landed the ark and
viewed the rainbow,
represents God's faith-
ful promise.
in sacrifice, his faithful-
ness was rewarded with
both the promise of God
and his beloved son at
his side. Mount Moriah
is the mount of faith.
below, Moses climbed
the side of Mount Sinai,
where he met face to
face with God. When he
returned he had in his
hands the tablets con-
taining the Law of God.
Mount Sinai is the
mount of obedience.
the host of Israel and
the apostate King Ahab,
Elijah challenged the
priests of Baal to prove
both their devotion to the
false god as well as the
boasted power that god
claimed to have. Their
defeat was absolute. Eli-
jah then worked alone to
rebuild the abandoned
altar of God, standing
in faith as the fire from
heaven consumed the
waiting sacrifice. Mount
Carmel is the mount of
victory.
the heavens convulsed and the earth
shook as the eternal Son of God was dy-
ing. Riveted to the cross while mocking
crowds gathered to watch Him die. In
addition to extreme physical suffering
He endured humiliation and shame. But
Mount Calvary has come to stand not
for disgrace but for His grace.
surged from his soul. "I lift up my eyes
to the mountains--where does my help
come from? My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth" (Psalm
121:1,2). The nations surrounding tiny
Israel worshipped a host of gods whose
religion was marked by strange rituals
laced with superstition. They believed
that the gods were born and inhabited
the mountains such as Greece's Mount
Olympus. But the Psalmist testifies that
the hills are neither divine or the habitat
of the gods. The Creator of those moun-
tains is the only one who lives and rules
over all.
let your foot slip--He who watches over
you will not slumber; indeed, He who
watches over Israel will neither slumber
nor sleep. The Lord watches over you..."
(vs. 3-5a). Think of a father helping his
child cross a creek full of slippery rocks.
Not content to trust the child's skill
alone or to advise him how to negotiate
the stream, the father holds her hand.
And when she starts to fall, instead of
splashing down in the water she finds
the strength of her father keeping her
up. Child of God, no matter how treach-
erous the path is that you tread, the Fa-
ther will hold you up with the strength
of His almighty hand.
us. As a mother never tires of seeing her
child, our Father regards His child with
eyes that are refreshed with the sight of
the one He loves. Because this last point
"The Lord watches over you." There is a
silent sentry whose eyes do not dim nor
do they become heavy. In the darkest
night there is safety.
blazing sun as well. "The Lord is your
shade at your right hand; the sun will
not harm you by day, nor the moon by
night" (vs. 5b, 6). When the sun is blister-
ing, what is more welcome than a shady
place? When the believer finds that con-
ditions are so difficult that the slightest
movement is a battle, the Lord provides
a reprieve. But there is another thought
as well.
Hell's Demons
from both the sun during the day and the
moon at night. Again, both the Jews and
others believed that the world was full of
demons who sought to attack at any mo-
ment but particularly when the person
was asleep. The heathens believed that
the demons did so at the bidding of the
gods, whose intentions toward humans
were as often punitive as they were pro-
tective. But the believer in the one true
God need not fear these unseen powers of
darkness. In his sleeping or waking hours,
God protects His child. Those who are in-
dwelt by the Holy Spirit have no fear of
being possessed by demons though Hell
itself mount an offensive against him.
will watch over your life; the Lord will
watch over your coming and going both
now and forevermore" (vs.7,8). God will
guard His child even when that person is
off guard. If he stays in one place, God is
with him. If he could get in a rocket ship
and travel the beams of light to the other
side of the unknown universe, he would
find that God awaits him there. There is
no end, there is no limit, there is no
boundary to God's care for His child.