Messianic Musings in Matthew ~ Week 2

As Chapter 3 of Matthew opens we are introduced to John the Baptist.  Here is how Matthew describes him:  "John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey" (Matt. 3:4).  This probably brings a specific picture to your mind. This description of John is very similar to another great Old Testament prophet.  In 2 Kings 1:8 the prophet Elijah was described as a man dressed in a coat of hair with a leather belt.  There is a subtle connection here that the Jewish people would have recognized.

You might wonder, did Matthew really mean that John was eating locusts?  This seems extremely strange to our twenty-first century palette.  John the Baptist was a man who would have taken the Jewish dietary laws very seriously.   These laws can be found in Leviticus 11 and also in the Talmud. (The Talmud is a compilation of the Jewish oral law.)  In both of these books you could find discussions on eating locusts. The Messianic commentary I read by Rabbi Barney Kasdan pointed out something really interesting about Matthew 3:4. You might not be aware of this, but the Bible we read has been translated from the Greek language. The Greek word for 'locust' is very similar to the Greek word for 'carob'.  A carob tree produces pods which are dried and eaten.  People actually use the roasted pods as a substitute for chocolate. Even now, in Israel the carob tree is commonly referred to as the "St. John's Tree".  Could it be  what John the Baptist was eating was not locusts at all but carob!  We can’t say with all certainty but it is something worth pondering.  Would you agree?

The thought I want to leave you with? Sometimes we are left with a certain impression when we read the Bible. As we dig deeper in our study we will learn things that give us deeper insight than we would have had otherwise.  So keep digging!!