Mountains: Find Hope and Vision in God’s PresenceНамуна

Believing God Loves You, No Matter What

We left Adam and Eve’s story in our last lesson as they were exiting the Garden and climbing down the east side of Mount Eden. What began as a holy encounter with their Maker on Mount Eden ended with a journey away from his presence on a trail of uncertainty and fear.

Today we know the hope of Mount Eden was not lost, but Adam and Eve didn’t know that at the time. Their struggle, although very different from our own, is relatable. You and I know what it is to feel cast off and driven out of relationships, jobs, and—for some—a faith community. Living as exiles is lonely and frightening. Even now, you may be struggling with the inevitable feelings that follow being rejected––feeling unloved or unlovable.

Here’s the good news: Even when we’re living outside of Eden, we can enjoy God’s presence and his unfailing love. But how do we get to his presence when he feels far away or we feel rejected?

We don’t. He comes to us. And this is really good news. God is always moving toward his people––that’s his pattern. We will see God follow this pattern of continually drawing near as he appears to the Israelites at Mount Sinai, where Moses receives the Ten Commandments after God leads the Israelites out of Egypt through something the Bible calls “the Exodus.”

The Exodus story is about how God rescued the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh’s tyranny, parting the Red Sea and leading them into the wilderness to worship him freely. Although we usually focus on how God parted the waters of the Red Sea, the prophet Habakkuk retold the story to include God’s power over the mountains as well. In Habakkuk 3:6-10, the prophet borrowed from the Hebrew imagination and described the parting of the Red Sea as mountains being shattered and withered and hills sinking low to make way for the torrent of water sweeping over a newly created pathway to freedom.

Make no mistake: God has power over all the mountains in our lives. And if he has to, he will level the peaks we can’t climb (Isaiah 40:3-4).

At Sinai, God brings his newly rescued people back into his presence. He establishes a covenant relationship between himself and his chosen people, giving them a “Sinai-given vocation,” as William Dumbrell puts it. They’re going to be set apart to bless everyone.

The parameters and restrictions God institutes at Sinai are both scary and grace-filled. Scary because God was serious about his holiness and being obeyed. Grace-filled because the pathway back to God’s presence was being partially restored.

May we receive the Mount Sinai story with some balance, equal parts conviction and encouragement. God’s laws are not yet perfected in our lives—but he is making a way. He is moving to change us with the same power he used to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and up close to him on Mount Sinai.

Prayer: God, thank you that you love me no matter what. Help me to trust that truth at all times. May my confidence in your love for me grow every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.