Men and women are different. Some of their differences are obvious, while others may be less so. There are some great men described in the Bible, and men today have the task of being God’s ideal man. What are the qualities possessed by that man? What is he like?
The conscience of Joseph
Few men have seen the trials that Joseph experienced. He was taken to a foreign land, sold as a slave to a man of war and was tempted by that man’s wife, yet rejected the temptation.
“How then can I do this great wickedness,andsinagainst God?”
This profound response, found in Genesis 39:9, tells us why Joseph is to be respected and imitated. Yes, we can refuse to yield to temptation! Joseph did.
The strength of Moses
Yes, Moses – not Samson. The strength of Samson was merely physical, while Moses had the kind of strength to withstand forty years of complaining by his own nation. Oh, he had his own weaknesses, but you can hardly say “Old Testament” without saying “Moses.” He brought the people out of bondage and gave them leadership when they did not want it. Yes, Moses stands as one we can respect.
The gentleness of Mary’s husband
Mary knew she was to give birth and that she had not committed adultery. Her family may not have understood all that, yet Joseph took Mary to be his wife. If he was fully aware of the role Mary’s son would play we may not know, but he gently gave his love to Mary and served God in doing so. God’s ideal man will be strong yet gentle.
The tender heart of Simon Peter
It is easy to characterize Peter as “weak.” And, Peter was weak at times, including a significant time in which Jesus was on trial. Under extreme pressure, Peter succumbed to it, and he denied even knowing Jesus. Most of us have caved in to pressure and regretted doing so. Peter sinned and “wept bitterly”, Luke 22:62. He knew he had been weak at a time when he needed to be strong, but his grief may have been the motivation for his having great strength in his later years. A tender heart can be powerful in a good man’s life.
The courage of Elijah
We may never experience trials like Elijah’s. He was given the task of dealing with Ahab and Jezebel, perhaps the most wicked twosome that lived in any generation. They had extorted the vineyard of Naboth, and Elijah rebuked the king and his wife for doing so, 1 Kings 21.
We may never know how much courage we possess until we are in a pressure-filled situation, and then our true character will be made known. We must not cave in at such a time. Men, don’t forget Elijah’s courage.
The confidence of a shepherd boy
One of the best-known stories of the Old Testament is that of David and Goliath, 1 Samuel 17. Israel’s army was in a stalemate with the army of the Philistines. No one wanted to challenge this eight-foot tall giant, but David, merely a “boy shepherd”, took upon himself that formidable task. He did not do so fearfully, for he had already dealt with and killed a “lion and a bear” in his duties as a shepherd, verses 34-37. He had confidence, but not a confidence born of his arrogance. He made it clear that “the Lord” had delivered him in that great encounter.
When he faced Goliath, who mocked David as being “just a boy”, David’s memorable words reveal his confidence:
“This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you and take your head from you…that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,” 1 Samuel 17:46.
Confidence is a good quality to be found in a man, but our confidence must recognize the Lord’s strength, not our own.
These qualities found in Bible men are of great value to 21st century men. When we study the life of Jesus Christ we see that He had all of these qualities and more. This just gives more strength to the fact that Jesus must be our example, and acquiring those qualities must be our goal.
