Biblical Characters and Their Humanity

• Characters in biblical narratives serve as a mirror for readers to reflect on their own humanity and struggles. • Unlike modern narratives, biblical authors develop characters through minimal detail, often omitting physical descriptions unless crucial to the story. • When physical descriptions are provided, they often symbolize a character's moral nature, such as Saul's height representing his love of power and status. • Character names in the Bible often hold symbolic meaning, such as Abraham meaning "father of a multitude" and Jacob meaning "deceiver". • Biblical authors rarely provide insight into characters' thoughts or motives, instead allowing their words and actions to reveal their character. • Characters in the Bible are complex and multifaceted, with both good and evil qualities, similar to real people. • Even heroes of the faith, such as Abraham and King David, are portrayed with flaws and weaknesses. • The Bible presents realistic portraits of compromised individuals, highlighting their failures and God's continued work with them despite their shortcomings. • The stories focus on moments of character failure and their subsequent choice to trust in God's grace and wisdom. • The patience and love of God are demonstrated through God's commitment to biblical characters despite their flaws. • By studying biblical characters, readers can observe their own negative tendencies and witness God's gracious response. • The Bible Project is a crowd-funded animation studio creating videos on biblical themes, structure, and reading strategies.