Introduction
• We find meaningful mountain top experiences throughout the Bible. From Noah’s ark on Mount Ararat to Jesus on the Mount of Olives before His crucifixion, God shows His grace and power in high places. But, for every mountain there is a valley. We tend to forget that after every significant event on a mountain, people in the Bible faced difficult times afterward.
• I’m Brent, and this is episode 54 of The Bible Unplugged. In this episode we look at the role of mountains in the highs… and lows… of our walk with God. There is a lot to learn about our own spiritual journey in these stories.
• Please take a minute to look at the show notes for this episode at PowerLoveandMiracles.com. While you are there, check out my devotional series that I publish Monday through Friday.
Background
• In the ancient world, mountains represented stability, permanence, and closeness to heaven. God’s people worshipped on mountains. Pagans built shrines and altars on high places, believing their gods lived on those hill tops. In fact, mountains, are mentioned 550 times in the Bible.
• These aren’t random backdrops in the stories—they’re places of encounter and challenge.
• Some significant events in the Bible happened on mountains. What we don’t usually consider is what happens after these mountain-top experiences. Many of the people in scripture who met God on the mountain often had a difficult or tragic experience right after that.
• The pattern is unmistakable but easily overlooked. We experience the same pattern in our lives as well. What we can learn from these events in scripture can help us grow closer to God today.
Mountains and Valleys
• There are 12 stories in the Bible that portray God working in a mighty way. We will discuss a few of them here, but I have a complete list in the show notes if you are interested.
• The first encounter we have on a mountain is Noah’s ark coming to rest on Mount Ararat after the flood.
• Noah built an altar to worship and sacrifice to God in response to bringing him, his family, and the animals through the flood. God then promised to never bring a flood like that again.
• As a side note, we think that Noah only carried two of each animal on the ark. God commanded Noah to take 7 pairs of clean animals, those appropriate for sacrifice, on the ark as well.
• What many of us don’t realize is what happened afterward. Noah planted a vineyard and got drunk from the wine he made. This led to a conflict that fractured Noah’s family.
• Abraham had a similar experience.
• In Genesis chapter 22, God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. This was a test of Abraham’s commitment. Isaac, as we know, wasn’t harmed in the making of this story.
• What we easily miss is what happened between Abraham and his wife Sarah after this event. Abraham ended up in Beersheba. In Genesis chapter 23, we find that Sarah died in Kiriath Arba, also known as Hebron. Abraham and Sarah were 20 miles away from each other. This indicates that they lived apart from each other after the Isaac event.
• Moses receiving the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai and then finding out that the people had turned their backs on God is a familiar mountain to valley experience.
• In episodes 5, 6, and 7 we talked about Elijah’s experience on Mount Carmel when he confronted the prophets of Baal. Immediately after this, Elijah fled in fear from Jezebel and suffered what we would call depression.
• Even in the New Testament, mountain-top experiences led to challenges.
• The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7 is the pinnacle, so to speak, of Jesus’ teachings. What we miss is that Jesus faced growing opposition in Matthew chapters 8 through 12.
• Jesus prayed in agony on the Mount of Olives and submitted to His Father’s will immediately before He was arrested and crucified.
What Do We Learn from This?
• The pattern is unmistakable but meaningful.
• The mountaintop is a place where the people encountered God. We have significant spiritual high moments with God as well.
• The valley experience was a place of proving and strengthening the faith after the encounter with God.
• It’s easy to think that the valley experiences are there to tear us down after a spiritual high, but that’s not the case. As with the people in the Bible, the spiritual high point is preparation for the valley. God lifts us up so that when we come down, we can walk stronger and with deeper faith.
What Do We Do with This?
• When you have a powerful experience with God, don’t think about the possible low that could come next. That’s defeatist thinking. Instead, know that God encounters you to teach you what you need for the next phase in your faith walk. In the highs and the lows, seek to learn, grow, then put into practice what God places in your heart.
• When you feel discouraged or defeated, look back at how God has helped you to grow in your faith. Often, you will see how God worked in you ahead of time to show His power and grace in and through you in the difficult times.
• In the powerful encounters, ask yourself, “How can I carry this new revelation into my everyday life, and how will this strengthen my faith?”
• God is preparing you to use your strengthened faith to help someone else who is in a difficult valley. Ask God this week to send you to someone who needs your help. God works in us, and through us to help others, to show His power in a challenging world.
• I’ve prepared a short devotional series on how to grow through difficult times: How Long, Lord… 7 Days of Spiritual Care in Discouraging Times. This is available at PowerLoveandMiracles.com under the Devotions tab.
The conclusion
• Yes, we have reached the end of this episode, but I’ve got a lot more coming.
• I hope this has been helpful. If so, take a minute to give this podcast a high rating and share it with someone you know.
• In the next few episodes, we will contrast the experiences of the Apostle Peter with Cornelius, a Roman centurion who God used to challenge Peter’s beliefs and faith.
• My prayer for you is that you will look for grow in the mountaintop experiences with God and carry your newfound faith into the valley below where you will find others who need to know God’s love
• Have a blessed week.
The disclaimers
• Just to let you know:
• All opinions are my own. If you agree, keep listening. If you don’t… keep listening. If you listen long enough you’ll agree with something I say.
• All Bible quotations come from the World English Bible which is a public domain work.
• Our show theme song is “Awesome Call” by Kevin MacLeod and is available under a Creative Commons license.
• The content of this podcast is copyrighted 2025 by J. Brent Eaton
• This has been a Power Love and Miracles production.
Significant Mountain-top Experiences in the Bible
Old Testament Mountaintop Encounters
1. Mount Ararat – Noah (Genesis 8:4, 20–22)
On the mountain: The ark rests after the flood. Noah builds an altar, God gives covenant promises, the rainbow follows.
Afterward: Noah plants a vineyard, gets drunk, and a family conflict arises (Genesis 9:20–27). Lesson: Even covenant heroes stumble after holy encounters.
2. Mount Moriah – Abraham & Isaac (Genesis 22:1–19)
On the mountain: Abraham nearly sacrifices Isaac. God provides the ram and confirms His covenant.
Afterward: Abraham and Sarah no longer live in the same place (Genesis 23:2). Family tension follows. Lesson: Great faith can carry hidden personal costs.
3. Mount Sinai / Horeb – Moses (Exodus 19–20; 24; 32–34)
On the mountain: God appears in fire, cloud, and thunder. Moses receives the Ten Commandments.
Afterward: Moses descends to find Israel worshiping the golden calf. His face shines with God’s glory, but the people are afraid. Lesson: Spiritual highs can be followed by discouraging lows when others don’t share the encounter.
4. Mount Carmel – Elijah (1 Kings 18)
On the mountain: Fire falls from heaven, God proves Himself over Baal. The people cry, “The Lord is God!”
Afterward: Elijah runs for his life from Jezebel, collapses in depression, and prays to die (1 Kings 19:1–4). Lesson: Even after victory, valleys of fear and exhaustion come.
5. Mount Sinai (again) – Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–18)
On the mountain: After Carmel, Elijah flees in despair. On Sinai, God speaks not in earthquake or fire but in a gentle whisper.
Afterward: Elijah returns to his mission, appoints Elisha, and prepares for the future. Lesson: The mountain restores courage for weary prophets.
6. Mount Nebo (Pisgah) – Moses (Deuteronomy 34)
On the mountain: Moses sees the Promised Land from afar but cannot enter. God Himself buries him.
Afterward: Leadership passes to Joshua. Israel crosses into Canaan. Lesson: The mountain can be a place of transition—where one servant’s journey ends and another’s begins.
7. Mount Zion / Jerusalem – David & Solomon (2 Samuel 6; 1 Kings 8; 11)
On the mountain: David brings the Ark up to Zion. Solomon later builds the Temple there. God’s glory fills it.
Afterward: Both kings face failures — David with Bathsheba, Solomon with idolatry. Lesson: Even glorious worship can be followed by compromise.
New Testament Mountaintop Encounters
8. Sermon on the Mount – Jesus (Matthew 5–7)
On the mountain: Jesus gives the Beatitudes and a new way of life.
Afterward: Opposition builds (Matthew 8–12). His radical message stirs conflict. Lesson: Teaching on the mountain prepares disciples for costly living in the world.
9. Feeding of the 5,000 – hillside / mountain setting (John 6:1–15)
On the mountain: Jesus multiplies loaves and fish. The crowd wants to make Him king.
Afterward: Many disciples desert Him when He teaches hard truths about being the Bread of Life (John 6:66). Lesson: Enthusiasm on the mountain often fades in the valley of challenge.
10. Mount of Transfiguration – Jesus with Peter, James, John (Matthew 17:1–9; Luke 9:28–36)
On the mountain: Jesus shines in glory. Moses and Elijah appear. A voice says, “This is my Son, listen to Him.”
Afterward: They descend into chaos — a boy possessed by a demon whom the other disciples can’t heal (Matthew 17:14–21). Lesson: Glorious vision on the mountain equips us for brokenness in the valley.
11. Mount of Olives – Gethsemane (Matthew 26:30–46; Luke 22:39–46)
On the mountain: Jesus agonizes in prayer, submits to the Father’s will.
Afterward: Arrest, betrayal, crucifixion. Lesson: The mountain of prayer strengthens us for suffering.
12. Mount of Olives – Ascension (Acts 1:6–12)
On the mountain: Jesus blesses His disciples and ascends to heaven. Angels promise His return.
Afterward: The disciples return to Jerusalem to wait in prayer for the Spirit. Pentecost follows. Lesson: Mountain glory leads to Spirit-empowered mission in the valley of the world.
