There’s a famous story recorded in the Gospel of John, chapter four, where Jesus encounters a woman from Samaria drawing water from a well at lunchtime. He has a significant conversation with him resulting in her sudden awareness that he is Israel’s longed-for Messiah.
At one point in the conversation, she says (John 4::
19 “Sir,” the woman replied, “I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 Jesus told her, “Believe me, woman, an hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem … an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.
The mountain they each referred to is Mount Gerizim, and this is the last mention of it in Scripture. But it has an illustrious past, with references in Deuteronomy 11:29, 27:12; Joshua 8:33; and Judges 9:7.
Mount Gerizim (870m) has a slightly taller twin, Mount Ebal (938m), which also features in Old Testament narrative. Between them runs an ancient trade and military highway, and at their feet lies the town of Shechem and Jacob’s well (cf John 4:20).
After their escape from Egypt, and the experiences of Mount Sinai, the Israelites travel north from Mount Sinai. In Deuteronomy, they are about to cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan, and they arrive at Mount Gerizim.
Here Moses renews the covenant (Deut 11). He instructs the people to erect a monument of stones as an enduring reminder of their shared history, and a stone altar for burnt offerings and peace offerings as a form of worship.
A summary of the law, with its curses and blessings, is inscribed on these stones and recited by the people antiphonally: half of the people on Mount Ebal, reciting the curses, and half on Mount Gerizim, reciting the blessings (Deut 27:4-26; cf 30:1-6).
It’s no wonder then, that the ancestors of the woman at the well in John 4 established their rival Jewish temple on Mount Gerizim rather than Mount Ebal, although the Samaritan temple was destroyed by the Maccabees long before her time.
Joshua repeated this ritual after the conquest of Ai (Jos 8:30-35).
Later still, Jotham related his parable of the trees to the men of Shechem in the valley below Mount Gerizim, reminding them of the awesome deeds of his father Gideon (Jdg 9:7-21).
What I learn from these historical references is the importance of seeking God, of knowing God, and of living in such a way as to avoid barriers that may come between God and me due to my sin.
Biblical scholars John Bergsma and Brant Pitre observe that, “In the final analysis, the problem with the Israelites in Deuteronomy is an interior resistance to the will of God, a resistance they cannot overcome in their own power: ultimately, they cannot circumcise their own hearts. Later in the book, Moses will foresee a time when the Lord will do what they cannot: he will circumcise their hearts in an age to come (Deut 30:6).”[1]
Deuteronomy 4:29: “Search for the Lord your God, and you will find him when you seek him with all your heart and all your soul.”
Isaiah 55:6: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call to him while he is near.”
Matthew 7:7: “Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Take time, this week, to pause and seek God, to seek God’s kingdom, to pray, to remember the great and gracious things God has done for you and for your salvation, to worship God in spirit and in truth, and to express gratitude to God for his great salvation.
Dr Rod Benson is Research Support Officer at Moore Theological College, Sydney. He previously pastored four Baptist churches in Queensland and NSW, and served for 12 years as an ethicist with the Tinsley Institute at Morling College.
Reference:
[1] John Bergsma & Brant Pitre, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible. Volume 1: The Old Testament (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2018), 264.
Image source: Sabbath Lounge
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