The Bible is full of men just like you and me. Story after story illustrates how God can take broken humans and use them for His glory. With that in mind, it is hard to narrow it down to a few favorites, but I’ve tried to list my five favorite men in the Bible who aren’t Jesus. Hopefully, these aren’t the stereotypical Bible characters that often come to mind.
5. Abraham
My love for Abraham originates from one single story. In Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to take his only son Isaac and sacrifice him. Isaac was the promised son that Abraham had waited 25 years for and now God was telling him to take his life. The beauty is shown in Abraham’s faith that God had a plan that was beyond his comprehension. Fortunately, God spared Isaac at the final moment and provided a ram for the sacrifice. This story is a beautiful image of what God did for us by sending His only Son to complete our sacrifice, Jesus.
4. Joseph
The story of Joseph is unmatched in the Old Testament. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, rose to prominence in his master’s house in Egypt, was imprisoned, and ultimately rose to second in command of all of Egypt. The greatest irony comes when famine strikes and his brothers must come to him for food. Ultimately, Joseph provides salvation to his very brothers that had sent him into slavery. Joseph’s story is a story of God’s providence and forgiveness and points us to the greatest giver of salvation and forgiveness, Christ.
3. Ezra
Ezra is a much lesser known Bible character. Ezra’s story begins when the Jewish people must return to Jerusalem after being held in captivity in Babylon. Ezra is a Levite who reintroduced the Law to the people in Israel. They had strayed away, worshiped idols, and married unclean people. They had turned their backs on God. Through Ezra, God brought a much-needed revival in Jerusalem.
2. Jonah
Everyone probably knows who Jonah is. He was the guy eaten by the giant fish. If we’re honest, there’s not a lot to like about Jonah. He runs from God, lies about it, and then when he finally obeys God, he does it with no love for the people he was preaching to. But what I love about Jonah is that he reminds me a lot of myself. Too often, I run from God and when I finally do what God wants, I do it without thanksgiving. We should be careful in judging Jonah because we might find we’re a lot like him. He’s human and that's what makes him so cool.
1. Timothy
Timothy is one of the hidden characters in the New Testament. What we often forget about Timothy is that he was present at some of the greatest events in Acts. He followed Paul and saw Paul heal the sick, cast out demons, and plant churches. For most of Paul’s ministry in Acts, Timothy is with him. Paul poured himself into Timothy to train him, and this is evident in Paul’s letters to Timothy. In fact, Paul writes his final letter to Timothy just before he died. Timothy started ministry when he was very young and he saw a lot, that’s why I can identify with him.
What’s true of all these men is that they are imperfect. They all fail to live up to the standard that God expects, but God uses them anyway to carry out His plan. They all highlight the love, grace, and sovereignty of God who decided to use us for His purposes. Ultimately, they all point us to the One Man who was perfect and who was sent for our sins. Of these men, Jesus is still greater. But through these men, we can have confidence that God can take our brokenness and use us for something greater than ourselves.
