Every Mountain and Hill
‘And every mountain and hill be made low.’
Mountains are among the most stunning, sublime, and jaw-dropping features in all of creation. Throughout history, mountains have directed our vision and thoughts upward, and often created great consternation to those who have tried to traverse them.
This is part four in a series of devotional thoughts, looking at Isaiah 40, my favorite chapter in the Bible. If you missed any of the others, see my Facebook entries on 10/11, 10/5, and 9/28. This series will also continue into November.
One of the ways to drive to West Virginia University, my alma mater, from our home in Virginia, is to connect with route 68. On the way, you cross a number of mountains, which makes the trip beautiful, yet sometimes difficult and dangerous, especially in the winter.
From 1983 to 1985, a road cut was made through one of those mountains, that is 340 feet deep. The results of careful planning and engineering, this section of roadway is not only visible from several miles away, but also created quicker and safer passage than existed in 1981, when I began as a freshman at WVU. As you drive through the Sideling Hill roadcut, you can’t help but appreciate the enormous amount of time, energy, and resources required to remove, what in reality is, only a small section of a mountain.
Long ago, the prophet Isaiah described the construction of a ‘heavenly highway,’ through even more difficult terrain, when he stated, ‘A voice is calling, clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley.’ Isaiah 40:3-4
This powerful imagery reminds us that even the greatest of natural wonders such as a mountain, hill, or a valley, can at times necessitate alteration, to accomplish the purpose of God. As I pondered the phrase, ‘and every mountain and hill be made low,’ I was awestruck that before God, not only are mountains of little consequence, but at times they need to be ‘made low.’
Isaiah 40 reminds us that we humans, our rulers, and all of the combined nations of the world, are of little consequence when placed in juxtaposition to God. In addition, even the highest, loftiest, and grandest of mountains, is also inconsequential in comparison to the Almighty, and in preparation for the proclamation for the greatest news of all.
What was obvious to Isaiah, and also clear cut to us, is that the process of leveling a mountain remains no easy endeavor. At times, the loveliness of prose and metaphor hides the mystery and wonder that we would do well to further explore. As such, it is wise to recall that of even greater concern, is that when removing a mountain, or even a tiny part of one, catastrophic consequences can occur.
On October the 9th, 1963, a massive landslide that lasted only 45 seconds removed over 340 million cubic yards of earth, rock, and forest, from Mount Toc in Northern Italy, and sent it cascading into the reservoir below. This massive displacement of just a ‘small’ part of a mountain, created a tsunami hundreds of meters high, that overtopped the Vajont Dam, and sadly killed over 2000 people in the surrounding area.
This terrible tragedy was one of the largest man-made disasters in history, and happened because the mountain became waterlogged with the creation of the new reservoir and a geologic feature that engineers failed to accurately understand. The event, and others like it, remind us of the incredible impact, when even a fraction of a mountain is ‘made low’ either due to forces in nature or because of human influence.
Dear brother or sister in Christ, or friend along life’s journey, as we start a new week, join me, to take time today, and throughout the week, to stop and ponder the amazing beauty and wonder that God has placed in the natural world. As we do, I hope you can smile also along with me, as we face the challenges and opportunities of the new week. The fabulous colors of the fall, and other splendors await, that can provide not only a respite for the soul, but also a reminder of forces at work that are far greater than ourselves.
Yet, in the midst of them, recall the words of Isaiah that declare that even majestic mountains find their purpose, when viewed through the eyes of eternity. As such, let us live each day in close relationship with the Awesome God who deeply loves us, and know that because of Him, and in view of the need to proclaim everlasting truths about God, that 'every valley will be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low'.