Old Testament Summary Lesson 39: “How Beautiful Upon The Mountains”

“Everlasting” Hills Testify of the Lord: In ancient times, the word of the Lord came from the “tops of the mountains,” Jerusalem, where the tribe of Judah and the prophets of Israel lived. These mountains create a backbone of the country of Israel. In fact, the land of Israel has mountains from its northern to its southern borders. It is a mountain range that is “everlasting.”
“Utah” – Tops: In latter times, the word of the Lord comes from the “tops of the mountains,” Salt Lake City, where the prophets and leadership of the Lord’s kingdom and the tribe of Joseph are presently situated. The Ute Indians used the word Utah to denote the tops of the mountains. It is also the only other range of mountains that extends from the northern to the southern borders of the land. It is also the “land of everlasting hills.” Judah and Utah even sound linguistically similar.

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Mount of Olives: Looking at the sacred event that redeemed us from the sins of life, bruises of experience, captivity of conscience, blindness of bigotry, hurt of hearts broken, poverty of stinginess and the imprisonment of self pity, we are drawn to the Mount of Olives. Two thousand years ago, He sank below all things, experiencing deeper depths than we would ever reach so that we would never have to. Bleeding from every pore of His body, he was stained for us. How beautiful upon the Mount of Olives are the feet of Him who brings good tidings. Isaiah wrote the Savior’s testimony, seven hundred years before the Savior would speak them. “. . . he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” (Isaiah 61:1) (Luke 4:18)
Day of the Scapegoat: ” . . . the high priest . . . took two identical goats and cast lots to see which would be sacrificed and which would be sent to (the wilderness). After sacrificing one of them, he sprinkled its blood on the altar and then confessed the sins of the people while placing his hands on the head of the live goat. Then the goat was sent into the wilderness (to die on its own) . . . each man must repent for his wrongdoings in order for the Day of Atonement to have its purifying effect.” “The congregants respond “Next year in Jerusalem,” and return home to break their fast, confident that their sins have been forgiven.” (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.)
Temple Services about Repentance: The Hebrew term for sacrifice, korban, is from a root meaning “to draw near,” and originally denoted that which was brought near, or offered, to God. (Encyclopedia Judaica Jr.) Where would be a better place than going to the mountain of the Lord’s house and drawing near to Him? How beautiful!