101 Bible Heroes - Paperback

by Todd M. Cotton (Author)

"History" is "HIS STORY."It might be easy to assume that a "Bible Hero" is anyone named in the Bible, but it depends on your definition of a hero. To understand what Bible heroes are, we first need to understand what the Bible is. From the perspective of history and literature, the Bible is a library of books, covering thousands of years of history, written by many different authors from diverse cultures. That is helpful and interesting, but there is more. The Bible is the Word of God: God's revelation of who He is and what He has done. The Divine Author has woven a thread throughout the Book that ties it all together: the Big Hero Story. What is the Big Hero Story of the Bible?The Story is God's redemption of sinful, fallen humanity. God Himself is the Hero, invisible to human view until the Hero became the Man Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Promised in the very first pages of the Old Testament and revealed in the pages of the New Testament, Jesus of Nazareth is "...the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." To purchase humanity's redemption from sin and death, the sinless God-man paid our penalty on the cross. Jesus didn't just sacrifice himself for people who liked him, but for all sinful people, whom the Bible calls "enemies" of God. In Romans 5:7, the Apostle Paul makes the point that rarely will someone die for a good person. The uncommon situation does happen when a hero sacrifices himself for friends or loved ones, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. The Bible, the Ultimate Story, is the story of a Hero giving himself for others who don't know or understand why. So, the Ultimate Hero of the Ultimate Story helps us understand what a hero is: someone who does what no one else would or could do so that others might benefit, with no thought of personal gain. In the Bible, the primary "Hero Story" is fleshed out by many smaller "hero stories." The Scriptures are a collection of stories that are framed by the Big Story of God's redemption through Jesus Christ. In other words, the small "hero stories" are not disconnected from each other. They are connected and defined by the Big Hero Story.These small hero story characters demonstrate real people living and acting in time and space. These characters are historical, and though the world may scoff at Bible history, people of faith find these stories the most heroic stories in all the world.It might be helpful to categorize Bible heroes in four ways:1.Characters who were God's heroic INSTRUMENTS. There are a few unusual Bible heroes that God used in very specific situations.2.Characters with heroic FAITH. "Faith" is defined as "active trust and belief displayed through obedience." The Bible itself tells us that people of faith are key characters in God's redemptive story. Hebrews 11 has been called the "Hall of Faith." It lists names of Biblical people who were notable for their faith in God. Biblical heroes of FAITH were most often simple people with extraordinary trust.3.Characters with heroic ACTIONS. These are the stories that are most well known. Heroes of ACTION did what had to be done to save or help others. Most of these heroes had some serious issues, but their ACTIONS made them heroic. 4.Characters with heroic NATURE. This is the narrowest of all categories, with only a few falling into it. Of course, the most important one is Jesus Christ Himself, whose heroic nature defines all other heroes for us. Some of the Bible heroes may fit in more than one category, but each of their stories weaves the fabric of the Big Hero Story together. May this journey from Genesis to Revelation with the Bible heroes fill you with the grace, peace, and wonder of God as you travel.