At dinner this evening, some friends and I were discussing biblical characters and their imperfections. It is good to be reminded that "heroes of the faith" all had their not-so-shining moments. In truth, the biblical giants we often glorify and look up to, imagining as greater than we could ever be, are ordinary humans who messed up just like we do.
Abraham was afraid of what men might do to him, so he lied about his wife, twice. He did not have enough faith in God's promise to wait for the promised son, so he slept with his wife's concubine in order to father one on his own. Isaac played favorites among his sons, choosing to bless the one God had not chosen. Jacob was a deceiver and a manipulator. Moses was a murderer, the people of Israel complainers. Rahab was a prostitute. David was both a murderer and adulterer. Samson broke his vow because he had a weakness for women, Gideon repeatedly doubted, Barak feared going into battle without Deborah, and Samuel failed as a father. But all of these are listed as people of faith in Hebrews 11.
At our dinner conversation, we also discussed Esther. She is revered by many as courageous and God-fearing, but the decisions that led to her becoming queen were certainly not the decisions of a self-respecting Jew. Her and her uncle Mordecai did things that would horrify genuine God-fearers, but in spite of that God worked through their situation to spare the Jewish nation.
How refreshing and encouraging to remember that God can use us even though we are not perfect. What is more, He can even use our mistakes! Some of the people in the Bible that we tend to think of as spiritual giants are actually people who messed up more often than not. Though many failed more than they succeeded, we tend to look at their one shining moment of faith and glorify them because of it. Instead, the real credit in Hebrews 11 goes not to the men and women who at some point in their life showed faith in God, but to the God that they showed faith in.
He is faithful, and He works in the lives of faithless people.Labels: reflections