Wilderness Musings

I have often wondered about the place of the wilderness in the Biblical story.  Most recently in Genesis I read about Hagar and Ishmael being sent into the wilderness.  In this case there seems to be no spiritual significance, but it was a place which likely secured their survival since Abraham's wife was such a menacing threat.  With others it seems different.  Moses had his wilderness moments.  The whole Hebrew nation had a time in the wilderness as they meandered toward Canaan.  John the Baptist was a man of the wilderness, and, of course, Jesus had a very significant moment in the wilderness after His baptism.

 

In the Biblical stories, there is a literal wilderness.  It is a physical place.  The wilderness in the Word speak of a dry and deserted place where life was difficult and sometimes impossible for those who wandered into it.  It was a place where every minute was about water and food and survival.  It was not a vacation spot, but a place to be avoided.  Yet, time and time again the Words speaks of those who are on the road of faithfulness spending time in the forsaken and empty wilderness which was very much around them.

 

Finding a  physical wilderness in our day takes some doing.  While it can be done, it is not going to be found out the back door.  Most of us would have to go a distance to find something which would qualify as a wilderness area.  Yet, as we read the Scripture we find ourselves drawn toward the experience of the wilderness.   There seems to be some spiritual value to having that kind of moment in our lives.  Even though no geographic one is near for most of us, we still seek to know the experience of it for the way it shaped the spiritual lives of those who have gone on before us.