Mountainous Impact -- Safe from Wrath

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

A number of years ago while we were in Montana, I was meditating on the mountains as was a fairly frequent custom. We never had a church building per se during the ministry in Butte, as we met for 7 years in a hotel. But there was a time before we considered some property to purchase that we pondered the thought of building a church building that by any stretch of the imagination would have qualified as being "green" in today's lingo. Had the building ever been built, it would have consisted of longtime discarded junkyard tires, aluminum cans, mud and thatch. It would have been complete with solar panels for solar energy. Yes, I know that sounds quite strange, but it was a novel idea at the time. And, in theory anyway, it would have saved our poor little church a tidy sum of money.

But the whole idea was rejected before it ever began. Why? Well, we checked the building codes, and the structure would have never passed inspection. The reason was that Butte, Montana was considered a high risk for earthquakes. Had the building ever been built, it would have been quickly disposed of by even the smallest of earthquakes!

It was the thought of earthquakes that reminded me of the mountains. I am sure you are wondering why, so I will tell you why. Let us turn our thinking to the flood during Noah's days. The seventh chapter of Genesis informs us:

"And after the seven days the floodwaters came on the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month --- on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights." Genesis 7:10-12

This passage gives us two sources of the floodwaters: (1) the rains from heaven and (2) the springs of the great deep. Apparently, the springs of the great deep were opened in order to bring forth an enormous amount of water. This would require shifts in the tectonic plates resulting in great upheaval. In other words, this would closely assimilate what we call an earthquake. Only, this was all over the world! Presumably, this must have taken place on both land and sea. And the possibility exists that some mountains were formed as a result.

Genesis 7: 19 tells us something of how high the floods rose:

"They (the floodwaters) rose greatly on the earth, and all the high mountains under the entire heavens were covered."

When all was said and done, and the waters had receded, Noah and the Ark rested upon the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4). Ararat itself is over 17,000 feet high. That is almost 3,000 feet higher than any mountain in Colorado!

Now you are probably thinking: "This is interesting, but what does it have to do with looking at the mountains and realizing where my help is to come from?" So, I will ask you a question: "What does the universal flood represent? " Well, the fact is that it represents the very wrath of God upon a sinful world. And as a Christian, what is my relationship to God's wrath that surely will come again upon a sinful world? Read on dear friend:

"... They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead --- Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." I Thessalonians 1:10

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. " I Thessalonians 5:9

Glory to God! What a Savior! So, when I look to the mountains I am reminded of God's past wrath and that I am saved from the coming wrath! Hallelujah! The same God who in wrath completely covered the mountains of which I stand in awe is the same God who has saved me through Jesus Christ! Praise God! Think about it!