Half way up the Mountain
By Paul Speich

I don't like going to the dentist, even when it is just for the annual check up. It's always a nervous experience for me and I find it a welcome relief when finally the dentist calls my name. If anything I've realized the hardest part seems to be the waiting, to have your named called while in nervous anticipation. It reminded me of the Tom Petty song, which went "The waiting is the hardest part".

It's with this idea in mind that I was sharing with my friend and the founder of Sound the Trumpet Ministries, Ron Campbell, that God had shown me a principle regarding Gods dealings in our lives and this involved the story of Moses and Joshua up the mountain of God. I have decided to expand on this illustration to a more full and rounded teaching.

I have included sub notes for those who may wish to look at the subject in more depth.

Exodus 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

Exodus 24:13 So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

What part does experience and waiting play in Gods dealings in our lives and our training as Christians and more importantly as Ministers of the Gospel? In Exodus chapters 24-32 we find Moses called up to Mount Sinai so God can issue him with the 10 Commandments. Moses is mentoring Joshua and the two ascend the mountain. Moses leaves his brother Aaron back at base camp with the tribes of Israel with clear instructions to look after the Israelites while he and Joshua are away for the forty days up the mountain. Forty in the Bible indicates trial, testing and proving. Before Moses moves up to the highest point on the mountain and into the presence of God he leaves Joshua some way (1) up the mountain. When God originally gave me this picture the three distinct divisions struck me -

Moses - at the top of the mountain

Joshua - some way up the mountain.

Aaron - at the bottom of the mountain.

1.Moses - At the top of the mountain

Its all seems so easy when you're at the top of the mountain in the presence of God. Great worship, great Word, great Fellowship and wonderful meetings. Incredible experiences come our way and we thank God for them. Sometimes we are in these wonderful blessings in the Christian Church. I have been blessed to be able to lead worship times of up to two hours at a stretch. I have been part of 12 hour prayer and intercession marathons - these were all wonderful, wonderful times, and they do without a doubt establish bench marks in your Christian life. I wish for more of them - but what I discovered as a young Christian is the Sugar-high Insulin-Low syndrome where your 'Christian bubble' could burst at any time. Sometimes one receives bad news, an argument breaks out in the family, or an accident occurs - the myriad of things that can go wrong in life, and in an instant the feelings, the attitudes, the residue of the goodness of Gods kingdom seem to vaporize. I am not advocating that in hard times and when things go wrong that we as believers are expected to walk around in some utopian state of ecstasy with a permanent smile on our face. The Bible is a history of the most wonderful men and women of God who had the full gamut of human emotions and experiences from joys to sorrows. While we know God has provided the human personality with the mechanisms of emotions to cope with, express and respond to life and everything that it hurls at us, through all this, are we shaken or shaped in our faith? God has provided emotions such as the outlet of anger (but not to hate); God has provided sorrow and tears (but not unforgiveness). He has provided all the other emotions necessary to cope with life, but through all the trials and tribulations, the ups and downs, still, to hold firmly onto our Faith in God. I am talking about consistency of character. I believe even the world today is looking for consistency of character in the Church. Consistency of character in our ministries and ministers, not up and down, or influenced by a turbulent world, but constant - with a face like flint in the assurance of God and His promises. When I read of the tremendous suffering of the Saints in scripture I see a pattern arising. What dynamic had happened in Paul's life to make this statement?

Philippians 4:12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

The beatings, the betrayals, the hardships and to think these letters are not written from a five star hotel but from jail. Yes, you and I can worship at the top of the mountain, but can I still worship in the prisons of life? Now that is the training ground for the real worshipper.

Oh yes the Devil can't steal your salvation but he sure can do a lot to steal your celebration.

What does scripture show us of God's dealings in the lives of His followers? After 40 days Moses is in the very presence of God up the mountain. Aaron is at the bottom of the mountain and worshipping a golden calf. I am not for a moment equating the presence or experience of God with the world but the common denominator between these two men is that neither Moses nor Aaron were permitted into the Promised Land - see Numbers 20:12-13. Was it Moses impatience that he strikes the rock twice instead of speaking to the rock? I realize there is huge symbolism in the rock and rod etc. but I want to focus on Moses' misconduct. The journey from Egypt to the Promised Land should have taken 2 maybe 3 weeks at the most - but forty years later - there's that number 40 again - trial, test, prove. Do you and I sometimes feel we are going round the mountain again? While all sorts of wonderful experiences will come our way, what will stand the test of time is those who endure to the end. Moses and Aaron at the top and at the bottom had something in common - experience- but does experience bring you to believe?

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

It is with your heart that you believe, not the brain, the eyes, nor ears; the heart is the instrument of belief, of choice and of faith.

1 Samuel 16:7 says God does not see like a man sees but the Lord looks at the heart.

That is where the deposit is and that is where the treasure of a man is - is it frail or rich, is it full of earth and dust or the deposit of Gods Kingdom promises? Joseph is a remarkable example of a man of faith, a man who believed.

Genesis 37 - Joseph has prophetic dreams in verses 7 and 9 but look at what happens to him. Joseph is betrayed by his brothers, carted off to Egypt, betrayed by Potiphar's wife - thrown into jail, and forgotten in jail for two years! He is given two dreams for the chief butler and chief baker, but even the chief butler forgot to remember him. What happens to the deposit in the bank of your and my heart? Look again at Joseph:

Psalm 108:19 Until the time that his word came: the word of the Lord tried him (2).

Commentaries speak of the Word fusing with Joseph's soul. Here the question central to every Christian's development is this: what do you do when you wait? In English the word waiting tends to conjure up images of boredom and frustration for me, but in the Biblical context waiting is a pro-active word. It is that time when without the excitement, the stimulus, and the interest in either the spiritual sense (up the mountain) or in the fleshly sense (bottom of the mountain) that the true man or woman of God stands, resolute and fixed. David in the caves, Joseph in the jail, Prophets wandered alone, Prophets carted off into captivity into a foreign lands - heathen lands at that. When there is no evidence to believe, you find yourself in the schoolroom of Faith someway up the mountain - in the place of Joshua.

2.Joshua - some way up the mountain.

Joshua ends up somewhere up the mountain - half way between two extremes - not down in the world and not up in the Presence of God. What Joshua was up to we are not told and since we cannot add to scripture we have to look at the type of man he was to gain clues as to what the process of God's dealings with this man had produced. Let me mention again that neither Moses nor Aaron went over to the Promised Land but Joshua did.

Habakkuk 3:17+18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither [shall] fruit [be] in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and [there shall be] no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

These two scriptures (among many) show a dynamic that has taken place in the true believer - the waiting - what happens when the Lord doesn't show up? Do you think or even feel sometimes that the Lord Himself tarries?

John 11:6 When Jesus had heard therefore that Lazarus was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.

Jesus hears the news of Lazarus's illness unto death, instead of rushing off to heal Lazarus Jesus tarries 2 more days - until Lazarus is well and truly dead. What happens in your and my hearts when the Lord does not show up? Perhaps something has to die before it can be resurrected. Half way up the mountain the flesh isn't satisfied and the Lord still tarries.

James 1:3 Knowing [this], that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 1:4 But let patience have [her] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

We have a need based, consumer based society and it has come into the church gimmie, gimmie, gimmie- bless me, bless me, bless me - as a young Christian my 'time with the Lord' was just a shopping list.

Psalms 37:7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. Remember

1 Tim 6:6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

After 40 days the people of Israel could not wait for Moses and Joshua to come down from the mountain but demanded to worship other gods - their need had become their god.

Exodus 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.

And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

This is for me Joshua's defining verse - he departed not out of the tabernacle (tent). This tells me of a dynamic that has taken place in his life - desire. Has Gods work become a duty to you? Has His service become a burden? Let me tell you now when you find His burden has become heavy then you have religion - I have to do this, I have to do that or else this happens and that happens, I must do this and that etc. etc.

Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all [ye] that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

Do we think we can start in the Spirit and end up in the flesh? No, the flesh cannot, cannot carry the Kingdom. So what do we do if we find ourselves in this position? I have had to do this when I find His burden is no longer light but too heavy - You and I have to repent.

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. (3)

The enemy wants us busy in service - meetings, meetings, meetings, but something is established in us only half way up the mountain. Look and see when Joshua gets the chance, back at the base of the mountain amongst the tribes of Israel, he seeks the presence of the Lord in the tent of meeting. Regardless of what may come, desire for God and His Kingdom had been placed deep into Joshua's heart.

3.Aaron - at the bottom of the mountain.

Aaron (and Hur) represents modern society - instant gratification. I want it and I want it now! All three parties had 40 days to deal with - we all have an allotted time.

Chapter 31:1 highlights the people of Israel saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain so they implore Aaron and Hur to make gods for them. They are now at that stage where they are going to worship anything, anything at all. Religion is born here from prayer wheels to crosses, festivals where they dance round images and lights or cut themselves with knives to draw blood; it's all the same - religion.

Now there is a very important lesson here. I have read numerous commentaries on the significance of the gold, the significance of the calf (actually a bullock) whether it was an Egyptian god or a Chaldean god - maybe an Assyrian god etc. etc. - but I believe it is a lot simpler than that. The calf simply represents the basis for all religions, all gods, and all ritual whether heathen or pagan - the calf represents the evilest god of them all - the god of convenience. The shape of the calf is irrelevant, I have seen Hindus in California worshipping concrete traffic bollards at a Council dump - these people wanted a god in their own image (where we get our word imagination). Man shapes all religion into a convenient god. Why is it that the Jewish people who studied the Old Testament did not recognize the Messiah when He first came? Because they could understand a King coming to overcome the conquering Romans, they could understand a Lion coming to deliver them out of captivity but never could they accept the servant Lamb. Jesus is coming back again this time as a King and a Lion, but He is not subject to our desires, our petty whims or prejudices. He is Lord and comes on His own terms. Will we be ready? Will we tarry? Will we recognize Him or be blinded by our own urgent needs?

Will there be faith when he comes? In the original Biblical languages there is no distinction between faith and faithfulness, these are distinctions we put in the English. Faith and Faithfulness are the same thing from different angles. Whenever you read the word faith - think of faithfulness, endurance, and assurance - all of them apply. Could you not watch and pray with me for one hour?

Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Conclusion:

When The Lord returns will he find my heart at that place somewhere up the mountain - constant always in or out of season, setting my face like flint toward the mark of the high calling in God? I do wish for great meetings and glorious times of anointed worship and anointed ministry but, if I feel nothing, if there are no goose bumps, no top of the mountain experiences, nevertheless I will still believe. Not in the roaring wind or in the earthquake but I must draw aside and cultivate a place in my life, in my heart for the dwelling of His presence. Sometimes (and I learned this the hard way) God will force these times of desert and half way places onto us. Do not despair. Understand. Understand this is the time to grasp His dealings; you have to be very still and quiet to hear the still small voice. Yes, the closer you get to God - the quieter He becomes.

Notes:

(1) Looking at scripture Exodus 24:15, 24:18, 25:1, 30:11, 30:22 God only addresses Moses at the top of the mountain. Joshua is mentioned at the start of the ascent Ex 24:13 but only mentioned again coming down Ex 32:17 when Moses is told to return to the camp of Israel who have fallen into sin. Most, if not all Bible historians believe Joshua was not present with Moses in the presence of God.

(2) All commentaries I have read focus on the immediate Prophecy that Joseph gave concerning the interpretation of the Kings dream. i.e. That Joseph had to wait for the interpretation of the dream to come, so in the meantime he had to trust the Lord.

Gen 41:16/25/28 does not shown any delay in receiving the interpretation - Joseph's interpretation of the Kings dream was immediate so what word had he to tarry for in Psalm 108:19? Was it perhaps Gods word to his life as a young Prophetic dreamer or his appeal to the chief butler who was released and Joseph asked him to remember him in Gen 40:14 but forgot for 2 years? I believe it to be both.

(3) In this verse Acts 3:19, remember Peter (and John) are addressing Jews in the temple - not pagans, in verse 17 Peter addresses them as brethren and is appealing to them to change their minds and hearts and turn to the Messiah Jesus who had come.

Regards;Paul Speich

Copyright - 2005 - 2007 Sound the Trumpet Ministries, Inc.

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