Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®

Soul and Body

It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

In ancient times, mountaintops were regarded as holy places. “The mountain of the Lord’s house,” usually called Mount Zion, is celebrated throughout Hebrew Scripture (see examples in Psalms 48:2; Isaiah 4:5, 6; Joel 2:32; Obadiah 1:17; Micah 4:7). That it is “exalted above the hills”—in contrast with the lower status of human valley-dwellers—emphasizes the sacred nature of God’s house.

In Hebrew history, mountains are often the sites of momentous events. For instance, Noah’s ark comes to rest on Mount Ararat; Moses is directed to save his people and later given the Ten Commandments on Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai); and Elijah demonstrates God’s power on Mount Carmel, then witnesses the divine might on Horeb (see Genesis 8:4; Exodus 3:1; chaps. 19, 20; I Kings 18:17–39; 19:9–12).

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The Bible Lessons serve as weekly study guides as well as the sermon in every Christian Science Sunday church service. Learn more at BibleLesson.com

Resources quoted in this issue

RR: Buttrick, George Arthur, Nolan B. Harmon, et al., eds. The Interpreter’s Bible: A Commentary in Twelve Volumes. Vol. 10, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians. Nashville: Abingdon, 1951–57; Mays, James L., Joseph Blenkinsopp, et al., eds. Harper’s Bible Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988.

Cit. 9: Eiselen, Frederick Carl, Edwin Lewis, and David G. Downey, eds. The Abingdon Bible Commentary: New Testament. New York: Abingdon Press, 1929; Soards, Marion L. New International Biblical Commentary—1 Corinthians. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1999.

Cit. 10: Green, Joel B., et al., eds. The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Common English Bible, 2013.

Cit. 11: Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice, Joseph S. Exell, and Edward Mark Deems, eds. The Pulpit Commentary. London, 1880–1909. Also available at biblehub.com/commentaries.

Cit. 14: Vincent, Marvin R. Word Studies in the New Testament. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1946. Also available at biblehub.com/commentaries.

Cit. 15: Keck, Leander E., et al., eds. The New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 9, Acts, Introduction to Epistolary Literature, Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians. Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.

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