“For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place” (Psalm 132:13)
In ancient times mountains were thought of as being places where the gods lived. Mount Olympus was the home of Zeus. Mount Zaphon, according to Ugaritic texts, was seen as the home of Baal. As a rule, these sacred mountains were tall, majestic peaks that were visually impressive and for the most part inaccessible to common man.
God also had an impressive mountain. It was called Mount Sinai. Sinai is where He personally met with Israel and talked face to face with Moses. All of the Bible’s references to this mountain are in conjunction with the giving of the law.
But God had another mountain that wasn’t as visually impressive, but all the more special. It was called Mount Zion. It was neither remote nor particularly grand. It was only about 2500 feet above sea level. More of a knoll than a mountain, yet the Psalmist describes Zion this way:
“Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” (Psalm 48:2)
Mount Zion does not dominate Jerusalem in the same way Olympus overshadows Greece. It is also important to note that unlike the other mountains, Zion has had a large population of people living on it and around it. There is none of the remoteness or mystery typically associated with the mountains of the gods. Unlike the gods of this world, the God of Israel does not wish to dominate over His people from above. Instead, it is His desire to be with His people,
“And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.” (Exodus 25:8)
John tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). However, God didn’t want to just “dwell with” His people. His greatest desire is to “dwell in” His people,
“In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:22)“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you” (1 Cor 6:19)
Mt. Zion is a non-impressive hilly area in a populated area because God wishes to spend time with us, to help us, to love us, to comfort us, to support us, and to have a personal relationship with us! He is a God of people!
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