Why is knowing about the various characters in the Bible important?
Much can be learned from studying the various characters in the Bible. Each individual mentioned in Scripture is discussed for particular purposes important in the unfolding of God's divine plan. They were real people, just like us. By studying the lives of the Bible's characters, we can learn from both their strengths and weaknesses, developing a stronger knowledge of God's Word and a stronger walk with God in the process.
For example, the Bible begins with the first family, Adam and Eve. They exhibited positive traits, including fellowship with God, worshiping the Lord, and community with one another, yet also showed the consequences of sin through disobedience to God's command. The account of Jonah includes many life lessons, ranging from the consequences of running from God to the many ways God can work through our lives to change those living in ways that displease the Lord.
Hebrews 11 devotes an entire chapter to retelling the accounts of key biblical characters and lessons of faith learned from their lives. In the conclusion of the chapter the author notes that their lives and our lives are in some way connected: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:39-40, NIV).
First Corinthians 10:6 also notes that the sinful actions of past biblical characters are examples for how not to live: "Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did." At times, people struggle with the judgments of God recorded in Scripture. Despite seemingly harsh consequences upon people at times, these accounts help instruct today's readers toward what is right and away from what is wrong.
We can look at the life of Jesus for a perfect example of how to live. Further, we can study the lives of godly people from Scripture to learn how to live in order to please God (for example, see Paul's instruction to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:1). We can learn from the mistakes of both godly and ungodly Bible characters in order to avoid these problems in our own lives.
There are many ways to study Scripture, yet one of the most personal is the study of individual Bible characters.
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