Sunday School Lesson Outlines

God's Love For Mountains

Isaiah 49:11 "And I will make all My mountains a road, And My highways will be raised up." NASB

There are over 26 mountains mentioned by name in the Bible (not to mention the un-named ones)

• Mountains of Aberim
  Deuteronomy 32:49
  
  
• Mount Ararat
  Genesis 8:4
  
  
• Mountains of Bashan
  Psalms 68:15
  
  
• Mount Calvary
  Luke 23:33
  
  
• Mount Carmel
  1 Kings 18:19, 2 Kings 2:25
  
  
• Mount Hor
  Numbers 20:23, 20:27
  
  
• Mount Horeb
  Exodus 33:6
  
  
• Mount Moriah
  2 Chronicles 3:1
  
  
• Mount of Olives
  2 Samuel 15:30, Zechariah 14:4, Matthew 24:3, Matthew 26:30, Mark 11:1, Luke 22:39-41, Acts 1:12
  
  
• Mount Olivet
  Acts 1:12
  
  
• Mount of Seir
  Genesis 14:6, Deuteronomy 1:2
  
  
• Mount Shepher
  
  
  
• Mount Sinai
  Exodus 34:2, 34:29, Numbers 3:1
  
  
• Mount Zion
  2 Samuel 5:7, 1 Chronicles 11:5, Psalms 78:68
  
  
• and many more

There are different reasons for mountains to be mentioned so often in the Bible. They have a peculiar place in God's plan. The mountains are some how special to God in a unique fashion!

Mountains are a special place of communication with God!

Psalms 24:1-4 "The earth is the Lord's and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it. For He has founded it upon the seas,s And established it upon the rivers. Who may ascend into the hill of hte Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has now sworn deceitfully." NASB

He is in the valleys and rivers as well as the mountains, but if you take note as you read your devotions, you will discover God has placed mountains in a specific relationship with Himself. You won't find where God says my valleys or my rivers, but He does say My Mountains!

It's not hard to imagine why he chose the mountains for Himself, with the majestic peaks reaching to the sky. He has given man the valleys and the fields, but he reserved the mountains for Himself. We can climb, visit, and enjoy their splendor and peace, but we can't really live on them.

• Moses met with God and God told him to warn the people not to come up the mountain.

Exodus 19:20 "And the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up." NASB

• This tells us this is where Jesus ascended into Heaven to be at the the right hand of His Majesty and he promised to return for us.

Acts 1:10-12 "And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He [Jesus] was departing, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and they said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taking up from you into Heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into Heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away." NASB

Mountains speak of great power.

In the Old Testament - Isaiah especially - the prophets would point to the mountains to declare the power of God. They told people what God could do with mountains.

Isaiah 40:12 "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains ina baance, ,And the hills in a pair of scales?" NASB

Isaiah 64:1-2 "Oh, that Thou wouldst rend the Heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Thy presence - As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil - To make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Thy presence!" NASB

Jeremiah mentions the mountains trembled.

Jeremiah 4:24 "I looked on the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, And all the hills moved to and fro." NASB

Jesus spoke of these coming times while cautioning all who heard Him of the judgement to come:

Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell." NASB

The Bible mentions God can take mountains and cast them into the sea.

Revelation 6:15-17 "And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?'" NASB

Jesus Himself spoke of this during His earthly ministry:

Luke 23:30 "Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.'" NASB

Mountains are a way to be shut in with the Father and Jesus.

When Jesus was in the flesh and wanted to take the disciples away from people, earthly thoughts, etc., and give them a revelation of Himself, where did He take them? To a mountain top! This is where He was transfigured before their very eyes.

Matthew 17:2-3 "And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him." NASB

Some experiences did not belong in the valley places but rather in a place where they could be shut in with the presence of God Himself. Here on the mountain top there are no distractions.

Peter remembered this Holy experience years later.

2 Peter 1:17-18 "For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased' and we ourselves heard this utterance made from Heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain." NASB

An ordinary mountain became a holy mountain because the Lord was transfigured there.

Mountains in the Bible are the place of special revelations and new discoveries.

There are a lot of scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments abound Mountains. Jesus and God had a special fondness for them. Any time Jesus needed to feel alone with the Father and above all the confusion and crowd, etc. He went to the mountains.

We can go to an alter - or kneel by our bed - but I'm sure there is nothing more awesome than the feeling of hiking up a mountain to get close to God and hear nothing but His still quiet voice.

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