others around us to enter into smoke and darkness and hopelessness, let us remember that we are people of Mount Zion, the new heavenly Jerusalem. Prayer Jesus, you are our hope and our salvation. Help us to avoid the darkness and negativism we are invited into each day. Help us love and care for one another as you did when you were on Earth and as you continue to do. Lord, we do not want to deny our pain and suffering, it is part of life, but help us to remember that you are always with us, right by our side holding onto us for dear life, for your life with the Father and the Holy Spirit. We pray these things in your name, Jesus Christ, our precious savior.