BibleProject | Heaven and Earth on the MountainSample

Divine Guidance From a Mountaintop

Today, we’ll ascend one of the Bible’s most frequently mentioned mountains, where we encounter mysterious fire, divine instruction, and God himself.

Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, are enslaved in Egypt and pleading for rescue. Hearing their cries (Exod. 2:23-25), God meets with an Israelite shepherd named Moses on Mount Horeb through a mysterious fire in a burning bush. “Return to Egypt,” God tells Moses, and with God’s help, Moses frees Israel (3:1-12).

God guides the Israelites back to Horeb, now called Mount Sinai, where he makes a covenant (or an agreement) with them. If they will live according to God’s instruction, he will bless them and bless the entire world through them (see Gen. 12:2-3). This is a big moment in the Bible—like Heaven and Earth meeting on a mountaintop, inviting people into a new way of freedom and life.

On the mountaintop, God gives ten commandments and other laws that show the Israelites how to reflect his loving and peace-making ways (Exod. 20-24).

Buy why? What’s the point?

The story suggests that God has a deep desire to be with his people, but they need to learn how to trust him and follow his instruction. And God also explains how to build the tabernacle (Exod. 25-31), a mobile tent in which he will dwell. Israel now has God with them wherever they go (40:34-38). It’s like a mobile mountaintop experience.

Still, even with the tabernacle, the people have much to learn on the journey back into a world where Heaven and Earth are one.

Reflection Questions:
How are the Israelites’ encounters with God at Mount Sinai and at the tabernacle similar to the humans’ experience of God in Eden? How are they different?

From the video, how would you describe the role of a priest? What might change in the world if human beings lived as royal priests toward one another and the land?