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There is a theme throughout scripture of God choosing to work and reveal Himself upon hills and mountains and high places. We find that Noah's great boat came to rest upon the top of a mountain and it was there upon that mountain that God responded to his sacrifice by making a covenant with Noah. It was upon a mountain called Moriah that Abraham offered his greatest sacrifice of his son to God and that God stopped him and then blessed him with the words "now I know that you love me." It would be upon this same mountain that the city of Jerusalem would later be founded and -- renamed Mt. Zion -- where the great temple of Solomon would be built. It was little more than a hill, but this high place would become the center of worship for the Israelites.

And then we find Mt. Horeb where God chose to get Moses' attention with a burning bush that was not consumed. The Jewish historian, Josephus, tells us that all of the other shepherds were fearful of this mountain because it seemed that God dwelt there and there was always smoke and lightening and thunders surrounding the mountain. When Moses chose to pass that way, he found that God was present on the high place.

It was to a mountain, mount Sinai, that God led the children of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt and it was upon this mountain that God descended in a cloud of smoke and thunderings and met with Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments and the other laws of old. It was upon this mountain that Moses "saw part of God's glory" and received instruction and direction and guidance.

Throughout the scriptures, we find God manifesting Himself and bringing victory after victory from the higher places of the region in times of battle. When Israel was fighting in the valleys, the mountains seemed to always have something to do with the victory. It was when Moses climbed up to a high place and extended his arms that God gave the Israelites victory over the Amalekites. When Joshua caused the sun to stand still so that Israel would have time to win a complete victory, we find that he did so after he "ascended from Gilgal." It was from a high place that God listened to the voice of a man of faith to pause the universe!

It was upon Mt. Carmel that Elijah challenged the prophets of the false god Baal to a contest and upon this mountain that fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice of Elijah. It was upon a mountain that Elisha saw Elijah taken into heaven by a chariot of fire and upon that same mountain that the mantle and anointing of Elijah was transferred to Elisha. It was when Elisha's servant looked upon the Syrian army that was surrounding the city and doubted and the prophet prayed that his eyes might be open to see the spiritual realm, that the servant looked and surrounding the enemy's army, in the mountains surrounding, was the army of God, with angels and chariots of fire!

And so it is no wonder that when the Syrians came later against Israel they tried to get Israel to fight in the valleys because they said:

The God of Israel had become known even to the heathen as "the God of the hills!" Now it didn't matter whether it be hills or valleys, because the Syrians found out that God can defeat them no matter what the situation, but there was something about the combination of a high place and God that seemed to bring help and protection and hope and power to God's people! Jehovah God was known for His wondrous acts upon the high places!

Understanding all of this, it should come as no surprise that in our text, the Psalmist would instruct us to "look toward the hills, from where our help comes from!" To look toward the hills was to look back at what God had done for Israel time and time again! It was to look up beyond their predicament and look to God as their source of help. To look toward the hills was to expect God to do again what He had done in the past. To look toward the hills was not to limit the outcome of the situation to the valley and the enemy and to not trust in their own strength but acknowledge that "I need a higher help, from a higher place!"

To you today, under the sound of my voice, we would all do well to heed the command of this Psalmist! We need to look not to the valleys of our dilemmas for help. We need not to look to another human being. But it would be best if we would lift our eyes to the hills! It would be best if we would turn our attention skyward and upward! It would be best if we would look to God for help rather than the things of this world. To search for His will rather than our own. To depend on Him rather than our own understanding. To be reminded that if we get Him involved, what He has done for others, He will come and do for us! To realize that our situation doesn't have to turn out like it looks. That help is waiting in Jehovah God, if we would just turn our gaze from the fight and look up!

Oh that we, too, would realize where our true help comes from! A million dollars cannot accomplish what an active, Almighty God can in your life! The greatest philosopher and most advanced learning of man cannot change your life like the Holy Ghost can! Knowing the most powerful and influential man on earth cannot compare to the influence and the power that comes from having a relationship with the Almighty! We need to stop looking around us for help and answers to life's problem! You don't need a counselor. You don't need a stronger anti-depressant. You don't need psychiatry. You don't need another doctor. You don't need good luck. You don't need a new job. You don't need a new spouse. What you really need is God to be exalted to the priority and pinnacle of your life. What you need is a closer relationship with your Savior. What you need is a restoration of the relationship with God as it was intended to be. You need His forgiveness. You need His Holy Ghost power working in your life. You need His arm to reach down and make a way out of a seemingly impossible situation. You need His blessing more than you need a raise! Somebody needs to lift their eyes beyond your circumstances and look to the hills where God is waiting! Like Elisha's servant, we need to look past what the situation says and see the power and glory of God surrounding us! Oh God, touch our eyes that we could look to you for our help, and get the revelation of the Psalmist: "I will lift mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help; my help cometh from the Lord!" Jesus said:

We need most and foremost a Savior named Jesus Christ! We need God to be active in our lives! Lift your eyes to where God awaits! He is the reason for life and the reason for living! He is the reason to live for! Without Him, we are lost and miserable! Lift up your eyes! The Psalmist's urging is still relevant today: "look to the hills" and not just the valley of your situation! We need a Mount of Transfiguration today where we realize the ability to look beyond our present circumstance and see the miraculous and power of God!

I'm preaching to you today that God wants to help you, but you must look past some stuff and focus your attention upon Him if He is to do what you need! You are not doomed to repeat what your family history says. You are not locked in to the same fate as others and friends and family. You are not without hope or beyond help -- that is if you will lift up your eyes towards the hills today!

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That the Psalmist would instruct us to look toward the hills for help is more than just a change in mental direction. The scriptures are full of examples where God moved prominently upon a mountain. There is a two-edged meaning, then here in our text: we are to lift up our eyes toward God for hope, but we must also look towards the mountains and hills and high places of scripture to find instruction and help. Perhaps this is why hills and mountains figure so prominently in the Bible even through New Testament times. Because God knew that someone would need somewhere to look for encouragement and instruction. It would take us years to be able to glean every possible lesson to be learned from the hills of scripture, but let me today turn your eyes toward three high places that contain help and hope and answers to your questions. Together, today, we obey the commandment of scriptures and lift up our eyes again upon and take a closer look at:

As we've already mentioned, this was the mountain upon which God descended to meet Moses and receive the 613 commandment of the Mosaic Law. It was here upon this mountain that Moses saw the glory of God revealed to him and upon this mountain that the people watched in awe as God's presence literally shook an entire countryside.

I will not today belabor or continue into the story of all that happened during this time period of the Exodus, but I would ask you to simply gaze upon it with me through the lens of scripture. The Bible says that after three days of fasting to ready themselves to receive the Lord, that this happened:

"The Lord came down and called Moses and Moses went up." I could preach an entire message upon that! The only way that we can approach God is because He came to us first, but in return He asks for us to ascend to where He is! He will come to earth, but He will not compromise His holiness! He has come to earth, now we must ascend from the pit of sin and worldliness and climb to Him!

But notice the visual imagery of this entire setting. Thunders and lightening and a thick cloud. A loud trumpet blast and smoke everywhere around the mountain and earthquakes. And then a chapter later we find this description:

I have brought your mind's eye to this scene to point out a particular point. As you lift up your eyes to Mt. Sinai, you see the smoke and the lightening and hear the thunders and the tremendous trumpet blasts. We see the fearfulness of the people and the awesomeness of God's presence. But as we see Moses approach God, we find that he "drew near to the thick darkness where God was." That is, what stands out to me as I look upon this great hill is that God is dwelling in the darkness.

Here's your hope that God wants to remind someone of today: "God dwells in the darkness." Is this not true in the beginning? The earth was without form and void and darkness was all around and yet God existed in that darkness and spoke light to come forth? Maybe this sounds strange to you today to preach such a thing, but does it not find support in scripture? Walk quickly through the Tabernacle of Moses. The altar and the laver are outside in the light but God does not dwell there. Move into the front room of the sanctuary and you will find the Golden Lampstand giving forth its light upon the Shewbread Table and the Altar of Incense, but God is not there. To get into God's presence, you must go beyond that large, thick curtain, the veil, and enter into the Holiest of Holies where in the darkness God dwelt!

David said this:

I am not speaking of darkness and light as metaphors for evil and good. But rather referring to situations and circumstances. God is not only faithful during the good times and the positive moments, but He is present in the darkness also! God is light, but where does the light have its greatest impact and shining? In the darkness! And so as we look to Mt. Sinai, our help comes from realizing that although we may be in the darkest circumstance and the most dreaded situation, we are not there alone, but there is a God who has made the trip with us! And furthermore, there is a purpose and a reason for the darkness overshadowing our life. As we look to Mt. Sinai, we realize that God is often the most active and speaking the loudest when we are at the darkest points of our life. It is in the dark situations that He most often reveals Himself to us. It is in the darkest of moments that we get the revelation of how much we really need Him and then when we turn to Him realize how great He really is! God dwells in the darkness!

If you came in here today in a dark situation and with the despondency of a lack of hope, then lift up your eyes toward the hills and realize that God is in your darkness. If you will turn to Him, you will realize that He has been there all alone! There is a purpose for your pain. There is a reason for your trial. You are looking everywhere for Him and yet He is right beside you in the darkness, waiting for you to get the revelation that He is trying to reveal Himself to you and to place His law within your heart and for you to see His glory active in your life! Lift your eyes to the hills today and see that God is dwelling in the darkness!

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We obey the Psalmist and looking past Mt. Sinai, we turn our eyes toward:

Also known in modern terms as the "Mount of Olives," this mountain -- a large hill, really -- rises just beyond the eastern side of Jerusalem. As one would have walked out of the eastern gate in Jesus' time, you would first pass through a small valley at the base of the wall through which flows the brook Kidron and passing over this brook upon a bridge, you would immediately begin to climb this great hill called the "mount of Olives."

Mt. Olivet was covered with olive trees and groves and from it all of the city of Jerusalem could be clearly seen with the naked eye. It was not an important mountain in the Old Testament but rather rose in prominence during the life of Jesus Christ. Lost to our culture is the knowledge that when traveling to Jerusalem, the poor that could not afford lodging in an inn or who did not have a friend in the city who was wealthy enough to have a place for them to stay -- these poor people -- would camp at night upon the Mount of Olives and using the groves of olive trees for protection, there they would sleep and then arise in the morning to conduct their business in the capital city. As such, the mount of Olives was known as the "slums" of Jerusalem. A place where the wealthy would not tread, and a place that on any given day scores of makeshift tents and shelters could be seen where the truly poor camped out before undertaking their journey once more.

All of this makes it all the more shocking that Jesus was found frequently upon this mountain. It would be this mountain that Judas Iscariot -- the traitor -- would direct the soldiers and Jewish religious leaders to go and arrest Jesus because he knew that it was very likely that this was where Jesus was. Our other text brings out a point that is not often preached although it is taught clearly in scripture. We read:

Every night, when at Jerusalem, Jesus would go at night and sleep on the Mount of Olives! There is an amazing contrast in these verses which is why I chose to read them as my other text. Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, would arise in the morning and descend into the valley and then ascend to the temple mount and go into the place that He rightfully called "my house" and teach in the temple where He rightfully belonged, and yet then at night, he would leave Jerusalem, traverse the valley, and then climb the mountain of the poor and there without a pillow for His head, sleep among the down and out and the penniless of society!

He did not feel at home among those so caught up in prosperity that they did not see their need for a Savior! He did not feel at home in the magnificent temple full of religious rituals and pious hypocrites who flaunted their "goodness" over others and stood with pride and superiority. He did not feel at home with those who were so convinced of their power and education that they did not need truth and the light of God's power to manifest itself in their midst. No, the King of Glory, would rather leave His rightful place and go sleep on the bare ground under the olive trees if that meant being surrounded by people who would acknowledge their need for Him and their dependence upon Him. He would rather leave the majestic temple empty and barren and go to the slums to take up His abode, if it meant people would respond to His message and cry out to Him!

And so as we look upon the Mountain of Olives, we realize that not only does God dwell in darkness, but He also chooses to dwell only among those who will admit that they need Him! He only fills those who hunger and thirst after righteousness! He only responds to those who would admit that they don't have it all together. And if that means leaving Herod's Temple and going to the olive trees outside of town, then so be it.

Truthfully, there was no difference spiritually than the poor people on the hill outside of town and the religious leaders within the temple. All of them had sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Pharisees' magnificent robes masked their need for a Savior and the bleakness of their spiritual condition. I've known people that were so wealthy and so endued with power that I pitied them. Yes, I pitied them! Because their robe of affluence and robe of authority, hid from even them their spiritual wretchedness and spiritual need for a Savior. Better to be a poor man and admit your need of God in every area and have Him in control than to have the finest of this life and die lost because you were too proud or too trusting in riches to admit your need! I've known people for whom life and circumstances had given such tremendous good looks to and such great personalities or such sharp minds that I felt sorry for them. Because this shallow world which magnifies such things, pulled constantly at them and they trusted in their external beauty or mental prowess rather than Jesus. Better that they be born ugly than be lost in a beautiful body! When I first held my little girl in my arms, I prayed the prayer -- and I knew it sounded strange so I did it with no one around -- "God let her grow up to be a beautiful young lady, but God don't let her be so beautiful that it would cause her to be unable to live for You!" I want her to be smart, but if she has all of the PhDs that this world has to offer and does not know Jesus Christ, and have His Spirit, then her existence is pointless and pitiful!

You do not have to be broke to serve God. You do not have to be ugly or mentally under average. That is not what I'm trying to say. But you do have to be "poor in spirit." You must realize that in all of my successes and talents and abilities and blessings, I need Jesus! You must realize that without Him all of the trappings of this world are pointless and useless! You must realize that most of all you need His Word governing your life and His future as your future!

So lift up your eyes to the hill of Olivet today! And cast away the attitudes of superiority and of pride. Let a spiritual attitude of need grip your life and your heart! What will it profit a man if he gain this whole world and yet lose his own soul!? It is to those that the revelation of how unworthy they are of such a great God would care for them, that He chooses to dwell among! And look upon the mount of Olivet yet a few moments more:

It will not be from the temple portico that the great prayer "nevertheless not my will but thine be done" comes from! But rather amongst the poor in spirit on the Mount of Olives. Power to do the will of God comes not from the prideful and vain and religious, but rather amongst those who will admit their need for Him!

It was not within the streets of Jerusalem or on the steps of the temple that the disciples would praise Him and exalt Him until the critics complained and Jesus had to tell them "if they do not do it, then these stones would cry out." But rather such triumph and exaltation happened as Jesus broke over the top of the mount of Olives and began to descend down the side of this hill towards Jerusalem! True praise and worship and joy comes not from those who are too religious and too good for Him, but rather springs freely among those who are poor in Spirit and admit freely that without Him we would be nothing!

And finally, it was not from the sanctuary with its learned scholars and pious prayers that Jesus directed the disciples to go tarry for the Holy Ghost. And it was not from the temple mount that Jesus ascended into the clouds. And it will not be to the temple mount that He will come again and that His feet will first touch the ground at His second coming. All of that came from the Mount of Olives. The place of the poor! The promise of the Holy Ghost is for those who will admit that they need it and are nothing without it! The promise of His return is to those who will admit that spiritually they are naked and poor and need a Savior! Lift your eyes to this magnificent hill today and remember the words of Jesus from another mountain in Galilee:

He will come and dwell among those who will admit their need of His power and might! Lift up your eyes, your help comes from the Lord!

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And finally, I would turn your eyes to one more final hill of scripture from which help can come from. And there is no greater hill than this, a hill called "Golgotha:"

It is the week before Easter, and there could be no high place of scripture more worthy of our attention than Mt. Calvary. I want you to turn your eyes and see the crown of thorns upon His head. I want you to hear the pounding of nails through His hands and His feet. See and hear the mockers and the scoffers make fun and make light. See the disciples flee in panic, and His mother and the women and John standing helplessly to the side.

But if you were to stand at a distance, and view this hill, you would see the weird shaped rock formations that make the entire site look like a human skull and gives it its name. And as your eyes shifted upwards to the crest of this small mountain, you would see against the horizon, three crosses standing upright. This is a crucifixion indicating that these men dying are the worst and vilest sinners and criminals. They are the ones that the Roman government has deemed that society would be better off without. They are mocked and shamed because they are those too bad and too filthy morally to dare be allowed to live.

Three crosses. The one on the left, is a discontent that epitomizes all that the punishment of the cross represents. He has robbed and killed and swindled. All to fulfill his selfish lusts. And now after a lifetime of evil doing, his past has caught up to him and he rightfully receives what he deserves. As we view the hill, the cross on the right holds another man with essentially the same spiritual resume. This is an evil man, one that the people of Israel will sleep better that night, knowing that he is no longer lurking in the darkness. We are seeing the rightful punishment of this man and justice is certainly being done. But then we come to the middle one. What an odd case to find here in this predicament. He has done no wrong. He has helped the poor. He has healed countless thousands of diseases and never even taken an offering. He has broken no laws. He is the only One who has ever lived their entire life and not broken God's moral code. He has been tempted with the everyday things of life and yet almost reached His thirty-fourth birthday without sin! And even as the soldiers nailed Him to this makeshift cross, there is something obviously out of place about this man. No curses come from His lips. When sounds do utter forth, they are words of forgiveness. Not once does He rail against His enemies. Not once does He complain of the injustice being done. It is almost like He has decided to purposefully hang there and suffer and die! And He has because the Lamb of God born in a stable is pouring forth it's blood for the sin around Him.

Looking to the hills, we find that God dwells in the dark places. We find that God dwells among the poor and broken in Spirit. And here, looking at Mt. Calvary, we find that God desires to dwell among the worst sinners, and allow them to experience forgiveness and salvation. The blood sacrifice being wrought on this mount need not go for His own sins and shortcomings because He has none of the sort. But rather, He is dying and shedding His blood to bring hope and cleansing to a world that is vile and lost in sin.

Possibly you have not committed sins against society that our government would call you to die. But yet you stand with a guilty heart and a heavy conscience and the knowledge that you are a wretched and evil man or woman. And you may have even believed the lie of hell that you are too far gone for their to be any hope. To you, I say look to this hill of Golgotha and see the sinless One taking your place in judgment! He died, for you! He died to bring you to a place of forgiveness! He died for sinners! He who dwells in the darkness, and He who dwells among the poor in Spirit, desires to dwell in your guilt and cleanse it from you by the power of His blood!

What are you to do today? How do you find such help from your sinful past and shortcomings? You have to look no further than this same hill. See His example of what you must do. See Him die and be buried. See Him rise again on the third day, and realize that we die to our sinful man through repentance -- asking God to forgive us of our sins and for a fresh start. We are buried with Him in the waters of baptism (Colossians 2:11-12). And then we are resurrected by the infilling of the Holy Ghost! That is what Peter preached. That is the message that Paul preached. And was preached by Philip and by all other apostles! Look to Mt. Calvary and obey that example and you shall live! In the midst of your darkness, in the midst of your poorness, and in the midst of your shame, lift up your eyes and look toward these hills and find where your help comes from! Come today and let God transform your life!