1 Kings 20:23-25, 28 states, "And the servants of the king of Syria said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills, and so they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they. And do this: remove the kings, each from his post, and put commanders in their places, and muster an army like the army that you have lost, horse for horse, and chariot for chariot. Then we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.” And he listened to their voice and did so. And a man of God came near and said to the king of Israel, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’”
"The God of the mountain, is the God of the valley, theres not a place your mercy and grace won't find me again."
I'm sure you have heard the new worship song by Elevation Worship, Graves into Gardens. I do not know if the passage of 1 Kings 20 is what the writers of this song were referencing while writing, but this is the passage of Scripture that comes to my mind every time I hear it at church or when it comes up on my playlist.
The servants of the king of Syria thought they could defeat Israel because they believed the gods of Israel were only the gods of the hills. The thinking was that Israel's gods would not be able to help them when they were not shielded by the terrain. In the valley they would be exposed, easy targets for the enemy.
Obviously the servants of Syria were wrong on several things. There is one God of Israel, though Israel would whore after many throughout their history. And God is not the God of one place. He is not confined to the place of comfort and advantages. He is the God of the valley as well as the God of the hills. He is the God of it because He owns all of it. Israel would go on to defeat 100,000 foot soldiers in one day for that very reason.
What does this mean for us? It does not mean that we will overcome any and every obstacle in our lives. It does mean that God is God no matter your circumstance. He is the God of the one who has a 401k, mortgage, and is completely healthy. He is the God of the one who lives in government housing, lives paycheck to paycheck, is cancer ridden.
Moreover, the temptation is to believe God is the God of America, but He will lose in Afghanistan. There is no way He can lead victory in Iran, India, China, more…But ALL authority in Heaven and on Earth have been given to Jesus. Against His people armed with His Word, the gates of Hell will not prevail. He is the God of the hills and the God of the valley. There is not a place His mercy and grace will not reach.
Use the music video below and take time to worship the God of the valley.
This article was written by our Pastor of Family Ministry, Armando Yzaguirre, Jr.
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