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Humble Hero
the son of Zacharias to the greatest work ever committed to human
beings. And the Spirit of God would be with him if he obeyed the
angel’s instruction.
John was to bring the light of God to the people. He must impress
them with their need of God’s righteousness. Such a messenger must
be holy, a temple for the Spirit of God to dwell in. He must have
good physical health and mental and spiritual strength. For this
reason, it would be necessary for him to control his appetites and
passions.
In the time of John the Baptist, greed for riches and the love of
luxury and display were everywhere. Sensual pleasures, feasting
and drinking, were causing physical harm, numbing the spiritual
perceptions, and lessening the awareness of sin. John was to stand
as a reformer. By his self-denying life and plain dress, he was to
rebuke the excesses of his time. This was the reason an angel from
the throne of heaven gave the lesson about temperance to his parents.
Childhood and youth is the time to develop the power of self-
control. Habits established in early years decide whether we will
be victorious or defeated in the battle of life. Youth—the sowing
time—determines the character of the harvest for this life and the
life to come.
In preparing the way for Christ’s first advent, John was a rep-
resentative of those who prepare a people for our Lord’s second
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coming. The world is set in self-indulgence. Errors and myths are
everywhere. All who would perfect holiness in the fear of God must
learn temperance and self-control. See
2 Corinthians 7:1
. They
must keep the appetites and passions under the control of the higher
powers of the mind. This selfdiscipline is essential if we are to
develop that mental strength and spiritual insight that enable us to
understand and practice the truths of God’s Word.
John’s Unusual Education
In the natural order of things, the son of Zacharias would have
been educated in the rabbinical schools. But since this would have
unfitted him for his work, God called him to the desert, so that he
could learn of nature and nature’s God.