At the end of today’s post I’m going to ask you a question but I’m not going to allow you to answer it with complete liberty. I’m going to remove your gut-reflex answer as intensely as a laser seeks to vaporize one of the 200 tattoos on your average NBA player. Here’s the caveat to today’s question: you will not be allowed to answer with Jesus Christ the Lord.
Most of us read our Bibles…I hope. If you currently find yourself AWOL from the Scriptures please know that the gracious, merciful God of Heaven welcomes you back to His book with no accusation or guilt today. Pick it up and start reading it like you’ve never encountered one jot or tittle before in your life. As you read you will inevitably come across someone whose life resonates with you as it is laid out before your eyes on the pages of God’s good book. I love some of the people we meet in the Old Testament. The patriarchs are incredibly compelling men as we see the faults, failures, joys, dreams and promises of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob placed before our hungry eyes. Moses is a wonderful person to study as he portrays our relentless tendency to trust in ourselves and, in God’s dealings with him, we learn how the Lord works to decrease our self-sufficiency in order to do something significant with our lives. How about Ruth? What a beautiful example of humble, tenacious faith is portrayed in that dear lady. Deborah the valiant judge of Israel is an incredible motivator for those who live amongst the spiritually apathetic. Let’s toss in some recognition of another lady, Esther, who had the entire future of Israel laid on her shoulders by her God. Esther did not shirk her responsibility for a time such as that and is recorded as woman of heroic faith. On the negative side we have the sad cases of King Saul and Samson who both squandered their potential. Gideon was the complete coward who eventually became the conquering crusader. The sinful kings of Israel and Judah remind me of some of the stories we read in our newspapers today concerning the corruption of those who are entrusted with power. The vast majority of the kings in the bible were utter failures at their privileged tasks. For certain, the biblical biographies that God gives us serve to remind all who read that everyone has a story…and the pages of their life-book can either glorify God or rob Him of that glory.
I’d like to declare that of all the people whose lives are portrayed in the inspired writ, King David is my hands-down favorite. Shepherd, song-writer, warrior and king…David motivates me with his honor and warns me through his failures.
It is easy for me to identify with David in that his heart seemed to always be bursting for God while the weakness of his flesh never seemed to want to turn loose of the man. How could a man who was convicted of adultery, murder, deceit and pride be called by God Himself “a man after My own heart”? The answer is that God views all of us through the lens of infinite grace and, in doing so, deals with us as the finished product. He sees us in His son, Jesus Christ and therefore can proclaim truths about us that we don’t quite feel comfortable saying ‘Amen!’ to. King David was anointed but humble, passionate but reasonable, a dreamer but spiritually stable…and always looking heavenward as if he was convinced that he didn’t quite belong down here. He inspires me and I never tire of reading of God’s grace, love and mercy towards him. I guess that it gives me such great hope for myself that I eagerly drink from the well of his life in order to be refreshed in my own.
So now, here’s the question: Who is your favorite person in the Bible to admire? Remember, all you super-spiritual saints, I’ve removed the option of picking Jesus Christ. Why have I done so? We aren’t given the option of merely admiring Him…He is to be worshiped with all that is within us.
I have to say Paul, he went through so much trials and tribulations and just kept on, then I read his statement , the things I should do, I do not. and the things I should not, that I do, he was just like all of us as we go through this life. we all have a thorn in our flesh, conviction from the Holy spirt is such a glorious thing.
My vote goes to Barnabas … an encourager
Paul would not have got involved in the church at Antioch if Barnabas hadnt seen the need and then travelled off to Arabia to find a man to meet that need
you have often been Barnabas to me, brother
I can’t say that just one came to mind… I love the writings of Paul, Ephesians is at the top of my awesome list. I can relate to and find comfort from Gideon – his fears and God’s kind and gentle faithfulness to assure him. I am always thankful when I read about the woman at the well… I understand that forgiveness and cleansing (woo hoo! hallelujah!) And now, I find myself identifying with Martha, she was so busy doing good, working for the Master she forgot the main thing (ouch!). As for my sweet friend Amy, who chose not to choose… I will choose one for her – Amy IS the Proverbs 31 woman! In scripture she is nameless, but I will name her Amy! Blessings to you my dear friend!
I always knew you had the gift of discernment, Sharon!
Of course, I really look forward to seeing Paul (we all know why…) but I have always favored Joseph of the Old Testament with his coat of many colors. I felt so sorry for him when his brothers threw him into the hole and told his father, Jacob, he had been killed by wild beasts when really he had been sold into slavery in Egypt to Potiphar..then Potiphar’s wife falsely accused him which sent him to prison. Jospeh later when he was high in government, sent his yougest brother Benjamin back for his other brothers and father and took care of them during the famine. What man intended for evil…God intended for good. I don’t know somehow I just love Joseph. Gail Barton
He’s one of my favorite people in the OT. I am challenged by his relentless commitment to doing what is right even when it doesn’t seem to pay off.
Hi Honey,
I couldn’t decide but Daddy says his is Joshua !!! He likes his battle strategies !!!! 🙂
You’ve mentioned Abigail to me before as one of your favorites. I remember you saying you identified with her. for those of you who aren’t familiar with Abigail, she was a gracious, temperate woman married to a complete jerk and……hey, wait a minute! Why do you identify with her, Amy??????
and the congregation said….hmmmmmmm
😉
Abigail became a wife of King David after the death of Nabal, so do not blame Amy for identifying herself with Abigail.You will be identified with King David,
Sam & Zack.
Because my parents were each named after Bible Heros, I was always interested in their stories.
My mother was named after Esther, the heroine who saved God’s people. My mother was also brave enough to stand up for her beliefs even against relatives in a far country from her home. My father was named after Abner, David’s faithful and trusted general. My Dad also stayed faithful to his Savior and probably never missed a church service in his life. Whenever we stopped for gas, he would talk to the attendant and get back in the car to report his name, how many kids he had and where they went to church.
Wish i had known your parents…sound like great folks!
I will choose Simon Peter.He was the first to talk among the disciples yet he had many failures.I remember one of our most famous preachers when I was a young man said that both Peter and Judas betrayed Jesus but Peter repented while Judas’ sin was dispair not betrayal of Jesus.If Judas had repented he would have been forgiven, but instead he killed himself.I admire Peter for his many failures, as mine yet he ended his life glorifying Jesus.
Peter is my favorite in the NT for the same reasons you listed. He gives me hope as I have often found myself making some of his same impetuous errors.
I have to agree that David is my ‘favorite’. I feel somewhat guilty at night while looking up at the stars and moon and being amazed that it is the same celestial sky that King David looked upon and wrote songs about. Guilty because it is also the same sky that Jesus looked at but I identify with David as he did have the issues of flesh and sin that give me solace.
as I was running errands and singing His glory and praises for Amy’s continued healing, I was thinking (yes, always a dangerous proposition — me thinking) that your final point about removing all of our “A” choice of Jesus had a more subtle lesson also. I have currently and have had many heroes – both historical and living – and NONE of our heroes or heroines should ever be worshiped! As long as I keep my admiration as simply that, and not move the adoration across the line to worship, I will be OK. The Biblical heroes serve to remind us that we are all human and come short of God’s perfection but we should still strive to keep our personal scales in balance and our hearts always yearning for God.
Excellent insight, Glen
My namesake, the best friend of David. I’m going to preach about him this Sunday night. ‘Let us go up against the Phillistines – it may be that the Lord will work for us!’ AMEN!
Post that message on sermonaudio.com, my friend. it’s been a long while since i’ve heard a message about Jonathan