“Why is it important to study the various characters in the Bible?”……The Bible is filled with characters, literally and figuratively. Perhaps the best way to describe how the Bible portrays its characters is “human” because they are, in fact, human. The Bible is true and the people that inhabit its pages were real people with real problems, just like us. The Bible does not shy away from presenting both the strengths and weaknesses of those it portrays. This makes the characters in the Bible “practical” in the sense that we can relate to them and educational in the sense that we can learn from their successes and failures.……Adam and Eve were disobedient blame-shifters. Abraham was a liar. Jacob was a schemer. Joseph had somewhat of the “I’m better than you” attitude. Moses made excuses. Saul was jealous. David was an adulterer. Solomon was the smartest fool in the history of the world. Elijah seemed to be somewhat bi-polar. Peter definitely had “foot-in-mouth” disease. The list goes on and on. No matter your personality and struggles, there is someone in the Bible you can relate to and learn from.……The Apostle Paul wrote,

1 Corinthians 11:1

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

Ultimately, that must be our goal when we study Bible characters. Where they were successful in following God, we are to emulate them. Where they failed, we are to avoid making the same mistakes. “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did…These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us…No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.

And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. 1 Corinthians 10:6-13…These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, "The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry." (Exod.32:6) And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day. Nor should we put Christ…(Some manuscripts read the Lord.) to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. And don't grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.