June 25, 2025

Repudiating the Old and Bringing In the New (2)

Words of Ministry

[Part 2 of 2] John fulfilled his ministry by living in a way that was absolutely contrary to religion and culture and outside both of them. Matthew 3:4 says, "Now John himself had his garment of camel's hair and a leather girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey." According to the regulations of the law, John, who was born a priest, should have worn the priestly garment, which was made mainly of fine linen; and he should have eaten the priestly food, which was composed mainly of fine flour and the meat of the sacrifices offered to God by His people. However, John did altogether otherwise. He wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather girdle, and he ate locusts and wild honey. All these things are uncivilized, uncultured, and not according to the religious regulations. For a priestly person to wear camel's hair was an especially drastic blow to the religious mind, for the camel was considered unclean under the Levitical regulations (Lev. 11:4). In addition, John did not live in a civilized place, but in the wilderness (Luke 3:2). All this indicates that he had altogether abandoned the Old Testament dispensation, which had fallen into a kind of religion mixed with human culture. His intention was to introduce God's New Testament economy, which is constituted solely of Christ and the Spirit of Life.