Have you ever been asked who your favorite Bible Person is, Old Testament and then New? You can't count God or Jesus (same being), besides He should be everyone's favorite.
My favorite OT person is Joseph. What a life. Hated by his brothers (almost all of them anyway), yet loved and cherished by his dad (Jacob). Envy and jealousy was so rampant that the boys decided to get rid of Joseph once and for all. I don't want to spend too much time on this part of the story but they placed him in a pit with his "coat of many colors" that Jacob had given him. They attempted to sell him but went back to the pit and he was gone. They schemed to make it look like Joseph was the victim of foul play and brought the coat (dipped in goats blood) back to their lamenting father. Moving the story along.... Joseph was in Egypt and gained favor. He was in charge of Potiphar's household. Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him but Godly man that he was, he turned her down without hesitation. She was neglected and rejected so she cried rape. Joseph was sent to prison.......Finally he became in charge of all the food in Egypt. Joseph's brothers decided they needed to travel to Egypt to get some food. They had no clue that Joseph was there (that he was even alive for that matter), has great favor in the land and was in charge of the keeping of the food. Long story short, he forgave the brethren who left him for dead and he lived happily ever after. Great bio wouldn't you agree?
In the NT I would have to go with the Apostle Paul. Zealot at the beginning, gathering Christians and bringing them to the authorities. You could kind of liken him to a present day "Dog Chapman". Jesus struck him blind on the Damascus Road where he and his entourage were bringing more Christians to "justice". He even told Ananias that he would show Paul how to suffer for His (Jesus) name's sake. Paul did a great amount of suffering for Jesus and the cause of Christ over the remainder of his life. He traveled immensely, he preached continually, he wrote much of the New Testament and no doubt won multitudes to the Kingdom. He didn't become bitter or angry. He said that he had asked Jesus to remove his "thorn in his flesh", but that Jesus chose not to heal him. That's big. Many people with afflictions do not have great attitudes. Many complain and grumble (I mumble a little). Paul went about his work for the Master. He was shipwrecked, bitten by a viper, beaten with rods more than once, publicly scourged, spent so much time in prison he kept a mugshot in his wallet (joking of course). Once in prison, after being publicly beaten Paul was told that the authorities said he shoud be let out. Look what he told the guards:
But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men who are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison; and do they now throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and take us out." (Act 16:37 ESV)
A lot of character in the man, wouldn't you say. So if I had to pick just two from the Bible to emulate it would be Joseph the Unwanted and Paul the Felon. Two of the greatest men in history, not just the Bible. Who are your favorites?
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