Lesson 8 The Pilgrims Reach the Delightful Mountains

Lesson 8

The Pilgrims Reach the Delightful Mountains (Chapter 15)

After Christian and Hopeful leave Doubting Castle and the giant Despair, we are made aware that the Christian life is a continual series of ups and downs, prosperity and adversity, which Christians must go through on their way to heaven.  Hebrews 5:8 says that Christ learned obedience by the things that he suffered.  Certainly if the Son of God learned in this way, we may expect the same.    The Pilgrims now reach the Delectable Mountains (Immanuel’s Land), where they are “shown some wonders” by the four shepherds.  The Shepherds names were Knowledge, Experience, Watchfulness, and Sincerity.  The 4 wonders were the hill called Error, a mountain called Caution, the Hypocrites door to Hell and the gates of the Celestial City.

1.       What do you think the Celestial Mountains represent?

2.       The Puritans called the Sabbath a “market day for the soul.”  Could these mountains represent the Sabbath and all that Sabbath rest entails (i.e., a day set aside for instruction in Sunday School, for sitting under the preaching of godly ministers, and for meditation on Scripture and prayer)? 

3.       The four shepherds names imply what about the responsibilities of pastors to their flocks?

4.       What is the significance of each of the wonders the shepherds showed the pilgrims?

a.       Hill called Error: The hill is made up of intricate speculations not backed up by Scripture and deceptive reasonings founded on human theories.  These falsehoods lead men from the clear truthes found in the Bible into dangerous and destructive errors, causing them to climb too high on loose gravel and unstable lookouts, to fall, and to be dashed to pieces.

b.      Mountain called Caution: We have a great need to gaze constantly from Mount Caution, to see what awful things have happened to others and to learn from their mistakes.

c.       Door to Hell: It is explained that this is a by-way to hell, a way that hypocrites enter.  With sadness, we see how much some men and women can be exposed to the truth and yet in the end reject it because of the perverseness of their hearts and the bondage of their wills to sin.  Should these examples not cause us to walk humbly, yet diligently, ever looking to Jesus, who is able to keep us from falling?

d.      The hill called Clear:  How thankful we should be to our pastors, who give us glimpses of heaven each Sunday and invite us to walk in the suburbs of the Celestial City with their clear teachings!  Christian and Hopeful’s view of the Celestial City is hampered by their shaking hands as they look through the glass of God’s Word.  Often our unbelief and fear, not to mention our constant gazing with love in the wrong direction, cause us to be unable to appreciate or to see clearly the beauty of all that awaits us as joint heirs with Christ of the everlasting kingdom of God.

Lesson 8 Summary

On the Delectable Mountains pilgrims are given a chance to “have their souls catch up with their bodies” after a hectic, difficult exhausting week.  How we should prize and guard the Sabbath, which is to be a foretaste of heaven, and use it to worship God and nourish our eternal souls!