Some People Can Never Get Enough of Themselves
Alexander III of Macedon, whom we know as Alexander the Great, was born in 356 B.C. The most successful world conqueror of all time, Alexander was such an important figure in world history that chapters 2, 7, 8, and 11 of the Book of Daniel all contain prophesies of him and his kingdom. Daniel 11: 3–4 prophesies this of Alexander:
“Then a mighty king will rise to power who will rule a vast kingdom and
accomplish everything he sets out to do. But at the height of his power,
his kingdom will be broken apart and divided into four parts. It will not
be ruled by the king’s descendants, nor will the kingdom hold the
authority it once had. For his empire will be uprooted and given to
others.”
Even as a boy Alexander was fearless. He tamed a beautiful, spirited horse named Bucephalus that no one else dared to touch. Bucephalus later carried his master all the way to India.
Tutored by Aristotle, Alexander at the age of sixteen became co-regent of Macedon with his father, King Philip of Macedon, who had been the first person to unite the cities of Greece into a political organization. Immediately the teenager was thrust into leadership of a military campaign. Two years later as commander of part of the Macedonian cavalry, he saved his father’s life in battle.
When Alexander was twenty, his father died, and he became king. He likewise became the leader of the League of Corinth, founded by his father, uniting all of Greece under his authority.
Alexander immediately went on the offensive and first conquered Asia Minor, then the Mediterranean coast all the way to Egypt. There he founded the city of Alexandria, which soon became the greatest city in the Mediterranean. He named it after himself, as he did more than sixty other cities, apparently being quite pleased with his name.
Next Alexander’s ambitions led him east. His greatest career accomplishment was when he defeated the Persians and as the prize controlled the splendid capitals of its empire. He reached India on his faithful old horse Bucephalus in 327 B.C. At that point his weary soldiers refused to go any farther, and so Alexander turned back to the west. There he shocked his Greek compatriots by adopting the style of the Persian court, including the harem.
Alexander was so impressed with his own success that in the last year of his life he apparently believed that the appropriate way for his Greek subjects to recognize his greatness was to worship him as a god. However, he didn’t have much time to enjoy this worship. Alexander died in Babylon on June 10, 323 B.C., at the age of only thirty-three. In thirteen years he had conquered most of the known world, and his military triumphs spread a Greek influence over the Near East that would last for a thousand years. It is because of Alexander the Great that the New Testament was written in Greek.
But after his death the mighty kingdom Alexander had amassed was broken up and divided by his Greek generals into four parts: Macedon and Greece under Antipater and later Cassander, Thrace and Asia Minor under Lysimachus, Syria under Seleucus, and Egypt and Palestine under Ptolemy.
God had no tolerance for a world emperor who desired to be worshipped.
Points to Ponder
God is not impressed by those who are impressed with themselves and give themselves the credit for their accomplishments. He is a jealous God who will not share His glory with another, be he king or emperor.
“The Lord is a jealous God, filled with vengeance and wrath. He takes revenge on all who oppose Him and furiously destroys His enemies! The Lord is slow to get angry, but His power is great, and He never lets the guilty go unpunished.”
Nahum 1: 2–3
Learn Well The Lessons of History………..