7 Great Men in the Bible
Moses
In Moses’ life we remember events showing a Godly man
and other stories that show a man who struggled with failure in certain
areas. Even though he sometimes failed, Moses was a man consistently in
tune with God’s plan. He loved the people of Israel who God called him
to lead.
As a child Moses grew up in the Egyptian
Pharaoh’s house even though he was born to a Jewish family. Moses
learned from the best Egyptian teachers and scholars. He probably did
not learn much about the God of Israel through his tutors, yet he grew
up sensitive to God’s leading.
Moses claimed to not be a great speaker
yet he was able to lead the Israelites for 40 years out of Egypt and to
the edge of the Promised Land. Moses disappointed God with some of his
actions but repented of his lack of trust and was used by God to accomplish His purposes
Joshua
When Moses led Israel out of Egypt one
of the young men who quickly rose to recognition was Joshua. Joshua was
chosen as one of the 12 spies to enter the land that God had promised to
Israel. Though the vast majority of the spies returned with a
discouraging report of the land God said He would give them, Joshua and
Caleb reported all the wonderful things God could provide in Canaan.
The people of Israel refused to enter
the land God had given. Patiently Joshua trusted God. He recognized the
authority Moses and his position of leadership that God gave him. Joshua
never tried to usurp the authority of Moses. He waited until it was his
time to lead Israel into the Promised Land.
Joshua was an obedient follower. He was also known as a strong leader of Israel as they conquered the land that God had given.
David
Multiple times in the Bible David is recognized as a man who followed God and was sensitive to the leadership of God in his life. We first learn about who David would become when God rejected Saul’s reign and said that He would give the kingdom to a neighbor of Saul’s who was a better man (I Samuel 15). At the time God said this to Saul through Samuel, David was only a boy of 8 to 12 years old. God knew that though David was young, he would grow up to be a man in tune with God’s heart and plan for Israel.
David wrote many of the Psalms that we cherish. This was not because David
never had problems. David wrote many of those precious poems in the
midst of trouble. Yet, David knew that his strength came from God. We
enjoy his writings today because he was a man who knew how to lean on
the Lord during times of adversity. What he wrote in Psalms about
trusting the Lord is applicable to us today.
Job
Satan was talking with God one day when he said that no one completely obeyed God and worshiped Him. God said that He knew a man who was just and upright in his life. This man was Job.
God gave Satan rule over Job’s
circumstances causing him to lose all of his wealth. Job still would not
speak evil against God. He even acknowledged that God was the one who
was testing him and he would continue to worship the Lord.
Job’s friends accused him of sin and
said he was being punished by God for his secret sins. Job maintained
his innocence. Even his wife told him he should curse God and die. But
Job patiently waited on God to reveal Himself and publicly justify Job
to the world.
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