by David Scott Robertson
The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is filled with actual accounts of amazing people whose personality qualities and faith garnered the attention of Almighty God. Many of their exploits prove that truth really is stranger than fiction. In both ancient and modern times, parents have named their children after outstanding Bible figures.
Just today I was pondering which Bible character I would be if I were able to enjoy the characteristics of any one of these figures that made them great in God’s eyes. What about you? Have you ever thought about which Bible character you would be if somehow that were possible?
The obvious choice would be Jesus Christ Himself, who was sinless perfection. Frankly, it doesn’t get any better than that! But let’s say apart from Him, who impresses you in God’s Word so much so that if it were possible you’d like to bring that Bible character’s personality traits into your life and current culture?
* Would you like to be like Noah - who at one time was the only man on planet earth who found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8 KJV)?
* How about Moses – God’s choice to deliver an entire nation from slavery? Moses walked in more miracles that you could shake a stick, I mean a rod, at.
* Consider Joshua – the servant of Moses who grew up to be the fearless general that led the tribes of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua had supernatural encounters with angels and experienced more military success than perhaps any general who ever lived. Joshua is a fine choice for those who enjoy conquest.
* Abraham, now there’s a man who delighted God! Would you like to have the faith of Abraham than so captured God’s attention that the Lord made an eternal covenant with him that whoever blessed him would be blessed and whoever cursed him would be cursed?
* Daniel represents another outstanding choice. The word in the English language that might best describe Daniel’s life could very well be the word “favor.” Daniel enjoyed the favor of God and high ranking officials that spanned four governmental administrations! According to Bible history, Daniel’s political career out-lasted four dynasties! His fame and favor even extended to the lion’s den where ravenous beasts refused to harm him!
* Would you like to be like King David? Here’s the only man in the entire Bible of whom it was said that he was a “man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). David was a worshipper whose praise to God was so pure that it drove demons away (1 Samuel 16:16-19). God loved David so much that He made eternal promises to Him personally and most importantly, the Messiah Himself would come from the house and line of David. Setting aside David’s flaws and tragic failures, wouldn’t you just jump at the chance to be like this Bible character?
* What about David’s son, Solomon? That would be a wise choice…literally! God gave Solomon unprecedented and unmatched wisdom! The Bible points him out as the wisest man who ever lived apart from Jesus in whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Imagine what you could accomplish in today’s confused world with that caliber and quantity of wisdom!
* We haven’t even touched on prophets like Isaiah and Elijah and Elisha and Samuel whose lives exemplified a level of consecration to God that is stunning! Any prophet culled out and called out by God would be a fantastic selection!
Fast forwarding to the New Testament era, we find some awesome examples of Bible characters that if we were to somehow be cloaked with their personality traits, qualities, and world changing behavior, we would do well.
* Can you imagine being Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus Christ? How about living day after day, year after year, watching the Son of God grow and mature in your very own home? Think of the countless hours of conversation with this holy Child who grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52).
* Or how about the great apostle Paul? Would you like to have been used by the Holy Spirit to write most of the New Testament scriptures?
* Wouldn’t you just loved to have been like Peter, James, and John, the “inner core” of Jesus who were privileged to see things that few, not even the rest of the 12 disciples of Jesus, were permitted to see? One of the three, John, was even referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23)!
We haven’t even touched on the women of faith that God prized so highly in the scriptures but suffice it to say that there are many splendid examples of believers in both the Old and New Testaments that we could choose from who would be wonderful role models for us to be like.
Having said all that, I want to report to you my choice. If I could somehow be like any Bible character in the entire Bible, I would choose to be like a man named Enoch.
Enoch had a few claims to fame that has drawn my attention. He was the father of the oldest man to ever live on the earth (Methuselah, 969 years – see Genesis 5:27). He was a righteous prophet that God spoke to and through very early in the history of the human race:
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 1:14-15).
Moreover, Enoch lived over three centuries on the earth (365 years, see Genesis 5:23)! Impressive but that’s not why I would like to be like Enoch.
The reason that I would choose to have my life patterned after Enoch more than any other Bible character that you will encounter in God’s Word is found in Hebrews 11:5:
“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.”
Enoch was a man of faith in God even when there weren’t any Bibles around to explain the concept. There were no churches, no apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to tell Enoch how to believe in God.
Enoch simply had the testimony that he pleased God. And for that reason, and that reason alone, God decreed that this man would be “plucked up” from the earth and taken to heaven to be with God personally (Genesis 5:24). Enoch has yet to taste death even though “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27). The only other man that shares this unique experience is the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 2:11).
Some theologians speculate that the “two witnesses” that the book of Revelation describes whom God will send back to the earth to preach and prophesy and perform signs and wonders as often as they wish for 1,260 days during the Great Tribulation are these two men, Enoch and Elijah (Revelation 11:3).
Little is said about the lifestyle of Enoch. Apparently this man’s walk with the Lord was so pure, so righteous in God’s sight that one day God’s heart was moved to transfer Enoch from living on the earth to be taken alive to heaven.
I want to be like Enoch because I want to have a testimony that pleases God. I want to live my brief life on the earth in such a way that God is able to commend me. I want to one day hear my Master say to me:
'…Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' (Matthew 25:21).
And who knows, perhaps God will count me worthy, like Enoch, to avoid death altogether by being “plucked up” in the Rapture of the church!
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
– DSR
1/12/03