Chapter 18
Character of Other Biblical Heroes

Old Testament

18.1 Abraham was a liar, a coward, and a con man (the "she’s my sister" routine).

"…to his wife Sarai, ‘…When the Egyptians see you, they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.’" Gen 12:11-13

Abraham cheated Pharaoh by pimping for his wife and thereby gaining wealth.

"…she was taken into his palace. He treated him well for her sake, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle…donkeys…servants, and camels." Gen 12:15-16

Pharaoh: "…What is this that thou has done unto me?…I might have taken her [as] wife…" Gen 12:19

Abraham pulled the she’s-my-sister con game again. And he was still a liar and a coward.

"…Abraham said of his wife Sarah, ‘She is my sister.’ Then Abimelech king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her." Gen 20:2

"…I said to myself, There is surely no fear of God in this place and they will kill me because of my wife. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife." Gen 20:11,12

Abraham was a scoundrel, but Pharaoh and Abimelech treated him quite well, considering.

"…therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way…and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had." Gen 12:19-20

"Then Abimelech brought sheep and cattle and male and female slaves and gave them to Abraham, and he returned Sarah his wife to him." Gen 20:14

Abraham married his half-sister, but that was evidently okay with God.

"Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife." Gen 20:12

18.2 Abimelech

- Killed the inhabitants of a city he took. Judg 9:45
- Murdered wantonly. Judg 9:5

18.3 Absalom

- Ordered the killing of Amnon. 2Sam 13:28-29
- Had sex out in the open with his father’s concubines. 2Sam 16:22

18.4 Ahasuerus

Committed polygamy and adultery. Est 2

18.5 Amnon

Raped his sister, Tamar. 2Sam 13:11-14

18.6 Bathsheba

Was an adulteress. 2Sam 11:4

18.7 Elijah

Murdered. 1Kgs 18:40

18.8 Elisha

- Had dozens of small boys torn to pieces by bears. 2Kgs 2:24
- Told a man to lie. 2Kgs 8:10

18.9 Eve

Disobeyed God, thereby causing all mankind to be born in sin. Gen 3:6

18.10 David committed some really foul sins.

- Killed. 1Sam 18:7
- Slaughtered twice as many enemies as necessary, then mutilated their corpses, in order to win a wife. 1Sam 18:25,27
- Told a friend to lie. 1Sam 20:5-6
- Lied. 1Sam 21:1-2
- Committed extortion. 1Sam 25:2-8
- Prophesied incorrectly in his heart. 1Sam 27:1
- Committed aggression and mass killings. 1Sam 27:8-11
- Ordered murders. 2Sam 1:15
- Committed bigamy and polygamy. 2Sam 3:2-3, 5:13, 12:7
- Exposed himself to the Lord like a pervert. 2Sam 6:20
- Hamstrung horses. 2Sam 8:4
- Committed adultery and got another man’s wife pregnant. 2Sam 11:2-5
- Had a man slain in battle so he could take his wife. 2Sam 11:14-17
- Displeased God. 2Sam 11:26-27
- Despised the word of God. 2Sam 12:9-11
- Ordered prisoners killed. 2Sam 12:29-31
- Employed spies. 2Sam 15:36
- Locked up ten concubines for no reason. 2Sam 20:3
- Gave up Saul’s descendants to be killed. 2Sam 21:1-9
- Admitted he sinned in taking the census. 2Sam 24:19
- Requested Joab be killed as he lay dying. 1Kgs 2:5-6

But evidently all this was okay with God.

"David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord." 1Kgs 15:5

"I have found David…a man after mine own heart, and he will do everything I want him to do." Acts 13:22

"[David] fighteth the battles of the Lord, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days." 1Sam 25:28

"King [David]…is an angel of God…" 2Sam 19:27

"[Abijam’s] heart was not perfect with [God], as the heart of David his father." 1Kgs 15:3

18.11 Gideon

- Killed. Judg 8:16-17
- Murdered prisoners. Judg 8:21
- Committed polygamy. Judg 8:30

18.12 Isaac

- Tried to pass his wife off as his sister to save his own hide (see Abraham). Gen 26:6-7
- Attempted to sacrifice his wife to save himself. Gen 26:9

18.13 Jacob

- Swindled his brother, Esau. Gen 25:31-33
- Cheated and lied to his father, Isaac. Gen 27:19
- Lied to his wife, Rachel. Gen 29:12

18.14 Jael

Murdered Sisera. Judg 4:21

18.15 Jehioda

Ordered a murder. 2King 11:15-16

18.16 Jehu

- Killed. 2King 9:24
- Ordered killings. 2King 10:25
- Practiced lying and deception. 2King 10:18-19

18.17 Jephthah

- Slaughtered. Judg 11:33
- Killed his own daughter. Judg 11:39

18.18 Jeremiah

Lied. Jer 38:24-27

18.19 Joab

Killed. 2Sam 18:14

18.20 Jonathan

- Killed. 1Sam 14:13-14
- Lied. 1Sam 20:28

18.21 Joseph

- Deceived his brothers. Gen 42:7
- Committed nepotism. Gen 47:11

18.22 Joshua

- Slaughtered entire kingdoms without letup. Josh 8:25-28
- Murdered prisoners. Josh 8:29
- Hamstrung horses. Josh 11:9

18.23 Laban

- Lied. Gen 29:15
- Deceived. Gen 29:20-25

18.24 Lot

Offered his daughters to be raped by a mob. Gen 19:18

18.25 Michal

Lied to Saul. Gen 18:15

18.26 Moses

- Murdered an Egyptian. Ex 2:12
- Ordered the murder of prisoners. Num 31:17
- Ordered the keeping of young, virgin, female prisoners as slaves. Num 31:18
- Led mass killings of women and children. Deut 2:34
- Ordered killings. Deut 13:15
- Wrote that he was a greater prophet than Jesus. Deut 34:10
- Sired a bastard. Ex 2:21-22
- Was kept out of Canaan by God for unbelief, rebellion, trespassing, and rash words. Num 20:12, 27:12-14; Deut 32:51-52; & Ps 106:32-33

18.27 Noah

Cursed the nation of Canaan to eternal servitude, because his son, Ham, saw Noah passed-out drunk and naked, then kindly had him covered. Gen 9:25

18.28 Rachel

Deceived her father. Gen 31:34-35

18.29 Rahab

This prostitute was rewarded for committing treason. Heb 11:31, Jas 2:25

18.30 Ruth

Slept with a cousin instead of marrying someone else. Ruth 3:9

18.31 Samuel

Killed. 1Sam 15:33

18.32 Samson

- Killed thousands of people. Judg 14:19, 15:15, 16:30
- Slept with a harlot. Judg 16:1
- Lied to Delilah. Judg 16:10, 13
- Treated animals cruelly. Judg 15:4
- Employed scorched earth tactics. Judg 15:5

18.33 Sarah

Lied. Gen18:15

18.34 Saul

- Mis-used his daughters. 1Sam 18:20-21
- Ordered gambling. 1Sam 14:42
- Killed people. 1Sam 15:7-8
- Commanded the slaughter and mutilation of his enemies in the hope that David would be killed trying. 1Sam 18:25
- Stripped naked and acted insane. 1Sam 19:24
- Admitted he sinned, played the fool, and erred. 1Sam 26:21
- Gave David’s wife to another man. 1Sam 25:44
- Transgressed the laws of God by consulting a medium. 1Cr 10:13-14

18.35 Simeon & Levi

- Slew all the men of a city while they were still sore from forced circumcisions. Gen 34:24,25
- Slew Hamor and Shechem by treachery and stole their wives. Gen 34:8-29

18.36 Solomon

- Ordered a murder. 1Kgs 2:25
- Tried to kill Jeroboam. 1Kgs 11:40
- Enslaved people. 1Kgs 9:21
- Failed to keep God’s statutes. 1Kgs 11:11
- Did evil. 1Kgs 11:6
- Lied to his mother. 1Kgs 2:20-25

18.37 Tamar

Seduced her late husband’s father. Gen 38:24

18.38 Prophets. The prophets were ridiculed in the Bible.

"The days of visitation are come…the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad…" Hos 9:7

"Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth, and cry, Peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him." Micah 3:5

"Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity…but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment." Lam 2:14

"…the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets…" 1Kgs 22:23

"Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord." Jer 23:16

"And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet…" Ezek 14:9

New Testament

18.39 Peter.

- Denied Jesus three times.
- Did not believe the women who brought the report of the Resurrection.
- Was called Satan by Jesus.
- Admitted he was sinful.
- Was rebuked by Jesus for having little faith.
- Attacked a cop with a sword.
- Bragged that he wouldn’t desert Jesus, even though others would. Then he did.
- Asked what’s in it for him to follow Jesus.
- Sneaked along behind as they took Jesus to trial.
- Went into Samaria against Jesus’ orders.
- Accused Jesus of lying.
- Fell asleep on guard duty in Gethsemane.
- Asked who Jesus’ betrayer was even though he knew.
- Asked for signs even though Jesus said there would be none.
- Was afraid to eat with converted Gentiles because Jewish legalists were coming and would object.
- Frightened Ananias and his wife to death by accusing them of lying to God.
- Lied in saying he would stand behind Jesus to the end
- Was rebuked by Paul for not walking according to the gospel. Gal 2:13-14

18.40 Paul admitted that he was a thief; but it was okay, he did it for good ends.

"I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service." 2Cor 11:8

18.41 Paul lied about the nature of the charges against him in order to foment conflict between the Pharisees and Sadducees.

"But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question." Acts 23:6

"Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day." Acts 24:21

The actual charges were different.

"Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place." Acts 21:28

"For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:" Acts 24:5

18.42 Thomas "Doubting Thomas" was the closest thing to a scientist in the Bible. He asked Jesus for some evidence to support an unusual claim.

"…But [Thomas] said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." Jn 20:25

Jesus acknowledged the importance of testing an hypothesis and allowed Thomas to test the assertion. In this case, belief and faith could be based on a demonstrated proof.

"Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." Jn 20:27

18.43 St. John the Divine used unnecessarily colorful language. In order to keep this kind of literature out of the hands of the young and the easily offended, I will not repeat it. You’ll have to read the Bible, itself.

- Rev 2:20,21
- Rev 9:21
- Rev 14:8
- Rev 17:1-5,15,16
- Rev 18:3
- Rev 19:2