God's Lessons from the Mountains

Sandra Harner

Description

Observe some important mountains in the Bible and learn the lessons God has for you from these experiences so that you may grow in your Christian walk.

“As much as we love life’s mountain peaks, we can’t stay there. Life is lived in the plains and valleys, with the rub and hubbub of other folks” (Michael Wittmer, Foreword). This book will take you to some of the most important mountain peaks in God’s Word, explain what happened there, and then give you life lessons you can learn from that mountain. God did not tell us these mountain top stories just to entertain us or to explain the experience on the mountain. He told us these stories so that we might learn from them. God’s Lessons from the Mountains will teach you how to engage as a deeper student of the Bible, and grow in your Christian walk.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Calvary
• Mount of Olives
• Mount Carmel

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 12 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798385000067
• Langue: English

Extrait

GOD’S LESSONS FROM THE MOUNTAINS
 
 
 
 
SANDRA HARNER
 
 
 
 
 
 
Copyright © 2023 Sandra Harner.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked RSV are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.
 
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
 
Scripture quotations marked JB are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright 1966,1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd and Doubleday and Co. Inc, and used by permission of the publishers.
 
 
ISBN: 979-8-3850-0005-0 (sc)
ISBN: 979-8-3850-0006-7 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023910278
 
WestBow Press rev. date:    06/09/2023
DEDICATION
To my husband, Donald Harner, who has loved me and permitted me to be the person I am. Without his support, I never would have made it for 36 years as a professor at Cedarville University and author of four books. Many times dinner was not ready, dishes undone, laundry neglected, and household duties forgotten as I’ve graded papers or sat at my computer. Since 1964, we have lived those vows spoken so many years ago: for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death do us part. I’m so thankful that God has given us these amazing years. I look forward to the future with him.
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1Mount Ararat
Chapter 2Mount Moriah
Chapter 3Mount Horeb
Chapter 4Mount Sinai
Chapter 5Mount Nebo
Chapter 6Mount Carmel
Chapter 7Mount Tabor (Part I)
Chapter 8Mount of Olives
Chapter 9Mount Calvary
Chapter 10Mount Tabor (Part II)
FOREWORD
I’ve taken many formative college and graduate courses on the way to a PhD in theology, but one class has marked my life more than the rest. I used a college elective on Sandra Harner’s writing class, “Style and Mechanics,” and my life has never been the same. Whether writing or speaking, I apply the methods learned in that class in every sentence. Including this one. And I’ve passed the lessons on to my students. They think I’m joking when I tell them I’m about to share some communication wisdom that will change their lives, but by the second class they are offering testimonials. Why has no one taught me this before? How did I get through college without knowing this? Can I rewrite my papers from last seme ster?
I thank God for Sandra Harner and the textbook she used— Style, by Joseph Williams (look for the one with the yellow cover)—and I’m honored to write the foreword for her new book. My life has come full circle. Like Moses on Mount Nebo, I can die in peace.
Sandra covers this and nine other mountain stories from the Bible in this clear and direct book. Sandra’s favorite preacher is Warren Wiersbe, and I see his influence in these pages. First, this book is deeply biblical. It doesn’t merely gesture toward Scripture. It tells the Bible’s stories and stays out of the way. Scripture carries the freight. Second, this book runs to Jesus. The point of every story, even those in the Old Testament, is to rest in Jesus and the hope he alone offers. Third, each chapter ends with application—lessons from the story—as Pastor Wiersbe would do. And like him, the lessons challenge with a heart of compassion. You can tell Sandi respects her audience. She cares about you.
The ten lessons in this book would make an excellent choice for small group study, read alongside the biblical stories. Or simply read it by yourself. As much as we love life’s mountain peaks, we can’t stay there. Life is lived in the plains and valleys, with the rub and hubbub of other folks. The lessons learned here will help you follow Jesus there. Thank you, Sandra, for this gift to the church. You’re still teaching me!
Michael Wittmer
Professor of Systemic Theology
Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
Cornerstone University
Author of 12 books
INTRODUCTION God’s Lessons from the Mountains
I have always been fascinated with the mountains in Scripture. So many things happened on a mountain, and as I studied them, I realized they each had a message for us. Unfortunately, Scripture does not name some of these mountains, so I have relied on many biblical scholars who have studied the biblical accounts and the geography of the area and have determined the names of many of the mountains.
In this book, you will read about the following mountains:
• Mount Ararat, where Noah’s ark came to rest;
• Mount Moriah, where Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac;
• Mount Sinai, where God gave Moses the law;
• Mount Nebo, where God showed Moses the promised land, and there he died;
• Mount Carmel, where Elijah challenged Ahab and all the worshippers of Baal;
• Mount Tabor, where Peter, James, and John witnessed Christ’s transfiguration;
• Mount of Olives, where Christ prayed, was betrayed and arrested;
• Mount Calvary, where Christ died on the cross for our sins;
• Mount Tabor (again), where Christ gave his disciples the Great Commission.
I pray you will read the lessons learned from these mountains, ask the Lord to help you live out these lessons, and grow closer to Christ, our Lord.
Sandra Harner
CHAPTER ON E Mount Ararat
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“. . . in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:6).
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An ark on top of a mountain! A mountain that is 16,854 ft high. How could an ark come to rest on top of a mountain? But that’s not the only amazing part of this story. God tells a man to build an ark—a big one—because a flood is coming. How can a flood come when it has never rained? Well, let’s start at the beginning of the story.
This was a sad day in the history of man. Wickedness was rampant in the people who populated the earth. And God saw that wickedness, and he “regretted that he had made man on the earth” (Genesis 6:6). In fact, God was grieved to his very heart—so grieved that he decided to destroy all of his creation on the face of the earth—man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. And that’s where the ark comes in.
One man—Noah— “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8)). Noah was a very special man, one who had kept himself apart from the wickedness that was going on around him. The Bible says that he was a righteous man. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers” (Psalm 1:1). Noah did not walk with or listen to the wicked people all around him. He set himself apart from all the evil that was going on in his culture. And God noticed that. Although God planned to destroy all of his creation, he chose to spare the life of this righteous man Noah and his family.
An often-quoted Bible verse is found in Galatians 3:11: “The righteous shall live by faith.” I’ve often thought that means if you are righteous, your life will be characterized by faith. And while I’m sure that is true, some Bible scholars have translated that verse as follows: “The one who by faith is righteous shall live.” That seems to give a different slant to that verse. Noah—who by faith was righteous—shall live, even though God determined that the rest of his creation would die.
God gave Noah instructions to build a huge ark; he told him the size, shape, materials to use, and anything else that Noah