En Gedi Wilderness 2.0

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said …” (Matthew 4:1-2)

In the last post, the En Gedi wilderness was a place of refuge and restoration for David and his men. In this post we will look at the wilderness as a place for spiritual formation.

At En Gedi, David patiently waited in a desert place for God to fulfill his promises to him. I wonder if he ever thought, “God, You said I would be king of Israel; but all I’m king of is this stupid cave!” What we do know is, David had a chance to take the throne while hiding in one of those caves (1 Samuel 24). King Saul (who was trying to kill David) went into the cave David was hiding in to take a dump! David’s men wanted to kill Saul and take the throne, but David wouldn’t do it! Wouldn’t touch God’s anointed. Wouldn’t take the easy path, but trusted in God’s timing!

David was the youngest of eight brothers and a lowly shepherd. These were two key aspects (1. the humble youngest; 2. A shepherd) of young David that prepared his heart to be one that God could trust with the leadership of His people.

The youngest in the family had the least authority and generally would be the one who would end up as the family shepherd. This likely meant that David didn’t have much hope in terms of aspirations of what his life could be—other than a lowly shepherd. It was a humbling position. And yet as a shepherd, David led his sheep and learned leadership lessons including protecting and providing (Psalm 23)!

The wilderness has a very prominent role in the Bible for the calling, meeting and forming that God did to prepare his leaders!

Adam was formed in the wilderness by God from the dirt of the ground. Take that in contrast to Eve who was formed from the man in the Garden of Eden (paradise).

Abram left his home to be a wandering nomad.

Joseph had a more figurative wilderness season that formed him as a man and made him ready to lead a nation. He was sold as a slave and then later framed and thrown in prison before God elevated him to a position of authority.

Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness as a fugitive and shepherd before God met him there. Then he spent another 40 as Israel’s shepherd—also in the wilderness while God got the people ready to enter the promised land.

We already talked about David.

Elijah and other prophets spend a lot of time in the wilderness.

Before Jesus began his ministry, He also spent 40 days in the wilderness being tested by the Devil. Jesus won this spiritual battle with Satan, in the wilderness, while he was weak and alone. It was after winning that battle that Jesus entered his public ministry ready to handle all that God had planned for Him!

Jesus also used the wilderness to form his disciples! He taught on a mountainside; multiplied food in the middle of nowhere to feed a multitude with their help; he sent them into a storm in a boat; they also would have hiked over 2000 or 3000kms in three years of ministry!

The wilderness has a way of testing and ultimately forming men.

How has the physical wilderness or a metaphorical wilderness season formed you as a man?

Book a time in your calendar in the next week or two to spend at least a few hours out in the wilderness. Alone or with a buddy or two!