Lesson 3: The "Gray-Haired" Mountain
Scripture to Read: Deuteronomy 3:8-11;Psalm 133:1-3
Viewing the beautiful, snow-covered peaks of
Mount Hermon in northern Israel is one of the
breathtaking sights that await a visitor to the
Holy Land. Towering some 9,200 feet above sea
level, it is the highest point in Israel. A cluster
of three distinct peaks of about the same height,
Mount Hermon was the northern boundary of
the Promised Land as recorded by Moses, and
also the farthest point north in the conquest by
Joshua (see Joshua 11:17).
The “dew of Hermon,” the snow melt that the
psalmist referred to poetically, runs down the
mountain’s western and southern slopes,
forming several streams and rivers that flow
down to become the source of the Jordan River.
Mount Hermon was considered a sacred site, its
name meaning “a consecrated place” or “a
sanctuary.”
Unfortunately, the mountain was used for the
worship of the Canaanite god Baal during the
period of the judges (Judges 3:3 calls it “Mount
Baal Hermon”), and many temples and shrines
have been found there. Hermon’s peaks are
covered with snow for much of the year;
another name for it translates as “the grayhaired
mountain.”
Study Questions
- How were the Israelites under Moses able to
conquer the powerful kingdoms that held the
Promised Land as far north as Mount Hermon?
(Hint: Read Deuteronomy 3:3)
- What can we learn from Israel's experience
in Deuteronomy 3 about the "mountains" and
other obstacles we face in our lives?
- Our unity as Jews and Christians who share
the same spiritual roots is compared to the
refreshing "dew of Hermon" in Psalm 133:3. In
what ways can we be refreshed by this unity?
- List three ways that you can help strengthen
the unity we share as Jews and Christians.
Something to Think About
The refreshing dew of Mount Hermon has been flowing for thousands of years—truly a symbol of both the Lord’s goodness to Israel and His desire for the spiritual unity the psalmist longed and
prayed for. Pray that as members of The Fellowship, we will stand together on the common
ground of our heritage while respecting the differences in our faith communities.
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