BY ROXIE GRAHAM-MARSKI
HE BIBLE IS, OF COURSE, OUR GUIDE to living, given to us by
God. But it is also packed with amazing and outrageous stories--and amazing
and outrageous characters. The struggles and successes of people in the Bible
can serve as models for us today. These people dealt with universal, enduring
challenges, and we can learn from their successes and mistakes--these old, old
stories have relevance for Christians today. This article shares with you some
of my personal favorites and what they mean to me.
I would have throttled a lion or two . . .
One of my favorite things to do on Friday evenings when I was growing up was
to curl up on the couch next to my mother and get lost in a Bible story. I loved
to read those stories. Imagining myself back in the characters' day as an unseen
guest, I was willing to offer aid to my heroes who seemed in need of a miracle.
I would have thoroughly enjoyed throttling some lions to assist Daniel, throwing
a rope down to Joseph as he hollered from that pit, and having a word or two
with many a king (David, Artaxerxes, and Nebuchadnezzar to name a few).
I have to admit it sounds pretty tempting to me even now. And
isn't that just like us humans? We always think we have a wonderful plan, a
way to retreat out of the mayhem. We feel the need to get involved in others'
affairs and help them sort through their circumstances. Yet in nearly every
Bible story, if I were able to show up on the scene and rescue that poor hero
from all the misery and distress, it would leave our history in disarray. Thank
goodness I can't travel back in time and destroy the plans God had. Otherwise,
King Darius and Daniel's foes wouldn't have witnessed God's miraculous protection
of His prophet, Joseph and his family would have starved during the famine,
Esther and the entire Jewish population would have been decimated, and Jesus
would have had to be born through a whole other lineage!
Some of these people did change the way that God had wanted
things to work, however. And despite that, He still found a way for our history
to be written. He worked with Bible characters the same way He works with us--lovingly,
pleading with them each step of the way. Sometimes He even had to rouse their
attention by knocking them to their knees--it seems it's always easier to find
Christ on your knees--and continued to give them chance after chance to write
the pages of their life's history for His sake. God has a way of taking our
sinfulness and turning it into something extraordinary if we let Him.
Do you see the resemblance?
Sometimes I'm afraid I see too much of myself in some of my Bible heroes. I
think most of us can relate to their symptoms of humanness. How many times has
your quick temper made you say or do something you later regretted? Moses' temper
got him in hot water on more than one occasion. He struck the rock with his
rod instead of speaking to it (Num. 20:10, 11). He shattered the Ten Commandments
all over the place after God had just placed them in his hands (Ex. 32:19).
Ouch!
Peter had a temper as well. He cut off Malchus' ear in the Garden
of Gethsemane without even thinking (John 18:10). I can't say I wouldn't have
tried to do the same in that situation, but from Christ's perspective it was
the wrong move to make.
Peter also had problems with impulsiveness, lack of loyalty,
and pride. How many times have you been complimented on a talent you hold close,
and felt your ego plump with pride? Peter encountered one time like that in
particular that almost drowned him (Matt. 14:29, 30). When we begin to feel
too self-reliant on our personality, our singing voice, or our writing ability,
it takes only one stumble to be reeling from the water in our face.
Speaking of water, who can forget Jonah? He had his fill of
water too (see Jonah 1:17). Whether he shirked God's calling because he was
afraid, or indifferent, or just plain belligerent, I can relate to feeling all
three. Answering God's call is rarely easy. I can't even begin to count the
number of times I've heard friends say "I could never work for the church"
or "I'll never be a pastor's wife." When my uncle was young, he swore
up and down that he would never "get married or baptized!" He since
has done both.
I always said that Texas was the last place I wanted to go.
God must have a sense of humor, because that's where I am. Invariably, the things
we say we'll never do are the first things on God's agenda. And why, you ask?
It's all about character building, my friend.
Sometimes instead of the problem being in us, the problem lies
around us. A situation somehow gets out of our control and leaves us feeling
inadequate and alone. Can you imagine the fear in Joseph's heart as he traveled
along in that caravan headed for Egypt? Not only had he just been betrayed by
his brothers, whom he had trusted, but he was forced to leave his homeland for
what he thought might be forever (Gen. 37:28). I'm sure he would have done almost
anything to return to the people and places that were familiar to him. And the
trials and obstacles that met him in the foreign city were far from easy to
handle. How many of us have felt discouraged and alone in a land far from home
or in a situation far from familiar?
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How important
is the Bible today?
"Do not think that the Bible will become tiresome to the
children. Under a wise instructor, the Word will become more and more desirable.
It will be to them as the bread of life, and will never grow old. There is in
it a freshness and beauty which attracts and charms the children and youth.
It is like the sun shining upon the earth, giving light and warmth, yet never
exhausted. By lessons from Bible history and doctrine, the children can learn
that all other books are inferior to this. They can find here a fountain of
mercy and love" (Ellen G. White, Advocate, October 1, 1899).
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Esther could relate to Joseph. She was snatched from her home
and taken to the royal palace to be primped and prodded and made into someone
that she didn't feel she was (see Esther 2:7-9:32). As if that weren't enough,
Esther initially lacked courage. She doubted herself. She gave up her identity
for a time. And it must have stung her to physically give herself away to the
king and know that he was "well acquainted" with every other pretty
face in the palace. It's not easy feeling exposed. It's difficult to be without
identity or nerve. Do you know who you are and what you stand for? Most of us
have been wounded before by being too vulnerable. How do you keep yourself from
putting up walls in an effort to guard your heart?
King David knew all about pretty faces. He even killed a woman's
husband so he could steal her pretty face (and body) for himself (2 Sam. 11:3,
4, 14, 15). Samson lost everything he possessed because of a pretty face (Judges
16). And Jacob worked himself to the bone for 14 years to earn the pretty face
he loved (Gen. 29:25-28).
Women have a powerful influence over men--for good or for evil.
If you are married, do you find yourself attracted to and loving only your spouse,
or do you find yourself engrossed in other pretty faces? Has a love for beauty
grown into a sexually explicit obsession? Women, do you find yourselves rejoicing
in the person you are because of the inner qualities you possess, or do you
feel the need to dress provocatively to feel attractive?
Where Does This Leave Us?
Our Bible heroes encountered many of the same problems that we face in today's
society. So how does this comparison and analysis help us? Here's how we can
benefit from being reminded of these heroes' infirmities and difficult circumstances:
1. They can serve as a reality check. They can remind
us that all humans make mistakes (even the heroes) and that everyone has weaknesses
that need working on. Even as I write this, I think of what my stepdad used
to say when I was a teenager: "I am never wrong. There was one time when
I thought I was wrong, but then I realized I was mistaken." A humorous
way of stating the cold, hard facts. We make mistakes. We mess up. We hurt others
and ourselves with the choices we make. But God doesn't want us to quit there.
If we stop there in defeat, discouragement invariably sets in. He wants us to
work on our weaknesses! Not with our own strength, mind you, but with His! He
wants to see those infirmities erased from our very beings. Of course, we'll
still stumble and fall--it's written into every ounce of our being--but with
practice on our part, the weaknesses will raise their ugly heads less and less.
2. They can give us hope.
All Bible heroes (even Ruth,
Daniel, Job, and Mary, the mother of Jesus) possessed flawed character traits
in some area of their lives. These famous people that you've heard about--that
are icons in the Bible--were timid, ill-tempered, perverted, scared, quarrelsome,
sin-infested individuals just like you and me. Yet even though they had these
flaws, God never left their sides. He saw the potential in Abraham, Paul, Mary
Magdalene, and Zacchaeus, and He used them in extraordinary ways. He also saw
the potential in Judas and the rich young ruler. God sees the potential in people
no matter who they are, where they've come from, or how many times they've fallen
along the way. He can use us in extraordinary ways just as He used biblical
heroes, if only we let Him.
3. They can give us a deeper appreciation and trust for God
and His plans.I mentioned how when I was young I was ready to step in and
help my wayward Bible friends when they found themselves in a tough predicament.
Yet my solutions were from the human perspective and nearly always involved
immediate solutions and aggressive tactics. There's so much more that goes into
a story when God is involved. The solution is always richer than we would think
possible, the outcome bigger and better than we could have envisioned just by
looking at the beginning.
The same is true of our lives if we ask God to chart our course.
The problems that loom before us and the obstacles on all sides look insurmountable.
We doubt ourselves capable of making the right choices for our future. Don't
worry! God has the diagram to lead us through this life and leave a legacy in
the process. Sure, we may not go down in the record books as having killed a
giant or saved a nation, but we will leave our own indelible imprint on this
life. And someday we'll rejoice in heaven as we look back and see how God led
in our lives just as He led in the lives of our Bible heroes.
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Roxie Graham-Marski is the managing editor of the Southwestern Union
Record.
