A Walk to the River Jordan

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord" Malachi 4:5 KJV

Down the long road they went

with light hearts and quick smiles,

trusting to the day

as to their hope

for what might be at

their journey's end.

Pilgrims of a sort they be,

on a quest to find the source

of the reason for the calling

that had moved them to leave

the gates of their golden city

and verture onto the Jericho road,

trusting the word of those who

had returned from the River Jordan.

As the last of the high roofs disappeared

over the hill that that now hid the city,

they set their faces to the river

and wondered no more,

not of right, nor of reason.

As they passed beyond Jericho

and nearer to the river,

they saw the many who had come

to see and hear the Prophet,

the one they had heard of,

who was preaching and preparing people

to receive the long awaited and promised King.

It was he who was in the channel of the Jordan,

baptising people and speaking of repentence from their ways.

His name was John, the one to whom they were drawn.

As his words were spoken over them

and as the Jordan's waters washed over their faces,

they knew to the marrow of their bones

that they would never be the same as before this day,

the day they had walked to the River Jordan

to see the Prophet they were told of,

John the Baptiser.

Notes:

John the Baptist was the only Prophet other than Jesus to have been the subject of prophsey.

Jesus and John would later meet at Bethabara, on the Jordan River, the traditionally accepted site of the baptism of Jesus

Rik Charbonneaux is a retired NE Iowan who loves all of God's Word and all of His creatures.