Biblical Characters
Biblical Characters
1- Various Characters:
In this page, we would like to contemplate some characters of the Bible, in order to take from them practical lessons in our lives… And the first thing we notice is:
1- That the Bible presented to us different kinds of people.
Each person has a special nature, and a character in which he differs from others. The Bible includes many kinds of people, so that we may learn from it that holiness belongs to all, and is not restricted to a certain group.
Take for example virginity and marriage: the Bible presented to us examples of married saints such as: the majority of the patriarch prophets, like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, and Enoch…, and other fathers who were virgins such as Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist, and some were widowed such as Anna the prophetess, and some married after being widowed such as Ruth, and some married more than one wife, such as Moses and David.
Thus each type among them, whether virgin, married, or widowed, when touched by grace, lived a life of holiness.
† Concerning age, we find that the Bible presented to us saints in different stages of life. Among them we find the child Samuel, and the boy David, just as we find the young man Joseph, and the mature elders such as Abraham, Noah, and Job.
† And just as the Bible presented to us saints differing in their ages, it also presented to us saints differing in their social position. The matter is not one of age or position, but rather of a heart prepared for the work of grace.
The Bible presented to us saints among whom were the king, the shepherd, the judge, and the fisherman, and it gave us examples of educated people, and others from the ignorant of the world. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, Paul was among the scholars of his age, and Solomon was the wisest of the people of his time, while Peter and Andrew were fishermen, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were shepherds…
What is important is not what a person is, but rather how he is placed in the hand of grace to work through him. Christ is ready to take all kinds of natures. As long as they are in His hand, they will bring forth much fruit.
He can take in His hand Peter, full of impulsiveness and haste, and Thomas, full of doubt, careful examination, and lack of impulsiveness.
He can choose John the son of thunder, and transform him into a heart full of love. He can take a burning coal like Saul of Tarsus, a handful of tears like the sinful woman, and a woman who had seven demons like the Magdalene.
The Lord can work through fiery Elijah, who brought down fire from heaven to consume the fifty, just as He works through Jeremiah, the man of tears. God does not care about the type of person as much as He cares about the person surrendering to His will.
God says to man: Come as you are, whatever your spiritual condition, culture, age, position, or social status may be, and I am ready to work through you and with you.
Therefore let no one despair, nor say “I am not fit,” for what matters is not your fitness, but rather God’s work with you. The opportunity is open to all.
2- From the same weak nature as ours:
The second matter is that the Bible presented to us people from the same nature as ours, who could fall and rise again, people who had the same weaknesses, falls, shortcomings, and the same nature inclined to stumble. How explicit is the saying of the Bible:
“Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are… and he prayed earnestly” (James 5:17).
The Bible presented to us Abraham, who feared being killed and said about his wife Sarah that she was his sister; Jacob, who deceived his father and stole his brother’s blessing; Samson, whom Delilah enticed so that he broke his vow; Noah, who became drunk and uncovered himself; David, who committed adultery and murder; doubting Thomas; and Peter who denied…
It presented these saints who fell, but returned and repented. It tells us reality, not imaginary stories about people from another nature.
When we speak about the saints of the Bible, we speak about humans like us, not angels with wings of light and fire. They were like us, with the same weaknesses, but the Lord worked in them, and the excellence of the power was of God and not of them, and God is able to work in everyone.
“The battle is the Lord’s, and the Lord is able to save by many or by few.”
