Story of the Wilderness

You have all heard the story of John the Baptist. He wore camel skins and ate wild honey and locusts. He also preached the coming of the Lord and baptized people in the Jordan River. He lived and preached in the Wilderness. The question of the day is: Where is the Wilderness?
Is it a place far far away from the rest of civilization? Is it miles away from Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship? Just where is it?
To answer that question, we must first have a small geography class. Picture first a series of three mountains. The first is closest to the Mediterranean Sea or Mt. Zion which is some 1,485 ft to the summit. The next is close to Zion, but somewhat smaller at 1,280 ft. This is Mt. Moriah. It is also the location of Salomon's Temple. For those who are not sure of this location, if you look at present day Jerusalem and see the big golden domed building, it sits where Salomon's Temple used to sit. The Jew's Temple was there and in full use at the time of Christ. The third mountain just past Moriah is the Mount of Olives. It is taller than both other peaks, coming in at 1,640 ft. Now on the other side of the Mount of Olives is a small valley that stops at the Jordan River. Immediately after the Jordan comes the Trans-Jordanian Mountain Range, which towers above the three smaller mounts. It's peaks are some 2,780 ft. high.
Between the Mt. of Olives and the Jordan river lies "the Wilderness". The reason it is called the wilderness, is that nothing grows in that area due to lack of rain. The mountains play pitch and catch with the air currents and keep the rains either on the temple side of Zion or the slopes of the Trans Jordanian's. Follow me so far? This would be easier with a picture. Once I figure out how to insert a pic, I will add it to this study.
Now, from the temple to the top of the Mount of Olives is approximately 2,000 cubits or 3/4 mile. Not too far is it? From there it is only a few hundred feet to the wilderness area. Once there it's only a stones cast to the Jordan. Therefore, the wilderness is not far from the foundations of the peoples faith. But why use such a stark area to preach from. The answer is the river.
John was preaching to the crowds, telling them to make straight the ways of the Lord. He was also telling them to cleanse themselves "the right way" (baptism) using living water. He also told the Sadducee's and Pharisee's that they were hypocrites and vipers for making the people violate the very laws that they made. This relates back to the temple. Before a person, could enter the temple to worship, he or she had to go through a ritual cleansing, or baptism. The word in the Hebrew is "bapto". The people were to submerse themselves in living water before entering the temple gates. All around the Temple grounds were scattered some 48 of these baptismals or Mikvahs. The only problem was that they all contained cistern water or stored water. This type of water was considered dead. The priests cure for this was as ridiculous as it sounds. Each morning the priests would go to the Gihon Spring and fill a bucket with spring (living) water. They would then place one bucket, along with a cup by each of the 48 Mikvah's and tell the people to place one cup of water into the Mikvah to make all the water there in living. Now these Mikvah's each contained some 3-500 gallons of water. Do the math, could one cup of anything make a difference in that amount of water? The answer is a definite no. This is what John was saying to the priests who watched him from the hills. He then baptized the people in living water, unto repentance.
With a little background, it is my hope that you understand this story a little better. Also, take with it this thought. The Jews were mislead for hundreds and hundreds of years, by a group of people, who for one reason or another, became less involved with the praise and worship of the Lord, and more and more with formalism and tradition. It seemed that every time a problem came up, they just made a law that fixed that problem, not thinking that it caused even more problems later.
There are many churches that are on the same path as the Jews, even today. They are so tied down in legalism and tradition, that they have lost sight of their first love. Are you free to worship the God who created you? Are you genuinely able to have communion with God? What is God's name? What did he say you need to do in order to be with Him in Heaven? Do not answer these questions based on Traditions of your church. Get out your Bible and see what it says. Keep in mind that "The Word" will judge you on that final day, not the traditions of men. Which will you follow.

more later