Mountain of God

Exodus 3:1–12 ESV

1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Brief Recap:

Sacred Space - The biblical word for the idea of God’s unique otherness is holiness. It means “to be set apart” or “to be distinct.”

Drawing attention to God’s otherness communicated certain ideas—not only about God, but also about supernatural boundaries.

The idea of “realm distinction” was fundamental to the supernatural worldview of Israel.

If where God’s presence dwelt was holy, the ground elsewhere was not—it was either ordinary or, in some cases, hostile and evil.

Horeb (Heb. wasteland, desert.)

Many scholars assume that Horeb and Sinai are two names for the same mountain.

Yahweh’s Abode

Yahweh could be found on mountains (Sinai or Zion). In Psalm 48:1–2, Jerusalem, the city of God, is said to be located in the “heights of the north” (tsaphon in Hebrew).

Mount Zion is the “mountain of assembly,” again located in the “heights of the north” (Isa 14:13).

The angel of Yahweh (Exodus 3:2) is either an embodiment of Yahweh Himself or an angelic representative of Yahweh.

I personally believe that it’s the former.

This particular angel appears prominently throughout Genesis.

At Sinai, Moses and others saw the seated God of Israel, under whose feet was a pavement “like sapphire tile work and like the very heavens for clearness” (Exod 24:9–10).

In many ancient religions, luxurious gardens and inaccessible mountains were considered the home of the gods. The Bible uses both descriptions for Eden.

Also known as Ziggurats

For example, in Mesopotamia, the human-made ziggurat was a mountain-temple where the gods met humanity.

Eden appears in Ezekiel 28:2 as the “seat of the gods,” the place where Yahweh runs the cosmos with His heavenly host

Another way to look at Eden is to see it as God’s home and, therefore, where he conducted business. It was his headquarters, or home office.

Genesis 3:8 (ESV) - And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

Why did they do that?

Because they were no longer covered and fit for sacred space.

But Eden was also God’s home. Ezekiel refers to Eden as “the garden of God” (Ezek. 28:13; 31:8–9).

What is surprising about that, right after calling Eden “the garden of God,” Ezekiel calls it “the holy mountain of God” (v. 28:14).

The Fallen Cherub

Ezekiel 28:14–16 (ESV)

14 You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked.

15 You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you.

16 In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

Satan despised sacred space and spat upon the face of holiness.

He wanted to be exalted.

Look how Satan is described in this passage of Ezekiel.

He’s described as a cherub. A guardian cherub.

The cherubim guarded the way to the divine presence as they did in Eden (Gen 3:24).

Outside the veil stood the golden lampstand—the menorah—which represented the tree of life (see Exod 25:31–40).

And who are found guarding the garden of eden after the fall of Adam and Eve? That’s right Cherub’s.

That makes a lot of sense how Satan had access to the garden in the first place.

He was most likely one of the cherubs assigned to preserve and protect sacred space in Eden.

The High Place

Psalm 68:16–18 ESV

16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, yes, where the Lord will dwell forever? 17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. 18 You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the Lord God may dwell there.

Talk about revival

Tell the light house story

Covenants

Covenant - Are agreements or enactments of a relationship.

The first covenant ever made between God and man is known as the Noahic covenant.

Guess where this transpired...

On top of a mountain.

The Ark Rested upon a mountain.

So prophetic!

Abrahamic covenant was also made on a mountain.

Genesis 22:2 (ESV)- He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

Where Does My Help Come From?

Psalm 121:1–2 ESV

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

This psalm seems to be intended to instill confidence in those making the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship.

The psalmist is indicating that some sort of danger comes from the hills, or could be referencing mountains and hills as places for hiding and protection.

in other words, the psalmist is indicating that his help does not come from where people usually expect it (the gods) but from Yahweh

(v. 2).whence will my help come

The psalmist seems to be looking to the hills so that he can consider whether they will be a source of help to him.

The Glory is for the Cave Dwellers NOT the Fire Seekers!

Elijah was at Mt. Horeb?

Do you remember the story at the entrance of the cave?

1 Kings 19:8 ESV

8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

Now lets skip down to verse 11.

1 Kings 19:11–13 ESV

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Break down this passage.

Explain the dangers of being a modern day sensationalists.

There is nothing wrong with the fire! But you can experience the fire without the glory.

The fire is a by-product or better yet a manifestation of God’s presence.

But it can also be confused as someone else’s anointing or gifting.

But it is not the glory!

Theres a weight of his glory!

Not just anyone can uphold it!

To Know You.

Hebrews 8:5–12 ESV

5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Take Me to the Mountain!