Living Like Heroes

Living as Heroes

“Hebrews: 11: 1 to 40.”

There is a plan in place for every one of God’s children. We have been welcomed into the family of God by the “Royal Decree,” and much like King David of old, we have been reborn through the experience of being “Born Again” to “Reign in Life” as members of the royal family and children of the kingdom.

It is a fact, however, that we live in an environment that is always shifting in terms of ideas, ideologies, the blurring of boundaries, and landscapes. In my view, the world in general and His Church, in particular, are in dire need of admirable examples to emulate as role models. It requires “Authentic Heroes-People of Integrity-Prophets of Steel, individuals who have the Hearts of Lions that can provide an Injection of Spiritual Adrenalin everywhere they go, offering a Moral Compass.” “Authentic Heroes-People of Integrity-Prophets of Steel.” These are heroes whose lives will encourage everyone who witnesses them to take God seriously, obey His Word obediently, and pursue Christ with a passionate love.

Even though our society is very different from theirs, the most fundamental questions we have concerning God and the universe have not changed. We still have lofty goals and aspirations that are focused solely on ourselves. We face challenges such as anxiety and hesitation, fight against the pull of sexual temptation, and feel the pangs of loneliness as well as the heartbreak brought on by betrayal. And, just like many of these guys, we yearn to have a closer walk with the God who invites us into a personal relationship with himself and who helps us to live lives that are in alignment with the purpose that He has for our lives.

The men in the Bible were complex flesh-and-blood beings, and their strengths and faults often appear eerily similar to our own. However, what I have to say is just as applicable to women, so please don’t take this as sexist commentary. There are “kings and commoners, sinners and prophets”, and it is very clear that their eventful lives present us with a new perspective on the progression of the tale of redemption. Today, we find that we are in a position to “look back” and learn about the spiritual “hall of fame” that has been laid out for us in the passage that is titled “Hebrews: 1 to 40.” These folks “wrestled with sin, experienced God’s forgiveness, suffered with weakness, and conquered by faith,” and the characters that are featured in the book offer us “raw, unedited, gritty experiences of men and women sometimes flying, sometimes stumbling through the magnificent life of faith.” Not in the least like any of us.

God has determined that the best way to instruct His people, both Israel and the Church, is to do so via the stories found in the Bible. The tales of these people have been preserved in the Bible not only because of their trust in God but also, perhaps more crucially, so that we may learn of God’s faithfulness to them and, by extension, to ourselves via their example. These magnificent lives from the Bible present us with realistic images of “Real Men and Women” to admire and, at the same time, provide applicable concepts for us to use in our own lives.

This information may be of interest to you: David is referenced in the Bible more times than any other individual. His name is mentioned in the Bible more times than that of Abraham and Moses combined. Even the Lord Jesus Christ is mentioned less frequently than he is. There are over 1100 occurrences of his name in the Bible, with 58 of those occurrences occurring in the New Testament. His biography is included in four books of the Old Testament, which together contain 61 chapters. He is credited with writing at least 73 psalms. In the thirty centuries plus that have passed since his death, he has been depicted in paintings and sculptures, idealised, and made into an eternal figure. Even now, people continue to honour him by naming their children after him.

The Bible never exaggerates its heroes or tries to make them sound better than they were. It reveals the unfiltered reality of each individual.

If a man is a liar, it says so. If he is a con artist, it states so right there.

Because the Bible always reveals the truth, we are able to better appreciate the grace of God, which is at work upon the foundation of human frailty when we read it against the background of human frailty and failure. The entirety of David’s life is laid out before us like a big canvas, presenting a picture of life that is so comprehensive that it is difficult to take it all in. It is rather fascinating to note that if we were to look at the record of David’s life, it would be extremely rich, and we would see him in a variety of guises, firstly David was a King but also: –

• He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons.
• When he was a teenager, he worked as a shepherd.
• Saul employed him as a court musician.
• He had a reputation as a giant killer.
• He was a wanted criminal who was on the run.
• Jonathan considered him to be his best buddy.
• He won the admiration and affection of a large number of people, becoming a hero to many.
• He had a history of murder.
• He reigned longer than any other Israelite monarch.
• He has an extraordinary talent as a poet.
• He had a lot of talent in the building trade.
• He had a powerful presence and a magnetic personality.
• He was a sexual predator and rapist.
• He was a man who committed adultery.
• He was a father to a son, but the son rebelled against his authority.
• He came from nowhere to become the leader of his country.
• As a result of the dumb decisions that he made, he was able to bring an end to his reign in the midst of conflict and intrigue.
• He was chosen and endowed, yet he did not lose touch with his humanity.
• He was a contradiction in terms since he was powerful in combat yet cowardly at home.
• He danced in front of the Lord. In the presence of the Lord, he worshipped by laughing, crying, and weeping while also expressing everything that was in his heart.
• He is completely human, consisting of both flesh and blood, and he is one of us.

Given everything that was in front of us, what was God’s opinion of this man? The only person whom God ever spoke such words to was him: “This is a guy after my own heart.”  And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will“ 1 Samuel 13:14 implied and Acts 13:22.I, for one, count myself fortunate and am also glad to have heard that – Why? Because if it can be stated about David, then it indicates that there is hope for all of us to achieve our goals. From the perspective of humans, he was the candidate with the lowest chance of being elected King. This leads us to the understanding of the principle of Sovereign Grace. Those people that the world disregards are the ones that God chose to carry out his purpose.

As we go forward together in our walk of faith, let us take heart in the fact that we can see the road that lies in front of us, and even if we can’t, we can take comfort in the fact that God is in charge.