City on a Hill
What is a “city on a hill”?
Don’t look at me like that, I know that, literally speaking, it’s a city that’s on a hill. I mean in the metaphorical, proverbial, figurative sense. You know, that thing God calls Christians in Matthew 5?
The obvious answer is we’re the cities (or the church is the city) sitting on the hill where everyone can see us and know that Jesus is King.
Okay, but what else?
What else? But what else is there?
Question one: Why a city? Why not a town or a village? Sure a city is bigger and more noticeable, but you have to admit, a lot of the time cities are scary, dirty places where you hear about grime and gunk and sin everywhere and lots of brokenness and—wait. What if that’s it? What if we’re called a city because we’ve sinned in what this world considers small ways, like towns and villages, but we’ve also sinned in big and obvious ways, and God is helping us clean up the crime and patch up our broken streets, like a spiritual police force and a city maintenance crew?
Question two: Why on a hill? Why not on top of a mountain or a cliff where everyone in the world can see us? Why on a small, grassy, maybe muddy or rocky, but almost certainly easy-to-climb hill? Wait. Easy to climb? Almost like God wants people to be able to meet us and get to know us and see His maintenance crew and police force at work cleaning up our filthy, sinful city…
Question three: Why a city on a hill? A big city on a small hill? It’ll either stop growing or grow down and out into the surrounding lands, maybe merge with other cities, maybe form a kingdom where sin and dirt and brokenness is continually being taken care of by God’s police and maintenance people?
Maybe that’s why God says we’re supposed to be cities on hills.
Then again, I’m not God. I don’t know if that’s what He means or not. These are my thoughts and beliefs on the subject, but that doesn’t mean they’re the right answer or the only right answer. Why don’t you read Matthew 5 and form your own opinion on the matter? If you disagree, tell me why in the comments. And if there’s something else you’d like to read my thoughts about, comment and tell me. I’ll add it to my list of posts to make. If you think I might be on to something, like this post. And last, but certainly not least, remember that God loves you and wants to spend time with you. When was the last time you opened your Bible for fun, just to see what God was going to tell you? I wonder what He wants to tell you right now…
Sincerely,
Hosanna
P.S. To my subscribers who’ve been affected by the hurricanes: I’m praying for your areas and for you specifically. ❤️🙏 To my other subscribers, please pray. Hurricanes are terrifying and destructive.
P.P.S. Some of you have direct-messaged me and I haven’t responded. I’m not trying to be rude, I merely prefer not to have DMs. If you want to talk to me, please comment on one of my posts or notes, or tag me in a note. I would love to get to know you, just not over DM. Thank you!
*cracks neck and summons forth memory from Internal Nerd Hard Drive*
(Jokes aside, info time 😂)
In biblical times, cities were built on top of hills to protect them from floods in lower plains (common at the time. Esp during rainy season), provide strategic military advantages (height); and to stand as both a place of refuge where farmers and people from smaller outlying towns and villages could flee to from enemies, as well as mark a boundary or territory.
When enemy armies attacked, they couldn't easily pass a city by, lest they get placed between two bodies of enemies and become trapped in a dangerous position. Therefore, they had to either conquer or trap the occupants of the city. The second option of which would leave the main body of the attacking army crippled. (It would take a LOT of men to keep a city pinned down!)
Also, cities were built on hills to catch cool breezes that the hills blocked when below. These breezes helped keep the cities cooler during the hot summer months than if they had been built in valleys, and kept the air from within the city from growing stagnant (ew).
Waste and trash was also easier to dispose of on a hill, as opposed to not. (rubbish was tossed or shoved off one side of the city (hill) to keep any foul smelling garbage downwind, and these oft foul-smelling piles could keep enemy armies from approaching that direction. Hey, I wouldn't approach from that way either!)
Cities built on hills were strategically better, health wise better, comfort wise better, and just made sense all around.
The places to be with the best in technology, trade, comfort, and wealth were also in cities!
We are bright cities set on hills to offer a light of salvation to those seeking refuge. We are defensible fortifications to hold the enemy back and say "No." And, we are were the wealth of Heaven can be distributed, comfort can be given, and wisdom shared.
Jesus was a master of illustration... And no wonder at that, have you seen the night sky during a new moon when the stars shine the clearest? Breathtaking work by the Master Artist.
And to think He feels the same about us is humbling in the extreme...
Forgive me, I am waxing philosophical... Cities are highly valued in any kingdom, and even more so in the Kingdom of Heaven.
I hope that any part of my nerdy info dump was either interesting, helpful, or both.
At this point I don't know if giving a short reply, bit of info, or anything like that is possible for me; so there is likely a high chance a message from me will be along read 😅 (I'm becoming self-aware!😂😂😂)