Old Testament Sinners and Saints E-Book

Peter DeHaan

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Bible Bios
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 192

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

How are the Old Testament characters applicable to your life today? 

Find out in this devotional Bible study on 100 compelling Biblical men and women from the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is filled with inspiring stories, influential heroes, and impressive triumphs. But it’s also woven with the stories of broken people who make mistakes and suffer disappointments. Through an array of colorful and awe-inspiring stories, we can learn much about ourselves and our powerful God in this devotional Bible study on 100 Biblical men and women.

Filled with familiar and eclectic names of sinners and saints, you’ll uncover how their stories from thousands of years ago apply to our personal struggles today. Pour through 100 characters who compel you to live differently and help you see your life and faith from an entirely new perspective.

In Old Testament Sinners and Saints, you will:

 - Uncover how the Old Testament can transform your life

 - Learn from the mistakes and triumphs of these characters

 - Gain a fresh perspective on familiar Biblical stories

 - Discover how to deepen your faith

 - Embrace the timeless message of hope found in the Old Testament

Join Peter DeHaan, Bible teacher and author, in this study on 100 Old Testament men and women whose stories offer us hope, assurance, and abundant lessons on who God is and his limitless power over history.

This devotional for women and men is ideal for individuals, small groups, and Bible studies. Each day’s study includes a short reading, a thought-provoking question and additional Bible readings to go deeper with the lesson.

If you’ve ever wondered if the Old Testament stories apply to your life, then start with the Old Testament Sinners and Saints and discover what 100 intriguing Bible men and women can teach you today. 

The succinct readings give a brief but impactful overview of the Old Testament characters while showing you how to trust in God’s plan even when you don’t know what the future holds. These lessons will not only take you on a journey through the Old Testament with Bible heroes like Abraham, Moses, Ruth and David, but will also strengthen your faith.

Get Old Testament Sinners and Saints and see how these rich, amazing stories can transform your life today and draw you closer to Jesus.

Leseprobe

OLD TESTAMENT SINNERS AND SAINTS

DISCOVER WHAT THESE 100 INTRIGUING BIBLE CHARACTERS CAN TEACH US TODAY

BIBLE CHARACTER SKETCHES SERIES

BOOK 3

PETER DEHAAN

OldTestamentSinners and Saints: DiscoverWhatThese 100 IntriguingBibleCharactersCanTeachUsToday

Copyright © 2022 by PeterDeHaan.

BibleCharacterSketchesSeries, Book 3

All rights reserved: No part of this book may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form, by any means, or for any purpose without the express written consent of the author or his legal representatives. The only exceptions are brief excerpts, and the cover image, for reviews or academic research. For permissions: peterdehaan.com/contact.

Scriptures taken from the HolyBible, NewInternationalVersion®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “NewInternationalVersion” are trademarks registered in the UnitedStatesPatent and TrademarkOffice by Biblica, Inc.™

Library of CongressControlNumber: 2022901118

Published by RockRoosterBooks, GrandRapids, Michigan

ISBNs:

978-1-948082-73-0 (e-book)978-1-948082-74-7 (paperback)978-1-948082-75-4 (hardcover)

Credits:

Developmental editor: KathrynWilmotteCopy editor/proofreader: RobynMulderCover design: CassidyWierksAuthor photo: ChelsieJensenPhotography

ToDanDeHaan

Series by PeterDeHaan

40-DayBibleStudySeriestakes a fresh and practical look into Scripture, book by book.

BibleCharacterSketchesSeriescelebrates people in Scripture, from the well-known to the obscure.

HolidayCelebrationBibleStudySeriesrejoices in the holidays with Jesus.

VisitingChurchesSeries takes an in-person look at church practices and traditions to inform and inspire today’s followers of Jesus.

Be the first to hear about Peter’s new books and receive updates at PeterDeHaan.com/updates.

CONTENTS

Celebrating the Old Testament

Adam and Eve

1. Adam

2. Eve

3. Cain

4. Abel

5. Noah (1)

6. Shem

7. Ham

8. Japheth

9. Job

10. Eliphaz (1)

11. Bildad

12. Zophar

13. Elihu (1)

14. Job’s Daughters

Father Abraham

15. Terah

16. Abram/Abraham

17. Lot

18. Sarai/Sarah (1)

19. Hagar

20. Ishmael (1)

21. Isaac

22. Rebekah

23. Esau

24. Laban

25. Jacob

26. Rachel

27. Leah

28. Bilhah

29. Zilpah

30. Reuben

31. Simeon (1)

32. Levi (1)

33. Judah

34. Tamar (1)

35. Dan

36. Naphtali

37. Gad (1)

38. Asher

39. Issachar

40. Zebulun

41. Dinah

42. Joseph (1)

43. Benjamin (1)

Moses and the Law

44. Jochebed

45. Moses

46. Aaron

47. Miriam (1)

48. Caleb (1)

49. Joshua (1)

50. Balak

51. Balaam

52. Rahab

53. Deborah (2)

54. Barak

55. Jael

56. Gideon

57. Samson

58. Delilah

59. Elimelek

60. Naomi

61. Orpah

62. Ruth

63. Boaz

64. Samuel (1)

David, a Man after God’s Own Heart

65. Saul (1)

66. Jonathan (3)

67. David (1)

68. Abigail (2)

69. Bathsheba

70. Uriah (1)

71. Mephibosheth

72. Absalom

73. Solomon

74. Ahab (1)

75. Jezebel (1)

76. Jehoshaphat (3)

77. Elijah (2)

78. Elisha

79. Naaman (3)

80. Jonah (1)

81. Athaliah (2)

82. Jehosheba

83. Joash (7)

84. Hezekiah (1)

85. Isaiah

86. Jeremiah (6)

87. Baruch (1)

88. Ezekiel

Daniel, Prophet and Dream Interpreter

89. Daniel (2)

90. Ezra

91. Nehemiah

92. Sanballat

93. Tobiah (2)

94. Geshem

95. Vashti

96. Mordecai (2)

97. Esther

98. Hegai

99. Haman

100. Zeresh

Jesus

Sinners, Saints, and Us

The Bible Character Sketches Series

For Small Groups, Sunday Schools, and Classes

If You’re New to the Bible

Duplicate Names

About Peter DeHaan

Peter DeHaan’s Books

CELEBRATING THE OLD TESTAMENT

SomeChristians dismiss the OldTestament. They argue that since Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17), what it says doesn’t matter to them or their faith practices today. OtherChristians embrace the OldTestament, putting it on an equal footing with the NewTestament. They reason that all Scripture—both the Old and NewTestaments—has merit (2 Timothy 3:16).

We should instead embrace the OldTestament for what it is and let it inform our understanding of the NewTestament and the faith practices it reveals. We can most appreciate God’sNewTestament of Scripture from the foundation the OldTestament provides.

From this perspective, we can celebrate the OldTestament. It has two main purposes. The first is to reveal God to us. The second is to anticipate the coming Savior, Jesus.

In the OldTestament law—given to us through Moses—a mind-numbing list of things to do and not do confronts us. This is to make us right with FatherGod. But it’s an impossible undertaking to achieve. Everyone falls short, whether by a little or a lot, it matters not. We all miss the mark of the OldTestament’s prescription (James 2:10).

Yet the OldTestament also gives us hope of the coming Savior who will offer a better way for us to approach God. It’s a way everyone can realize—if they want to. It’s believing in Jesus and following him as his disciple. This is so much better than a bunch of impossible-to-keep rules.

In this way, we can best read and understand the OldTestament as it anticipates and points us toward Jesus, the Messiah.

From this perspective we’ll explore one hundred characters of the OldTestament. These people appear in approximate chronological order, given that many of their stories overlap and others are hard to place on the biblical timeline. To provide perspective, we’ll anchor our exploration of these people around five notable biblical characters: Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel.

Some of these one hundred OldTestament characters provide examples to follow. We’ll call these people saints, even though they’re less than perfect. TheOldTestament also includes a colorful list of screwups (sinners), the people who fall short and make a mess of things. We can see them as examples to avoid.

Several of these people share names with other biblical characters. For example, did you know there are two people named Noah in the Bible? Whenever we encounter a duplicate name, we’ll add a number at the end to help us keep things straight. You can learn more about this in “BonusContent: DuplicateNames” in the back of the book.

As we consider these individuals on a continuum from mostly good to mostly bad, remember that all of them miss the mark of meeting God’sOldTestament expectations. This points us to God’s better way through Jesus as revealed in the NewTestament.

May these OldTestament sinners and saints inform us to embrace Jesus, either to become his disciple or to live as one.

How do you view the OldTestament? Who are some of your favorite OldTestament characters? Why?

[Discover more in Acts 17:11.]

ADAM AND EVE

Our story begins at creation, where God created man and woman in his own image. From them, all humanity follows. After beginning with creation’s first couple and their family, we’ll consider Noah and then Job, preparing us to move into the second section about FatherAbraham and his family.

1. ADAM

The first person we encounter in the Bible is Adam. And the first couple we see is Adam and Eve. Though we usually think of them as a pair, let’s for a moment look at just Adam.

In the beginning, God creates us in his image, male and female. This means that Adam, as the first person, exists in God’s image. So do we. Think about that.

God places Adam in the garden of Eden. It’s an idyllic paradise, yet it’s not an idle existence. That would be boring. Instead, God gives Adam work to do. He’s to care for God’s garden. By extension, we, too, should care for God’s garden—his creation—today.

YetAdam is also alone.

God, who exists in community—as Father, Son, and HolySpirit—knows the importance of Adam having someone to spend time with, someone to journey with through life. SoGod creates Eve—also made in his image—as a counterpart to Adam.

Though many versions of the Bible refer to Eve as Adam’s helper, I appreciate the translations which use words such as “partner,” “companion,” “complement,” and “counterpart.” In these we see a matched pair, equal to each other.

God gives Adam and Eve one rule: to not eat from one tree. All the rest of the garden’s produce is for them to enjoy, all except for this one plant. This is because its fruit contains special power. It possesses the ability for the people who eat it to know right from wrong, to discern between good and evil.

One simple rule.

YetAdam and Eve do the one thing God told them not to do. Enticed by the crafty serpent, they eat from the one tree—the only tree—God instructed them to not touch. Yet the ripened produce looks so good. Eve picks some and eats it. She gives some to Adam. They both eat the forbidden fruit.

WhenGod confronts Adam, he blames Eve. Eve in turn blames the serpent. Yet each played a role, and God punishes all three.

Scripture later holds Adam accountable—mostly. It is through him that sin entered our world. It’s because of him that we face death.

And this is where Jesus comes in. Because of Adam’s sin we will die. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice we can live.

Who do we blame more in this story, Adam, Eve, or the serpent? Does it matter whose fault it is?

[Read about Adam in Genesis 2–3. Discover more in 1 Corinthians 15:22.]

Do you believe you can live because of Jesus? Do you have eternal life through him? (SeeJohn 3:14–17 for details.)

2. EVE

Eve is a well-known biblical figure. Surprisingly, she’s only mentioned by name four times in the Bible, twice in Genesis and twice in the NewTestament. Her name may mean “living,” and we see her as the mother of humanity, with all future generations coming from her. ButEve is best known for picking the fruit God specifically prohibited and giving some to her husband. As a result of their sin, God expels them from the garden of Eden.

Though most of Scripture places the blame on Adam’s shoulders, in one place Paul does implicate Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3), though we must be careful to not take this verse out of context.

Despite this, Eve often receives the harshest criticism for disobeying God. Adam, however, is equally guilty. He could have—and should have—put a stop to eating the forbidden fruit. He knew better. More contemptible is the serpent, who lied to seduce Eve into disobeying God. Because of their actions, all three—Adam, Eve, and the serpent—suffer consequences, which they pass on to future generations. This includes us.

Eve receives three punishments for her disobedience: pain in childbirth, a desire to control her husband, and him ruling over her. This suggests that before Adam and Eve messed up, we can assume things would have been the opposite for women: childbirth would have been easy, women would not seek to control their husbands, and men would not try to rule over their wives.

The judgment Eve receives transfers forward to future generations, with women trying to control men and men wanting to rule women. However, in the beginning there was neither controlling nor ruling. There is equality, with God intending that men and women live as equals.

In marriage, this doesn’t mean wives merely helping their husbands but more so functioning as partners, companions, complements, and counterparts to each other.

We’ll do well to apply this mindset to all our interactions with others, both male and female.

Do we try to control those around us? Do we let others rule over us? How might God want us to change?

[Read about Eve in Genesis 2:18–4:1. Discover more in 1 Timothy 2:13–14.]

3. CAIN

AfterAdam and Eve leave the garden of Eden, they have Cain. TheBible doesn’t specifically say he’s their firstborn, but he is the first of their offspring we read about in Scripture. Eve praises God for his role in this, the miracle of birth.

Later, Eve gives birth to Cain’s younger brother, Abel. The boys grow up and begin to work: Cain as a farmer, Abel as a shepherd.

Cain and Abel both give the results of their labors as an offering to God. We don’t know why they do this because the Almighty hadn’t asked them to. This is well before Moses commands the people to give God offerings and sacrifices. Nevertheless, the boys desire to give back to God.

PerhapsCain decides to go first, and Abel simply follows his older brother’s example.

God accepts Abel’s gift but not Cain’s. We don’t know why.

One thought is that while Cain offered some of his crops to God, Abel offered the firstborn from his flock, the best. Another idea is that this foreshadows the law of Moses and ultimately the sacrifice of Jesus, which requires the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22). Abel’s offering could accomplish this; Cain’s could not. Or there may be another explanation we’re unaware of.

Regardless, God affirms Abel but not Cain. Imagine giving something to God and having him reject it. We can understand why Cain was angry and upset.

Still, God speaks to Cain and encourages him to do what is right. Sin knocks on Cain’s door. It desires to control him. God tells Cain to rule over the temptation.

As you may know, Cain doesn’t.

He invites his brother out into the field. There he attacks his younger sibling and kills him. We don’t know if Cain intended to murder his brother, but the story does read as though Cain premeditated the attack. The outcome of death may have been deliberate or accidental.

Either way, Abel dies. AndCain is the world’s first murderer.

God punishes Cain for his sin and drives him away.

Two brothers. One dead and the other exiled. What a sad outcome for creation’s first family.

What can we do to get along better with our brothers and sisters? When we face the temptation to sin, what must we do to control it and not give in to it?

[Read about Cain in Genesis 4:1–24. Discover more in Hebrews 11:4 and 1 John 3:12.]

4. ABEL

Having discussed Cain, we now know the story of Abel, Adam and Eve’s second child. To recap, Abel and Cain give gifts to God. TheAlmighty accepts Abel’s gift but not Cain’s. Cain is angry and kills Abel.

Though we can speculate why God approved Abel’s offering and not Cain’s, we don’t know for sure—at least not from the account in Genesis.

The book of Hebrews, however, gives us a clue. One passage outlines the faith of many of the Bible’s heroes. Among them we read of Abel.

Hebrews says that by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Furthermore, it says that because of faith, God praised his gift and affirmed Abel as righteous. The implication is that Abel received God’s affirmation with a humble spirit and didn’t let it go to his head. In short, Abel kept his ego in check.

Though we might expect God to then protect Abel for his noteworthy faith, remember that Cain had the ability to determine his actions. The only way for God to stop Cain would be to take away his free will.

How hard it must’ve been for God to not intervene and prevent Cain from killing his brother. Yet it’s not in his nature to stop us from doing something we want to do—even if it’s something quite terrible. This is a result from living in a sin-filled world.

ThoughCain cuts Abel’s life short, we can expect Abel’s faith brings him into God’s presence right away. What a wonderful outcome.

How strong is our faith? DoesGod commend us for giving him our best, through faith? Do we respond with a faith-driven humility when he affirms us?

[Read about Abel in Genesis 4:1–24. Discover more in Hebrews 11:4.]

5. NOAH (1)

Following the biblical story arc, we move forward several generations. Sin entered the world through Adam, found its expression in Cain, and, over the following centuries, chaos prevails. The world becomes corrupt, filled with violence.

God decides to wipe away humanity’s rampant evil.

The rest of God’s creation can stay, but he decides to do away with people—all except for Noah and his family. TheBible calls Noah righteous. This means he lives rightly, even though God has not yet defined what that means. Noah is blameless in his life and walks faithfully with God.

Scripture doesn’t tell us the spiritual condition of Noah’s family: his wife, his three sons, and their wives. These seven may be righteous like Noah, but the Bible doesn’t say that. Regardless, God plans to save all eight. A better understanding is that they will live not because of their own merit but because of Noah’s. So it is with us and Jesus.

God plans to send a massive flood to destroy the world. Only these eight people will survive. Everyone else will die. Most land animals will perish as innocent victims in all this. ThenGod will allow humanity to start anew, through Noah. It’s a massive do-over, Creation 2.0.

To accomplish this, God tells Noah to build an ark, a huge boat, one big enough to carry a representative pair of each species and seven pairs of clean animals—along with enough food for all.

Noah obeys.

People back then lived for several centuries, and it takes Noah and his family one hundred years to complete this massive project. Building an ark doesn’t make sense and requires years of backbreaking work. Yet they persist, no doubt enduring the ridicule of those around them and making many sacrifices as they build God’s boat, all the while attending to the daily needs of living.

When the rains come and the floodwaters rise, Noah, his family, and the animals God sends to them board the ark. God seals them inside and they survive the great deluge.

When the waters recede, eight people emerge.

God then gives Noah the same command he gave Adam and Eve, to be fruitful and multiply. They do. We’re here today as a result.

God told Noah to do something difficult that didn’t make sense from a human perspective. ButNoah obeyed and saved his family, along with giving humanity a fresh start.

We applaud Noah for his obedience to God.

How well do we do at obeying God? Would we be obedient like Noah if God told us to undertake a huge task that would take several years to complete?

[Read about Noah in Genesis 5:28–9:29. Discover more in Hebrews 11:7.]

6. SHEM

TheBible doesn’t tell us the name of Noah’s wife, but we do know the names of their three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Scripture says Noah obeyed God in building the ark. We can only assume his boys helped. If they didn’t, why would God allow them to enter the ark and live?

After the flood, Noah, a farmer, plants a vineyard. He makes some wine, gets drunk, and lounges around without his clothes. Hearing this, Shem and his brother Japheth modestly cover their father, without looking at his nakedness.

WhenNoah sobers, he blesses Shem and Japheth for their chaste action, specifically elevating Shem over his brothers.

As we read the family tree of Shem, we come across Abram, later called Abraham. ThroughShem’s lineage we have FatherAbraham and, much later, Jesus.

How can we be an example to do what is right? When we see someone doing what’s wrong, do we seek to make things better?

[Read about Shem and his brothers in Genesis 9:18–27. DiscoverShem’s family tree in Genesis 11:10–26.]

7. HAM

OfNoah’s three sons, the Bible lists Ham second, even though he is, in fact, the youngest. Scripture only gives us one story about him. It’s his role in the account of his father’s drunken stupor.

It’sHam who discovers his father inebriated and naked. He could have discreetly covered his dad. He doesn’t. Instead, he tells his brothers. Though we don’t know Ham’s motives, we doubt he seeks their advice on what to do. More likely he approaches them with the glee of a gossip, sharing the tantalizing tidbits of what dear old dad has done. In short, he’s laughing at his father and expecting his brothers to join him.

WhileHam does nothing to help alleviate his dad’s situation and prevent future embarrassment, brothers Shem and Japheth do both.

WhenNoah sobers and learns what happened, he blesses Shem and Japheth for their proper response but not before cursing Ham. We don’t know why, but Noah directs his displeasure at Ham’s son Canaan, pronouncing Canaan will be the lowest of slaves to his brothers. And later, while blessing Japheth, Noah specifically proclaims Canaan will be the slave of Japheth. This makes us wonder if Canaan wasn’t also involved in his father Ham’s folly.

Ham has four sons. In addition to Canaan, he has Cush, Egypt, and Put. FromCanaan we have the Canaanites, a recurring irritant to God’s chosen people, the Israelites, who descend from Canaan’s uncle Shem.

The only other reference we see of Ham occurs in Psalms, where it talks about the tents of Ham and the land of Ham, presumably where some of Ham’s descendants settled.

Whether we’re the youngest in our family or not, what can we do to rise above our station to act with integrity? When we see someone’s misfortune are we quick to tell others about it (gossip) or do we keep it to ourselves?

[Read about Ham and his brothers in Genesis 9:18–27. DiscoverHam’s family tree in Genesis 10:6–20.]

8. JAPHETH

We’ve covered Noah’s sons Shem and Ham. Now we’ll look at the third, Japheth. Of the three boys, the Bible tells us the least about Japheth, though we know that Japheth, along with Shem