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BARE ROOTS |
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Vol. 8, No. 7 Bible Real Estate: Macedonia |
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King Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) came from Macedonia, the region just north of Greece. At the tender age of 20, he inherited a combined Greek/Macedonian kingdom from his father, Philip II. Alexander then launched a series of military conquests unsurpassed in the ancient world. First, he crossed over the Hellespont, the narrow waterway connecting the Aegean Sea with the Black Sea, and entered the continent of Asia (334 BC). He headed east, defeated two Persian armies, and then swept south to conquer Syria, Israel, and Egypt (333-332 BC). He then finished off the Persian Empire, fighting his way through what are now Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan (331-330 BC). Alexander tried to unite his vast empire by spreading Greek language, Greek culture, and Greek gods throughout his domain. The Old Testament mentions Alexander in only a few texts. (For example, he is the "goat with a prominent horn" in Daniel 8.) However, he did more to shape the world of the New Testament -- and our own world -- than almost any other man. When Alexander reached India in 326 BC, he wanted to press on toward China. But the troops rebelled, insisting that a wise man knows when to stop. Reluctantly, Alexander turned toward home, grieving all the way that he had "no more worlds to conquer." He made it only as far as Babylon, where he fell ill and died in 323 BC. Alexander was only 33 years old, and ruler of the largest empire the world had yet known. Four centuries later, the Apostle Paul stood at Troas, gazing upon the Hellespont. He wanted to turn back east -- to Bithynia in Asia -- spreading the gospel of Christ. However, the Lord sent him a vision of a man from Macedonia -- Alexander's country -- standing and begging him to "Come over to Macedonia and help us" (Acts 16:9). So Paul turned west, crossing over the waters into Europe. God's counterattack had begun. And the spread of His domain will not stop at India, or anywhere else, until "the kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15, NIV). Amen.
... for Today While Alexander's exploits were infamous, and the speed of his conquest phenomenal, we can quickly forget that God used "unschooled, ordinary men" (Acts 4:13) to "turn the world upside down" (Acts 17:6, RSV) within a generation. We marvel at the military genius of the young Macedonian king and overlook the supernatural power of Christ to transform lives, cultures, and continents. Perhaps in our own day-to-day lives we encounter "little Alexanders." These people assail us with boisterous, assertive tactics in the workplace, the church, and perhaps (sadly) even the home. Their strength, cunning, and might overwhelm us. We feel conquered by them -- intimidated and insecure. In the face of such opposition, we can underrate the irrepressible power of Christ within us. The Apostle Paul wrote:
God is in the business of reclaiming every Macedonia for Himself. Discuss...
Publishers Note... This issue concludes our series on Bible Real Estate. After a brief break, we will launch a new series on the Seven Signs in John's Gospel during the week of August 13. | ||
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Chris Davis, PhD & David Timms, PhD Bare Roots is a regular publication, free of
charge, intended for small group discussion or | ||