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Who are your favorite Biblical characters?


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Old Testament, I always really loved Ruth too. Jacob would be my male pick. I loved the idea of him wrestling with that angel and the fact that he worked for 7 years for Rachel and they felt like nothing to him because he loved her.

 

 

For the NT, I'd pick Mary. Often when I'm praying her line "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word, wells up in me. Oh to have that trust and obedience! I think I would pick Peter for the male Biblical character. He is so human, so fallible, yet his heart is always open to God. He wants so much to do the right thing.

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I don't look at them as 'characters' but people...Tom Sawyer had characters, WW2 had soldiers, the Bible in my book is a historical record of actual events...(sorry, pet peeve when the book is put in a light that portrays it as fictional)

 

My favorite would be Paul....his letters speak volumes and of course Jesus....:)

 

I love the telling of Naomi and Ruth/and the heart of Moses for his people

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Old Testament, I always really loved Ruth too. Jacob would be my male pick. I loved the idea of him wrestling with that angel and the fact that he worked for 7 years for Rachel and they felt like nothing to him because he loved her.

 

 

For the NT, I'd pick Mary. Often when I'm praying her line "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy word, wells up in me. Oh to have that trust and obedience! I think I would pick Peter for the male Biblical character. He is so human, so fallible, yet his heart is always open to God. He wants so much to do the right thing.

Great post. :iagree:

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Funny how many people brought up Ruth. :001_smile: She was actually one of my own first associatons when somebody asked me this question recently, but I did not know it would be a popular choice (half of the responses so far or so?), being a fairly minor character. I have always loved her husband, too, they are probably my favorite Biblical couple.

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John the Baptist is my absolute favorite ever and always, second only to Jesus Christ. He was so beautiful. Loved and wanted by good people chosen of God, set apart before he was born, his very conception a miracle...his father was filled with the Spirit and spoke marvelous prophecies concerning him, and John grew up to do it all.

 

He turned the hearts of the fathers back to the children. He spoke as he thought and his thoughts were pure. He recognized the Lamb of God and was counted worthy to baptize Him. He died for peacefully telling the truth, a forerunner to Christ even in martyrdom. When he died Jesus mourned. I pray that my children will have the spirit of John.

 

Edited to add: I forgot my favorite woman! There are two: Shiphrah and Puah. They were the midwives who lied to protect the Israelite babies and mothers. In my mind they are every woman who has ever protected the helpless while disregarding the consequences to self. Shiphrah and Puah are honest Germans hiding Jews from the Nazis, abolitionists moving slaves along the Underground Railroad, aid workers and missionaries finding their way across enemy lines to bring hope and aid...no greater love.

Edited by Tibbie Dunbar
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I love the story of Rebecca in the Bible- though she later helped deceive Isaac. Her willingness to follow God's leading and leave her family on a long journey to marry a man she'd never met illustrates tremendous faith and courage to me.

 

John, the author of the Gospel of John, the book of Revelation and the three short epistles, "the disciple Jesus loved", is perhaps my favorite man in the Bible. Though he was one of the "Sons of Thunder," he strikes me as more contemplative and tender. Thinking of him in his old age in exile on Patmos penning his visions of the future triumph of Christ has always been striking to me.

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Just out of curiosity, a light thread. :D

If you had to pick one male and one female character as your favorite ones, who would they be?

 

Joseph (son of Jacob) because of his amazing grace and ability to forgive. And Rhoda, because I think it's hilarious that she was SO EXCITED to see Peter out of prison that she left him standing at the gate and ran in to tell everyone he was there :lol:

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Edited to add: I forgot my favorite woman! There are two: Shiphrah and Puah. They were the midwives who lied to protect the Israelite babies and mothers. In my mind they are every woman who has ever protected the helpless while disregarding the consequences to self. Shiphrah and Puah are honest Germans hiding Jews from the Nazis, abolitionists moving slaves along the Underground Railroad, aid workers and missionaries finding their way across enemy lines to bring hope and aid...no greater love.

 

This is lovely. I so agree. In fact, this is hanging over my mantle:

 

MIdwives.jpg

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Just out of curiosity, a light thread. :D

If you had to pick one male and one female character as your favorite ones, who would they be?

 

Hannah and David.

 

David because, on my worst days, when I've done the worst thing I could imagine....I can always say, 'well, I didn't have my lover's husband murdered.' :( My heart aches for David...having done something so terrible. And yet he was approved by God due to his remorese and repentence.

 

It makes me hopeful.

Edited by Scarlett
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Susannah from the OT--who was willing to die in truth rather than live in a lie

Job and the Psalmist for being willing to be real with God, even talking back to him

(But I Love, Love the book of Ruth--whither thou goest, etc. always brings me to tears)

 

Mary (of Bethany?), who wiped Christ's feet with her hair

Simeon--now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace as thou hast promised...

 

Poetry and beautiful gestures get me every time. :D

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Hard to choose - so many amazing stories of their lives, and I see so much of myself in them when they falter...but I love the story of Joseph. His story of forgiveness really brought me through some tough times when I was younger and deeply needed to learn how important it is to forgive.

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Hard to choose - so many amazing stories of their lives, and I see so much of myself in them when they falter...but I love the story of Joseph. His story of forgiveness really brought me through some tough times when I was younger and deeply needed to learn how important it is to forgive.

 

I love Joseph, but I can't relate to him! He was so good!

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I love Joseph, but I can't relate to him! He was so good!

I must admit, Pharoah is the one who intrigues me the most in that story. To be the ruler over Egypt in a time of prosperity, yet he had the humility to believe and ACT on what Joseph was saying. Even in the fifth or sixth prosperous year he still believed. I'm sure it would have been very easy to start thinking, "Well it all seems good, I'm sure it will last awhile. That Joseph guy is full of bunk. Maybe we don't REALLY need to be storing all this grain."

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You mean like David? :tongue_smilie:

 

That is why I love David.

 

Yes ma'am...David is an amazing story. Truthfully - I just love all the people of the bible - there are lessons to be learned throughout. But I came through some pretty tough times growing up and learning to forgive and understand that God can have a purpose that we may not understand - I think that's why I love to read about Joseph. He was so patient while God worked through him...I'm afraid I would have been stamping my foot asking why this was happening to me...but Joseph just stayed the course. Deep sigh...wish I was better at that!

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...but Esther haunts me. Being torn from her husband to be raped by the king... and then to remove all possible exit for herself to save our people. It breaks my heart. ...and, unlike Devora's courage, I cannot begin to envision myself ever having that strength.

 

eh? I learned that she was a maid. The King wanted maids of the kingdom, not every female of the kingdom. Is there a Jewish Tradition that extends this?

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