I can’t say whether God instructed John the Baptist to begin his ministry with these words, but it had to be something like that. There is no wisdom indicating preaching in the desert is a good way to reach people for Christ, or even to announce His coming. Starting off next to the Jordan River seems sensible, since travelers would need water, but dressing in camel hair & eating bugs couldn’t inspire confidence in the messenger!
Yet God brought people out of their comfort zone to hear him. LOTS of people, who were open to this new message and glad to hear it! Repenting of their sins, they submitted to baptism at the hands of this unkempt individual, placing their hope in the Messiah he proclaimed before they met Him; even John had not met Him at that time. They heard what he had to say, and many believed his words came from God. Enough believed so it shook the nation.
It was foolishness that confounded the wise, but when Jesus was revealed as the coming Messiah, it proved to have come from God. The foolishness of God is greater than the wisdom of men, according to 1 Corinthians 1:25. It’s no accident the platform you are currently visiting is called thefoolishnessofgod.com.
This blog is located in the vast wilderness of the worldwide web. The Judean wilderness is tiny by comparison. No river brings sojourners to hear my message, so it’s crazy to assume it will reach much anyone; but I’ve been instructed to write, so here goes nothing! My message resembles John’s. Royalty is announced with fanfare — it always has been. I serve Jesus Christ, King of kings and Lord of lords, so with everything in me I intend to make known He is coming to retrieve His Bride!