Biblical Conviction Series Part 3 of 4

The beginning [of the facts] of the good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will make ready Your way—

³ A voice of one crying in the wilderness [shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord, make His beaten tracks straight (level and passable)!

⁴ John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness (desert), preaching a baptism [obligating] repentance (a change of one’s mind for the better, heartily amending one’s ways, with abhorrence of his past sins) in order to obtain forgiveness of and release from sins.

⁵ And there kept going out to him [continuously] all the country of Judea and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, as they were confessing their sins.

⁶ And John wore clothing woven of camel’s hair and had a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷ And he preached, saying, After me comes He Who is stronger (more powerful and more valiant) than I, the strap of Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to stoop down and unloose.

⁸ I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:1-8 AMP)

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I have read these verses several times; as I know many of you have, and it did not even register in my brain of the words prepare, and beaten. John the Baptist was anointed by God to prepare the minds and hearts of the people to receive Jesus; and bring to their attention the sinful lives they were living – and how unacceptable it was in the sight of God!

That word prepare had a profound effect on me, just in my everyday living! If I did not prepare my children’s clothes for school the next day (when they were small) or their lunch; I did not have a peaceful, organized morning! The day did not start off well and escalated as we moved along! Another incident that came to mind was meals. Pondering over what to eat that day did not sit well with my husband or my children; because by 5 O’clock they were ready to eat. Needless to say, dinner was not ready by then; and because of my indecisiveness, the negative emotions escalated from everyone! They were hungry; I was frustrated and rushing leads to mistakes! 

Now what does this have to do with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus and how does anyone prepare someone to receive and welcome Jesus into their lives? Prepare in the dictionary is defined as: to make (something) ready for use or consideration. Well it’s not as complicated as one would think! He simply said, “John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness (desert), preaching a baptism [obligating] repentance (a change of one’s mind for the better, heartily amending one’s ways, with abhorrence of his past sins) in order to obtain forgiveness of and release from sins”. (Mark 1:4 AMP) When anyone of us is exposed of our wrong doing, we either want to change, or reject it! Those who avidly read the bible already know many were inquisitive as to what the change would bring, fully repented and allowed John the Baptist to baptize them. 

 Well-Worn Path

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Yes, I also mentioned the word beaten. Now bare with me on this one. Beaten is not an unfamiliar word, but in this text, it does not mean someone is doing the beating, but our own sinful ways are causing us to veer towards a path that is well traveled (a path that is showing the wear and tear of being used so much, it needs reconstruction and repair). Sin leads to so many negative things that before we know it we are beat up, tore up, and fed up! So stay on the straight and narrow path (living a righteous life [I did not say you wouldn’t make mistakes because you will], but I mean to choose right things over wrong things) that leads to your divine destination! 

Now I want to discuss Mark l:6: 

“And John wore clothing woven of camel’s hair and had a leather girdle around his loins and ate locusts and wild honey”. 

  

Although when you read the above verse, if you are like me, I didn't give it a second thought - until I asked for wisdom and knowledge of God's Word. Well let me explain. John was living in the wilderness. Scripture does not say he lived in a tent in the wilderness; nor does it elaborate much on what resources he had, where he slept, etc.; it just tells us what he wore and ate. This is my assumption of John’s wilderness: He was vulnerable to attack from predators, in constant discomfort of the heat during the day, and the cold at night, adjusted to sleeping under the stars (I'm sure storms came, so he had to locate shelter from it) and being caught off guard from unexpected visitors. I’m sure God provided protection, in addition to the tools and the right mentality to do so; but again, that was my assumption. Anyone who is fearful could not have lived the way John did. It takes a person who is fearless, has tenacity, is bold and courageous. Many animals today, if you are in the wilderness will flee from you, unless they are predators. Wilderness living will either be desert, forest, or a combination of both. Scripture clearly states that John lived in the desert wilderness. I am knowledgeable that deserts are extremely hot during the day and cold at night; with temperatures falling as low as 30 degrees.

                                                                     Jordan River declining today!

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Camels were used in the desert for travel, because their bodies are equipped to do so with very little interruptions.Their hair is very soft, but woolly to protect them from the harsh sand storms and strong winds. Camels are characterized as mild-mannered, tolerant, and have great endurance. If any of you have ever worked with the public, we know that people can be unruly and very hard to deal with, so it takes all of the characteristics of a camel to engage with people of unruly character, therefore, John the Baptist was well equipped with all of the resources and supplies he needed to encourage the sinners, stay warm, and endure negative talk!

 

I also want to elaborate on his leather girdle around his loins. This tells me John was a man of conviction and he understood humility. He did not exemplify a man of wealth in the physical and worldly view. He also kept himself pure from sexual sin; therefore, keeping his mind clear and focused on what God ordained him to do.

Biblical and leather Chasity belt! (Not exact replica, but close) 

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The last point I want to make is his diet. Although it seems disgusting to us, it was very well balanced and healthy. Locusts; and many bugs too numerous to mention, contain vitamins, minerals, natural sugars and protein our body needs; and are very low in calories. It takes quite a few to fill you up, but bugs produce very fast and in massive quantities. WOW, that’s God! They also contain fatty acids and minerals that boost the immune system, prevent inflammation of the body organs, and cancer. This is what studies have found today! Nor does it surprise me, because I already know our God supplies all of our needs and He created everything for our pleasure and enjoyment! Scripture tells us that God said; "For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). (II Peter 1:3 AMP)
 

Now let's discuss wild honey. It has numerous minerals, vitamins, natural sugars, contains hormones, antimicrobial, and antibacterial elements; as well as boost the immune system. I had had enough of diets that did not work; and practically starving myself to lose weight. I finally reached out to God in prayer and ask for help. One of the foods he said my body needed was honey. After researching it, it is very beneficial for my body; whereas, I have Graves’s disease and severe allergies; and both are stemmed from a low immune system. Our bodies digest honey different from table sugar also. The glucose in honey does not require enzyme digestion; but table sugar has to reach the small bowels where the enzymes are located to fuel the energy in the body ~ there you have it! I bet, from now on, you will invest in local honey as a sweetener and a staple in your pantry for your good health! 

Grasshopper locust

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To endure the wilderness, a healthy diet (but not a diet everyone could withstand), being ridiculed, mocked, and secluded, tells me, John the Baptist was a man of conviction; and by his actions; demonstrated his strong belief in God!

He was also be-headed by King Herod! Why? Because, Herod married his brother Phillip's wife; and John the Baptist revealed to him it is incest and wrong in the sight of God (sin)! None of us want to hear of the wrong things we are doing; and many are in denial! We want to do what we want to do - right or wrong!  

Now King Herod had the authority on earth to kill John the Baptist; but his power could never rule over God's power in Heaven. Scripture says;, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.". (Matthew 10:28 NIV) Now I am not the judge, but I do know that King Herod did face judgment - under fire!