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Bible character profile
Adam and Eve
Where can you find them in the Bible?
Genesis 2-4
Who were they?
They were the first man and woman to be created by God. Like all humans they
were made in the image of God (that is to be his representatives). And they were also
the first husband and wife.
What did they do?
They lived in the Garden God made for them (the garden of Eden). Even though
God warned them not to eat from the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil” to
protect them from death, they disobeyed God and ate from it anyway because they
wanted to be just like God themselves. This first sin then became part of human nature.
What do were learn from them?
We learn that we should be content to live with all the good things God provides
for us in his love and that we should listen to God when he warns us, because he does it
for our own protection. We also learn the consequence for disobeying God and making
ourselves our own “god” leads to death.
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can give thanks that God looked after them even after they disobeyed him,
and provided clothes for them and even blessed them with children after the fall. We
can give thanks that God looked after us by giving us new life through Jesus, even after
we have disobeyed him.
Bible character profile
Abraham and Sarah
Where can you find them in the Bible?
Genesis 12-25
Who were they?
Abraham and Sarah were a married couple that worshipped false gods in a place
called Ur of the Chaldeans, and their names were originally Abram and Sarai. One day
God spoke to Abram and Sarai and told them to leave their country and their families
and go to a distant land that God would show them. Abram and Sarai trusted God,
packed up everything and followed him. God made a promise that he would turn
Abram’s family into a great nation, that he would be blessed, that he would make
Abram’s name great, and that all the peoples of the earth would be blessed through
him. God also promised they would inherit the land that he showed them (what we call
Israel today).God changed the names of Abraham and Sarah to reflect the promise he
made to them: Abraham means “father of many” and Sarah means “princess of many”.
What did they do?
They always trusted God, and God was faithful to his promise. They had their first
and only child Isaac when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 years old. Abraham trusted
God even when God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his one and only son (God
didn’t let Abraham kill his son! It was just a test of faithfulness).
What do were learn from them?
We learn to trust God always. We learn that following God involves personal
sacrifice (Abraham and Sarah had to leave their home, culture, family, and gods to
follow God).
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can thank God for being faithful to his promises, and for blessing all the
nations through Jesus who is Abraham’s descendant. We can thank God that Abraham
and Sarah are examples to us of always trusting God even when it’s hard.
Bible character profile
Jacob and Esau
Where can you find them in the Bible?
Genesis 25:19 – 49:33
Who were they?
They were twin brothers and sons of Isaac (who was the son of Abraham and
Sarah), Esau was the older and Jacob the younger. Esau was a big red hairy man who was
a great hunter (Esau means “hairy”, and he was sometimes called Edom which means
“red”). Jacob was more of a mummy’s boy who was smaller and liked doing things at
home (Jacob means “deceiver”, but later [Gen. 32:22-32] God changes Jacob’s name to
Israel which means “he struggles with God”). God chose Jacob to carry the promise and
blessing of Abraham instead of the older brother Esau.
What did they do?
Esau sold his birthright (an ancient custom where the oldest son receives the
blessing from his father) to Jacob for a bowl of stew because Jacob took advantage of
him. Jacob then deceived his father Isaac into receiving Esau’s blessing and then fled to
his uncle Laban in fear that Esau would kill him for taking his birthright. Jacob fell in
love with Laban’ daughter Rachel and worked for Laban 7 years in order to marry her.
Jacob was deceived by Laban on his wedding night and ended up marrying Rachel’s older
sister Leah. Jacob then worked another 7 years to marry Rachel and this time he
married the right one. Jacob then deceived Laban and worked out a deal where Jacob
ended up taking all of Laban’s best sheep and cattle, and became rich. Laban wasn’t
real impressed with this, so Jacob returned home to his father and mother and to meet
Esau. On the way Jacob wrestled with God and finally changed his attitude from being a
deceiver to one who trusts God.
What do were learn from them?
We learn not to treat God’s blessing with contempt like Esau who sold his
birthright to Jacob for a simple meal, and like Jacob who deceived and tricked his way
into receiving God’s blessing when God had already promised his blessing to Jacob
before he was born. We need only to trust in God’s promises and blessings instead of
trying to get it our own way.
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can give thanks that God is generous and faithful, and that we don’t need to
wrestle with him or anyone to have the promise of eternal t life through Jesus.
Bible character profile
The 12 Disciples of Jesus
Where can you find them in the Bible?
Any of the 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and parts of Acts.
Who were they?
Peter and his brother Andrew, John and James the sons of Zebedee, Phillip,
Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, Thomas and Matthew the tax
collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot,
who betrayed him.
What did they do?
They are 12 men who Jesus called to follow him who were witnesses of his
miracles, teachings, life, death, resurrection, and ascension back into heaven. The
disciples were normal men who left their businesses and livelihood to follow Jesus. Some
were fisherman and some were criminal tax collectors. The disciples are famous for
misunderstanding Jesus and asking dumb questions, but they were faithful to the end
(apart from Judas Iscariot). Many of the disciples were latter tortured and killed for
being faithful witnesses and passing on the good news of Jesus.
What do were learn from them?
We learn that anyone can follow Jesus, doesn’t matter how smart you are, or
what mistakes you’ve made in life. We learn to be faithful to Jesus to the end, even if
we struggle with some of the hard teachings of Jesus.
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can gives thanks that God loves and chooses to use ordinary people for his
purposes. We can be thankful that the disciples were faithful witnesses and passed on
the good news of Jesus to us.
Bible character profile
Mary and Joseph
Where can you find them in the Bible?
The gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Who were they?
Joseph was a descendant of a King David who was a descendant of Abraham.
Mary was Joseph’s fiancée and then wife.
What did they do?
Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus while she was still a virgin and
a fiancée to Joseph. The Holy Spirit came upon her and she became pregnant with
Jesus. Mary was very humble and gave great praise to God for being chosen for such a
great privilege. Joseph was a righteous man who stuck by Mary (even though she was
pregnant before marriage!), he married Mary and helped raise Jesus. We don’t hear
anything more of Joseph after the birth of Jesus but Mary continues to pop up at
different times during the gospel of Matthew and Mark. Usually Mary is either a bit
protective of Jesus, and sometimes thinks Jesus is mad (along with Jesus’ brothers!).
NOTE: Mary is not sinless as the Catholic religion teaches, or extra holy, but a normal
woman whom God chose to give birth to his son.
What do were learn from them?
We learn to be humble and thankful to God when we are part of his plan to bring
salvation to the world. We should be humble and thankful when God uses us to tell other
people about Jesus and bring salvation to the world.
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can give thanks that Mary and Joseph listened to God and were able to look
after and raise Jesus in safety. Give thanks that God came to earth as Jesus to suffer, be
rejected, killed, and raised to life for us.
Bible character profile
Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego
Where can you find them in the Bible?
Daniel chapter 1 and 4.
Who were they?
3 Jewish friends who were taken from Judah to Babylon when King
Nebuchadnezzar invaded Israel and destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in about 586 BC.
Their names were changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were taken
to Babylon, but their Jewish names are Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. They were
chosen by the king because they were handsome, physically fit, and smart (Daniel 1:34).
What did they do?
They remained faithful to God even when times were really tough. They are most
famous for refusing to bow down and worship king Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue of
himself and being thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 4). God rescued them! And they
survived the whole ordeal.
What do were learn from them?
We learn to be Faithful to God when we’re being teased or persecuted for
following Jesus. We also learn that God is faithful to his people in the midst of trouble
and hardship. We learn that God is really in control of every situation god or bad.
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can give thanks that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are great examples of
faithfulness to us. We can thank God that he is always in control, and he cares for and
looks after his people.
Bible character profile
Elijah and Elisha
Where can you find them in the Bible?
1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 9
Who were they?
The were.
What did they do?
m.
What do were learn from them?
We learn to be.
What can we give thanks to God for?
We can give thanks that