Category: Trial of Bible characters

Early in his life, Joseph encountered great trials. From the position of favourite son, he went to become a slave. Joseph had big dreams, literally. He dreamt that his brothers and even his parents would bow down to him. (Gen 37:5-10 NIV)  Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. {6} He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: {7} We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." {8} His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream…

Evaluate the cause and try to eliminate them Sin Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Ask God to reveal to you any sin that may be contributing to your difficulties. (Psa 139:23-24 NIV)  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. {24} See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. However, suffering is not always the result of sin (See study on Job) Blessings & Curses Uncontrollable factors For example, we organize a picnic and it rains. Human error In such a case, we need to evaluate the situation on a natural plane and ask ourselves how we can avoid this in future. God’s testing…

Mat 14:25-32 NIV)  During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. {26} When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. {27} But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." {28} "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." {29} "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. {30} But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" {31} Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did…

(1 Sam 17:4-8 NIV)  A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. {5} He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels ; {6} on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. {7} His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him. {8} Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to…

(Mat 4:1-4 NIV)  Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. {2} After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. {3} The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." {4} Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" The tempter came to Jesus after He had finished forty days of fasting and was hungry. It would have been no temptation to Jesus if the tempter had come when Jesus was not hungry. The devil always attacks us in our area of weakness. When Satan said to Jesus, “If you are the Son of…

When we talk about trials in the Bible, one would most certainly think about the trials of Job. Perhaps no one in the Bible has suffered so much within such a short time. And these sufferings were not the result of any sin that Job has committed. It was the result of God testing him to see whether he would still fear God when things are not going well. (Job 1:8-11 NIV)  Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." {9} "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. {10} "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?…

God took away his wife from him suddenly, the wife he was so fond of that he calls the “delight of his eyes”. Yet God told him that he is not supposed to openly mourn for his wife. (Ezek 24:16-18 NIV)  "Son of man, with one blow I am about to take away from you the delight of your eyes. Yet do not lament or weep or shed any tears. {17} Groan quietly; do not mourn for the dead. Keep your turban fastened and your sandals on your feet; do not cover the lower part of your face or eat the customary food of mourners." {18} So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. The next morning I did as I had…

Mark was sometimes called by his Jewish name, John, and sometimes by his Roman name, Mark. Mark was someone who failed but managed to recover from his failure to finish well. When Barnabas and Paul went as missionaries, they took Mark to help. (Acts 13:5 NIV)  When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John (i.e. Mark) was with them as their helper. They went from Antioch to Cyprus and then on to Pamphylia, where Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. The most likely reason was because of the dangers of the rough interior country towards which Paul was heading. Apparently Mark’s zeal had dwindled and his courage had failed him. (Acts 13:13 NIV)  From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to…

The first trial of David is how he toiled for 14 years just to have the wife of his dreams. (Gen 29:18-30 NIV)  Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel." {19} Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me." {20} So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. {21} Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her." {22} So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. {23} But when evening came,…

(Exo 2:11-12 NIV)  One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. {12} Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. Moses was given a choice. Does he want to stand with his people, who are the persecuted lot, or does he want to identify himself with the Egyptians, who are persecuting his own people? Moses chose the former and as a result he had to run away from the Pharaoh and endure 40 years in the desert. In life we are also given that choice. Do we want to do God’s will…