Studying the life of a biblical character: learning from those who walked before us
The Bible is full of stories of people: men and women like us, with their strengths, fears, faults and victories. Once a month, this quest invites you to linger over one of them and follow their life.
What it looks like in your day
Choose a character, then read the passages about them, over several days. Here are some ideas of characters, with passages to read:
- Joseph (Genesis 37 to 50): from the pit to the palace, faithfulness and forgiveness.
- Ruth (the book of Ruth): loyalty and quiet boldness.
- David (1 Samuel 16 to 1 Kings 2): praise, courage, sin and repentance.
- Peter (the Gospels and Acts 1 to 12): enthusiasm, denial, restoration.
- Esther (the book of Esther): a woman's courage at a crucial moment.
- Paul (Acts 9 to 28): from persecutor to apostle.
Here is a method in five steps:
- Read their story in order. Take several days if the character is important.
- Draw up a short timeline: their main stages, meetings, turning points.
- Note their strengths and weaknesses. What makes them endearing? Where do they fall?
- Observe how God acts in their life: how does he shape them, call them, lift them up?
- Ask yourself: "What does their life teach me about God? And about myself?"
If you are in a hurry, choose a short character (Ruth, Jonah, Esther). If you are a beginner, start with Joseph: his story is gripping. If you are shy, you can keep it all to yourself, or share just one lesson.
What the Bible says
The authors of the New Testament invite us to look at the characters carefully. Paul writes that the stories of old were written for us:
“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
The letter to the Hebrews evokes a crowd of characters as a "cloud of witnesses":
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
They are not superhumans: they are people of faith, who encourage us to run with patience, looking unto Jesus. And James highlights their humanity:
“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”
Elijah "was a man subject to like passions as we are." That makes his prayers accessible. Studying a character is a chance to see them up close, with their limits, and to understand that God works with ordinary people. It is also written: "Remember them which have the rule over you... whose faith follow" (Hebrews 13:7).
Pitfalls to avoid
Idealizing the character. The heroes of the Bible are presented with their faults: David commits adultery and murder, Peter denies Jesus. Don't make them perfect.
Turning them into a mere moral model. The stories of the characters are not primarily a series of behavior tips. They tell what God does. The real hero of each story is God.
Pasting your own story onto it. It is tempting to read a story only through what you are living. Start by understanding the character in their context, then ask what speaks to you.
Getting lost in the details. Genealogies, dates and places can be numerous. Don't get stuck: the essential is the narrative thread.
Imitating without discernment. Not all the characters' actions are to be imitated. The story describes, it doesn't necessarily recommend. Read what the text itself judges.
This month, choose a character. Plan four or five readings during the week.