Why The Wilderness?
Written by Jarred Rushing
(5 minutes)
The wilderness and dry land will be joyously glad!
The desert will blossom like a rose and rejoice! (Isaiah 35:1)
Wilderness places are overjoyed when a Kingdom man or woman steps into them, fully convinced of Yahweh's goodness and their own beloved identity. They cannot help but rejoice because someone who actually carries the Kingdom of God has arrived to establish that Kingdom in their midst. This is the bright, glory-filled future of every beloved son and daughter of Yahweh: to carry the very Kingdom and Presence of God wherever they go. And it only costs us one thing - our plans.
This past Sunday we were introduced to the life of John the Baptizer, named for his occupation of immersing people in the Jordan River for the repentance of their sins.
But where did John's story begin?
John wasn't born and raised in the wilderness. He was actually born to Zechariah, a priest, and Elizabeth who lived in the hill-country of Judah. Zechariah was right in the middle of performing his priestly service before the Lord when an angel appeared to him with the announcement of John's birth.
But the angel reassured him, saying, "Don't be afraid, Zechariah! God is showing grace to you. For I have come to tell you that your prayer for a child has been answered. Your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son and you are to name him John. His birth will bring you much joy and gladness. Many will rejoice because of him. He will be one of the great ones in the sight of God. He will drink no wine or strong drink, but he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even while still in his mother's womb. And he will persuade many in Israel to convert and turn back to the Lord their God. He will go before the Lord as a forerunner, with the same power and anointing as Elijah the prophet. He will be instrumental in turning the hearts of the fathers in tenderness back to their children and the hearts of the disobedient back to the wisdom of their righteous fathers. And he will prepare a united people who are ready for the Lord's appearing." (Luke 1:13-17)
Can you imagine? Not only is Yahweh answering a long-awaited prayer, but the son that's being given to Zechariah and Elizabeth is going to carry something the world has never seen. The prophecy concerning John's future, the weight of what this child would carry, is simply amazing. Oh, the pride that must have filled Zechariah's heart after he could bring himself to believe that it was true, because even though an angel appeared to him with this announcement he still did not believe that it was possible. But what a proud father Zechariah must have been knowing that his boy, born to a priest in the temple, would accomplish so much as a man.
And after John's birth we are given only one small glimpse into his hidden years.
Afterward, their son grew up and was strengthened by the Holy Spirit and he grew in his love for God. John chose to live in the lonely wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel. (Luke 1:80)
We're not given anymore details about John's departure from his father's house to go and live in the wilderness, but we are told that John chose to leave. This was undoubtedly one of the hardest conversations that John would ever have in his life. He had an amazing calling and one would think, "This is perfect! It is brilliant that this Forerunner to the Messiah would be born into the home of a priest! He will have an automatic entrance into the lineage of priests, the perfect stage to fulfill the mission that Yahweh has put on his life." And then John enters the room, asks his mother and father to sit down, and shares with them the news that he must leave their home and the religious system that he was raised in and go out into the wilderness to be alone with Yahweh. Have you ever told your family something that seemed so bizarre to them that they couldn't hide their looks of disbelief and slight disappointment? That was probably the same looks that John was getting as he shared this news with his parents. And doesn't it beg the question, "Why would Yahweh allow John to be born into the home of a priest if He was only going to call him out into the wilderness and away from the religious system that he was born into?"
Why is the wilderness so important to Yahweh? He does seem slightly infatuated with the place. Abraham was lured into the wilderness. Jacob was lured into the wilderness. Elijah was lured into the wilderness. Moses was lured into the wilderness. David was lured into the wilderness. Isaiah had so many prophetic decrees concerning the wilderness. John the Baptizer is lured into the wilderness. And then Jesus, the Son of God, was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness as well.
What is it with the wilderness?
Why is it even a thing?
Why is it necessary?
We're given such a beautiful answer to these questions in Hosea 2:14.
"Therefore, behold, I will allure her
And bring her into the wilderness
And speak to her heart.
Then I will give her her vineyards from there
And the valley of trouble as a door of hope.
And she will sing there as in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
And it will be in that day," declares Yahweh,
"That you will call Me, Husband,
And will no longer call Me, Master."
Why does Yahweh lure people out of religion and into the wilderness?
So He can speak tenderly to their hearts and make them Lovers instead of Doers.
As we are lured into the wilderness, Abba begins to speak to our hearts in a way we've never known. We discover His quiet, intimate whisper in the wilderness place. The Hebrew word for wilderness is "midbar" and it isn't defined as dry and desert-like. It actually means "an uninhabited land." A place void of other people and their manmade forms and structures. It can be thought of like a wide-open field that would be a perfect pasture for grazing animals (Psalm 23:2). Another interesting thing to note is that the same word the Hebrews use for "wilderness" can also be translated as "mouth." It's not a linguistic coincidence at all, because the wilderness is where Abba brings people so He can SPEAK tenderly to their heart. The wilderness is all about hearing the voice of Yahweh for yourself! This is why it's so important. This is why Abba lures us out of religion and into the wilderness place.
We go into the wilderness as lowly servants not knowing our worth and not knowing His nature, but we exit as Brides, as lovers of God. And now everything is defined by our covenant marriage to Jesus, not by the religious system to which we were slaves. Religion told us to relate to Yahweh only as our Master. Yahweh lures us out into the wilderness to convince us that His real name is Husband. Our relationship is no longer defined by fear, but by perfect love. And now it is His voice that is leading and guiding us, and not our own voice or the voice of others.
This is why Yahweh loves the wilderness. This is why John had to leave the religious system that others thought was perfectly suited for him.
Are you ready to embrace your wilderness walk with Yahweh?
It will only cost you everything that you've thought about Him and about yourself. That will all be redefined by His love as you take the walk.
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Worship: "In The Wilderness" by Rachel Morley
Honor: Give Online to The Wilderness Place
Share With Us: We would love to hear how you're encountering Abba in your daily walks. Don't hesitate to share what you're hearing, seeing, or sensing in His presence. Email us here!
