A MOUNTAIN TOP EXPERIENCE, MT SINAI PART TWO...

Moses stands out as a biblical hero for many reasons:

• He is the first baby to be adopted that we read about in the Bible
• He was raised as an Egyptian prince while being a Hebrew slave
• He ends up killing someone 
• Then God talks to him though a burning bush
• He goes back to Egypt and turns water into blood, a staff into a snake amongst other things
• Then he leads God’s people out of Egypt where he parts the red sea
• Finally as things start to settle down God calls him to Mt Sinai where he receives the ten commandments from God

Neither Megan’s summit or my attempted summit would be rated as significant in biblical proportions but there are a few scriptures which we can relate to especially in Moses’ battle to be obedient to God. Firstly, when God told Moses to climb Mt Sinai, Moses gave a little attitude…I have a feeling that Moses took a look at that impressive mountain and in that moment doubted his abilities and doubted the plan that God had set out.

I took one look at that impressive mountain and not only did I doubt my ability to climb but I seriously doubted that this was what God wanted for me….all I saw was hours and hours of pain and suffering before me.  And yes, it was tough (and I only climbed part of the way) and it was painful but I kept on hearing a song going through my mind which filled me with courage:

The Mountain Song

O Lord, I need a mountain to climb on,
Just a quiet place to go and know You’re there.
O Lord, I need to spend some time with You,
Spend the night with You, dear Lord, in prayer.

Chorus:
And the greatest friend you’ll ever find
Is on a lonely mountain.
And the highest high you’ll ever feel
Is when you kneel to pray.
And the brightest light you’ll ever see
Is when you close your eyes,
O Lord, You are my first love,
At last I realize.

O Lord, I thought the day would never dawn,
When I’d lay my burdens down and walk with You,
But this morning as I met the rising sun,
I felt, dear Lord, my dreams had all come true.

It is this song that had me face that mountain and start putting one foot in front of the other.  In the end I did not have my mountain top experience but I did have an amazing experience watching the sun rise over the mountains.

It was cold and it was so dark I could not see my hand in front of my face.  Our driver and guide were still sleeping as I quietly left the van and made my way up to the first pit stop. I found a rock and tried to get comfortable.  I looked up and saw in the distance the start of a slip of light creeping over the horizon. 

As the minutes ticked on I started to pray with my gaze firmly on the incredible sight before me. As the sky changed from darkness to light, as the sun started to make its presence known with shades of orange I felt my prayers lift from heart escape through my lips and sour up towards the heavens. For that moment as I sat in wonder of God’s creation of a new day I felt the first stirrings of peace, I felt the tingle of joy and the comfort of love that comes only from the Creator of heaven and earth. Right there on that rock with my butt freezing I could say with a pure heart that “it is well with my soul”.

And be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. Exodus 19:11 NIV

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently. Exodus 19: 18 NIV

The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up. Exodus 19:20 NIV

Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, 'Put limits around the mountain and set it apart as holy.' "Exodus 19:23 NIV

And the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. Exodus 24:16 NIV

Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain. Exodus 34:2 NIV

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. Exodus 34:29 NIV

Megan and I may not have seen the face of God and Meg did not return to the base of the mountain glowing with radiance but both of us were filled with joy over the very different experiences we had on that mountain.  I know that one day I will go back and this time I will summit and have my mountain top experience.  But, for now I am blessed to have been able to feed my spirit as the sun rose over Moses Mountain…

Steps of  Repentance