Part 20

Finally, as we end our present study on the vast superiority of King Jesus, we now find Paul’s instruction about the superior encounter Jesus furnishes and creates. Paul explains this by contrasting two famous mountains found in Scripture, Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. He likens these mounts to a contrast of spiritual experience. He shows Zion to bear the sweetest of experiential fruit, while Sinai blooms nothing but waste. Our Lord is so superior because He promises a superior encounter with Himself! We can know a far-richer climb through life, far different than the sort seen upon Sinai.

First and foremost, let us prove what mountains represent: What can they typify and symbolize throughout the Bible? And what part does a mountain’s name play? The answer is quite plain: We find both general symbolism as well as specific.

In a general sense, mountains most-often reference varied aspects of God’s nature, such as His total supremacy and steadfastness (Ps. 97:5; 18:7; 125:2; 11:1; 90:2; Isa. 54:10). This is communicated as a mountain’s natural and earthly features are viewed poetically: Like God, mountains are firm and un-moving; they are constant and unchanged.

Certain mountains may also possess more specific symbolism. The two mountains under our present consideration, Zion and Sinai, prove to be fitting examples of this fact, as these mountains in particular are symbolized a bit further throughout Scripture, and even used by Paul allegorically. In following their unique, thematic threads, we find that they both symbolize man’s personal experience with God, be it a positive experience or a negative one. They’re likened to the place of divine encounter, and of the location of divine testing and judgment. They serve as figures of two conflicting ascents toward the same holy God, and two different sorts of spiritual climb. According to which of the two mountains are named, and what contextual events took place thereupon, we’re directed toward various details of this differing experience, climb, and encounter. One mount is deemed lesser and the other deemed better: One is found fruitless and the other found fruitful. Let’s start with Mount Sinai.

Mount Sinai, also called Mount Horeb, is the place where God required holiness from His people, having given them His laws and establishing covenant with them as His own possession (Exod. 19:10-15; 20:1-17; 24:12; 31:18; Neh. 9:13-14). This mount is entirely earthly: It may “be touched” by mere physical hands, and it burns with mere natural fire (Heb. 12:18). The divine voice spoken from Mt. Sinai was reckoned dreadful by God’s people, so much so in fact, that they required Moses as their mediator (Heb. 12:19; Deut. 5:24-27). Approach unto God was limited and veiled for fear of certain death (Heb. 12:20; Exod. 19:21); even Moses feared and quaked (Heb. 12:21). Sinai is likened to a place of desolation and “wilderness” (Deut. 1:19; Num. 10:12).A place of which the people were very fearful: they had no desire to draw near to their Maker (Exod. 20:18)!

Paul describes man’s relational climb and ascent of this lesser mount as one “unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest” (Heb. 12:18). It represents carnal fear of divine revelation, and thereby the place where God remains veiled and concealed. It is the mount upon which but a chosen few can find God and scarcely get to know Him, and even they end up more-so likened to legalistic bondage than true Godly intimacy (Gal. 4:24-31). The result of a trek up this mount will be one of barren fruit, and we find all those “beneath the mount” to be given to sin and idolatry (Exod. 32:19). It is the place of corporately veiled and aborted glory (Exod. 34:29-35)! What a barren existence Sinai has come to represent!

The Bible’s description of Mount Zion is quite different! Paul uses this contrast to teach of the fruits that are born from a life well-marched upon God’s better mount. It points us toward quite the opposite of spiritual experiences – the better sort that only Jesus can furnish and create. Mount Zion is not one so readily “touched” (Heb. 12:18-22). It tells of a spiritual journey, not a mere natural, and it burns with the spiritual fire of God’s glory (Isa. 4:5; Heb. 12:29). It is the place of sweet spiritual communion, and it’s a people with God “in the midst” (Isa. 12:6). Yes, we serve One whose “fire is in Zion” (Isa. 31:9), and it is “devouring” and “everlasting” (Isa. 33:14). Mount Zion is called God’s eternal city, even the “heavenly Jerusalem” (Heb. 12:22). It is the antitype of glory that Sinai’s veiled shadow only pointed to (Gal. 4:23-26; Heb. 11:16). Zion is “founded” by God Himself (Isa. 14:32). The Bible calls it “the perfection of beauty” (Ps. 50:2). It is the place of God’s rest and habitation (Ps. 132:13-17), a mountain full of ministering angels (Heb. 12:22), and the most-fruitful and most-glorious of sanctuaries from which help and strength can be sent (Ps. 20:2). As such, Zion is the mount from whence the enemy always scatters (Ps. 68:1). It is defended by God Himself (Isa. 37:34-35)!

Paul declared Zion to be a mount of great freedom, great liberty, and much permission to approach God in His glory (Eph. 3:12). It shows us boldness in place of rejection, and confidence instead of shame. It is a superior reality, a life of rich glory instead of empty and unprofitable law. There is no fear of death on Zion because the shed blood of Jesus cries out for “better things than that of Abel”, even mercy in place vengeance (Heb. 12:24; Gen. 4:10).

Finally, Mount Zion also pertains to the firstborn blessing and birthright (Heb. 12:23), and it tells of that rich realm of glory where such a birthright will be imparted and inherited. This identity is quite the opposite of the desolation likened to Mount Sinai (Num. 10:12; 33:15; Deut. 1:19). Paul’s letter to the Hebrews likened Sinai’s wilderness to that which births men more-so like Esau than Jacob (Gen. 27:41; Rom. 9:13; Heb. 12:16-17). These are men with unchecked idolatry and excess carnal appetite (Exod. 32:8; 16:8). Esau forfeited his entire inheritance and was thereby rejected and refused. All this needless waste was due to him despising his inheritance, him choosing flesh over spirit, wilderness over glory, and Sinai over Zion. Only Mount Zion turns boys into men and orphans into sons (Jn. 1:12; Gal. 5:16; 6:8; 1 Pet. 1:22).

What will our response consist of? Which mountain will we choose to climb? The encounter Jesus creates for us is radically best!