Devotion / Unlikely heroes
The problem with heroes
God’s children love to read Bible stories. We enjoy the accounts of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David in the Old Testament. In the New Testament we read the stories of Matthew, Peter, Thomas, Paul, and many others. What great people we meet in the Bible. What a wonderful list of Bible heroes. Hebrews says that we are surrounded by a great crowd of people who serve as examples for us (Hebrews 12:1).
However, there is a recurring problem with all these “heroes.” Not only does the Bible tell us about the great things they did; it also tells us about many of the bad things too.
Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Moses murdered an Egyptian.
Rahab was a harlot.
David committed adultery, lied, and plotted to kill someone.
Thomas doubted.
Peter denied knowing Jesus, and Paul spent his early years terrorizing Christians.
That doesn’t sound like a great list of heroes, does it?
Why do we turn sinners like these into Bible heroes? Isn’t that a bit disingenuous?
We can find an answer in the story of David. David truly loved the Lord. He wrote music about him and prayed fervently to him. Yet in a moment of weakness sin took its toll. David tried desperately to cover it up, but eventually he was found out. A friend, who was also the Lord’s prophet, told David that God saw everything. David was overwhelmed with shame. We read in 2 Samuel 12:13: “[David said] ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin.’”
Forgiven!
Not one of these Bible heroes was without sin. Each of them fought the same demons and temptations that we face today.
The Apostle Paul had to admit, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst (1 Timothy 1:15). They were all sinners just like us, but they all knew where to find forgiveness. That is the beauty of God’s grace. God’s great love looks beyond the repentant sinner’s transgressions and instead sees his own Son dying on a cross to take those sins away.
Continue to enjoy those wonderful Bible stories about Joseph and Esther, John and Andrew. Each of them stands as living proof that God is good and we are blessed. Rejoice in the words of John 3:16, For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
What a wonderful message to share. The world needs to know this.
By Reynold R. Kremer