Karen Blixen’s book “Out of Africa” begins with: “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills”. This mountain range overlooks the Great Rift Valley and dominates the view west from Nairobi on any clear day. About 100 miles to the south is Mt. Kilimanjaro. On the eastern foothills of this Kenyan mountain range is the town of Kiserian, where I am located today serving with the Cumberland Community Church Kenya Mission Team.
To see the view that we have this morning of the Ngong Hills, click here for a live shot of the ridge.
In this verse from Isaiah there is this running messenger coming over the mountains and I can picture the excitement on his face as the anxious watchmen awaited any news of the battle. Would the news be good or bad? How is the fight going? The watchmen “lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.” They hear the good news of God’s victory! They see God’s return. This is a beautiful moment. Even the feet of the runner are described as beautiful because of this great news.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring God’s message! Imagine when you were a child and you had great news to share perhaps from school, how fast you ran to find your family, the excitement in your voice. Picture yourself as this messenger, sharing with others the news of God’s reign. There is great joy in the message of peace.
The news of peace is coming from the mountains in this passage. The word ‘mountain’ is mentioned several times in Isaiah as a place of rejoicing. I think the mountains are also symbolic of God’s power and majesty and serve as real reminders of his presence in his creation. My vantage point today certainly affirms that!
Paul says in Romans 10:13 that “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
We have been redeemed, bought back, and our debts are cleared. “The Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.” We are restored with our Creator, delivered from sin and its consequences. And for this we are literally eternally grateful.
The gospel is not a theory or a doctrine or even a teaching; it is Good News: God is coming! This message is for everyone, “all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” God receives great pleasure when someone carries the Gospel to another.
Go tell it on the mountain.
November 30th, 2009 - 7:16 am
Thanks for such a special picture of God and then the web cam picture of one of the beautiful mountains there. It brings back memories of last summer with the team from CCC taking the good news to the mountains in Greece, One night after a long day we even took a picture of the feet of our group in a circle. We quoted this verse. Thankd you for serving,