The Mountain, a natural symbol

The mountain in the Old Testament The Bible introduces mountains in its literature as visiting places of God, already in Genesis in the time of Abraham. God had ordered him to sacrifice his son Isaac in the land of Moriah. On reaching there, Isaac had asked his father, "We have brought here the firewood needed but where is the goat to be sacrificed". Then Abraham had replied, "God will see to it". Just when he was about to slay his son in sacrifice, an angel halted him and pointed out a ram caught in a bush close to a mountain nearby. Abraham after taking the goat and sacrificing it in the place of his son, named the mountain, "Yahweh-yireh; hence people now say, 'On the mountain the LORD will see'" (Gen. 22:14). Mountains continued to play a role in the lives of the Semitic people ever since Abraham had his special experience of God's providence, as we have reported above. Next we see Jacob and Laban having an oath near a mountain and after that Jacob and his kinsmen slept in the mountain, "He then offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmen to share in the meal. When they had eaten, they passed the night on the mountain" (Gen. 31"54). Moses' most intense experience of God takes place at two important mountains, Horeb and Sinai, Horeb is called the mountain of God, in Exudos, "Meanwhile Moses was tending the flock of his father-in law Jethro, the priest of Midian. Leading the flock across the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God"(Ex.3:1) It was there that Moses hears the voice of God from the burning bush (Ex.3:4-15). Later during the journey through the desert,God commands Moses from Horeb to strike a rock to get a water, "I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink'. This Moses did, in the presence of the elders of Israel" (Ex. 17:6). Sinai is the most spectacular of all the mountains where Moses and the people of God and also received the Ten Commandments: "Mount Sinai was all wrapped in smoke, for the Lord came down upon it in fire. The smoke rose from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently"(Ex,19:18). "The glory of the Lord settled upon Mount Sinai. the cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud"(Ex.24:16). "When the Lord had finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai,he gave him the two tablets of the commandments, the stone tablets inscribed by God's own finger"(Ex.31:18). There were a series of spiritual events that took place on sacred mountains according to the bible. Elijah had challenged the prophets of Baal to assemble in Mount Carmel and bring down rain by the Power of the gods each one believed in:He told King Ahab, "Now summon all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, as well as the four hundred and fifty prophets of Asherah who eat st Jesebel's table" (Kings 18:19). After the contest and the slaying of the false prophets, Elijah went on his way and after receiving food from heaven on the way, he went to Mount Horeb, "He got up, and ate and drunk;then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the Mountain of God, Horeb" (1Kings 19:8). It was there he got a vision of God that gave him strength and a new commission, There are many more stories of prophets and kings who find God on mountains. This is in contrast to the Gentile nations seeking strength from their gods and goddesses on mountains and high places through idolatry and immoral practices. These practices are condemned by the prophets quite often. We have a classical one from Ezekiel who condemns Israel and its mountains for evil practices, "Mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus says the Lord GOD to the mountains and hills, the ravines and valleys: See, I am bringing a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places" (Ezek.6:3).