On What Mountain Do You Worship? (John 4:19-26, Deuteronomy 27:1-13)
Rev. William L. Barron, July 31, 2022Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Jesus encountered a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well in Sychar, in the shadow of Mt. Gerazim. This was the place that Moses told the people to gather when the entered the promised land and observe a covenant renewal. Six tribes were to gather on Mt. Gerazim and proclaim blessings that attend faithful living and worship. The other six tribes were to gather on Mt. Ebal, where there would be constructed an altar of uncut stones representing atonement for sin. There, the tribes were to proclaim the curses that attended disobedience. Mt. Gerazim became a special worship place for the Samaritans in the intertestamental period. This passage deals with salvation. The unrighteous, notorious woman testified to her town of her deliverance from sin, and many in the town came to trust in Jesus as the promised messiah. Truly, it is more appropriate for worship to take place on Mt. Ebal. This brings forth the question: "What is true and false worship?" Does the location matter? We tend to change the testimony to suit what seems right to us. True worship follows God's revelation. The Samaritans were forbidden to worship at the temple in Jerusalem. In the temple was the ark of the covenant containing the law of God, covered by the mercy seat on which the blood sacrifice would be sprinkled, picturing the atonement in Christ. The Jews were called to be a light to the nations, yet they perceived themselves as the light of God themselves. Paul exhorts us to hold onto the testimony of salvation in humility. He pointed out that branches can be cut off from the tree. All ages need covenant renewal. The kingdom of God is all in Christ. Jesus' answer to the woman speaking about the messiah to come was "I am," the covenant name of God. He is the focus of our worship. He is the mercy seat. He is the propitiation for the guilt of our sin.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
|---|---|---|
| « The Weeping Prophet | None | Up From The Grave He Arose » |
John 4:19–26 (Listen)
19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
(ESV)
Deuteronomy 27:1–13 (Listen)
27:1 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today. 2 And on the day you cross over the Jordan to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. 3 And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you. 4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster. 5 And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You shall wield no iron tool on them; 6 you shall build an altar to the LORD your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God, 7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and shall eat there, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God. 8 And you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, “Keep silence and hear, O Israel: this day you have become the people of the LORD your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
11 That day Moses charged the people, saying, 12 “When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
(ESV)