Have you ever thought about the personality traits of various people in the Bible?  I’m sure you have in the context of a particular action, such as Peter cutting off the ear of the high priest’s servant, but here I mean the sum totality of what we know about a particular person.  Here are some of my impressions.  As you read them, see if you agree, or decide how you would modify them.

• Absalom:  vain, boastful, rebellious, felt entitled.
• Adam:  clueless, weak, lacking commitment.
• Cain:  jealous, mean, vengeful.
• David:  courageous, leader, intelligent, still plagued with personal failures.
• Eli:  avuncular, patient teacher
• Esther:  smart, perceptive, courageous.
• Isaiah:  scholar, poet, willing to serve.
• John:  loving but in his youth filled with anger – Jesus called him one of his Sons of Thunder, imaginative, constantly growing in faith, perceptive.
• John the Baptist:  rugged, ascetic, independent, self-aware.
• Jonah:  prejudiced, evasive, reluctant.
• Jonathan:  true friend, understanding, upright.
• Martha:  humble, thoughtful, willing to serve.
• Mary Magdalene:  faithful follower (she was present at almost all of the important events of Jesus’s ministry), grateful, constant, dedicated.  By the way the portrayal of her as a prostitute is not in the Bible.  It is due to Pope Gregory, centuries later.
• Noah:  long range planner, obedient, able to stand strong in the face of ridicule.
• Paul:  scholarly, a little cold, self-confident almost to the point of being self-righteous, inflexible.
• Peter:  forceful, bold, good leader, not always the most self-aware.
• Rachel:  stunningly beautiful, frustrated with infertility, defensive mother.
• Ruth:  humble, loving, constant, faithful, able to relate well to other people.
• Samuel: obedient, wise, faithful.
• Sarah:  good sense of humor, twinkling eyes, grateful, able to cope with change.
• Solomon:  wise, ostentatious, concerned with splendor and wealth.
• Steven:  faithful, dedicated, courageous unto death.
• Thomas:  intelligent, pragmatic, aiming to understand.

One reason that the Bible speaks so strongly to us is that even though all of these people lived over two thousand years ago, the descriptions of their lives and actions relate to us today.  Thinking of their personalities helps them come alive and makes their messages relevant to us.  As a former teacher, I can’t help giving homework.  I’ve deliberately left out the most important one, Jesus.  Please focus on the episodes in his life and reflect on what they tell you about his mission and message while on this earth.

Finally, remember:  God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim