God's Lessons from the Mountains

By Sandra Harner

“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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798385000067

Sandra Harner

Sandra Harner is a Professor Emeritus of Professional Writing and Information Design at Cedarville University. She taught there from 1981 until 2017. She is a frequent speaker at women’s retreats and seminars and is also co-author of the textbook Technical Marketing Communication, as well as author of When God Says Remember and When in Doubt, Pray, a women’s devotional.She and her husband, Donald, live in Xenia, Ohio. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Book preview

GOD’S LESSONS

FROM THE

MOUNTAINS

SANDRA HARNER

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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

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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 1 Mount Ararat

Chapter 2 Mount Moriah

Chapter 3 Mount Horeb

Chapter 4 Mount Sinai

Chapter 5 Mount Nebo

Chapter 6 Mount Carmel

Chapter 7 Mount Tabor (Part I)

Chapter 8 Mount of Olives

Chapter 9 Mount Calvary

Chapter 10 Mount 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 semester?

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 ONE

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