Imperfect Models
GOD’S WAY BIBLE STUDY
Imperfect Models
Tuesday June 6, 2023
God has one overarching goal in the lives of His children. He wants to reveal Himself to us. The knowledge of God is quite essential to our very life.
John 17:3 (NKJV) “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
God does not want us to have a mere academic knowledge of Him. He wants our knowledge to be living, active and practical. We can read about all of God’s attributes, but unless we see them in practical application in the lives of people, our knowledge would be anemic. To help us gain this knowledge, He presents us with the stories of heroes in the Bible.
Heroes are models of faith. They illustrate for us better than any theory, the attributes of God as we see His dealing with men and women over the ages.
Without hero-models, knowing God will be nigh impossible… try to know God without the psalms of David, the Books of Moses, the story of Job, the epistles of Paul and see how much you have to go by.
Models
Models are employed to reveal a creator’s vision. A picture is worth a thousand words.
A model house is always fully specked out. It is often the best representation of the builder's taste, vision and skills. They allow prospective buyers to see what could be theirs, to visualize how their lives would look. As much as possible, models are made to look perfect.
Fashion designers use models to show off their creations. The models they choose are people with perfect proportions of height, weight, gait, Body Mass Index. We look at the models, salivate over the designs they are wearing, buy them and see that we don’t look as good in those clothes as the model did. We are not like those models. Even those models have to artificially create and maintain their looks, with very strict regimens of starvation, treatment, and professional trainers. A few years after retirement, the models no longer look like models. They now look like normal people.
God’s Models Are Imperfect
God does not play games with us, so He uses imperfect models to show forth His qualities.
Imperfect models are more helpful to us than those who have a perfect record.
The heroes of faith are our examples… role models.
1 Corinthians 10:11-14 (NLT)
11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age. 12 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. 14 So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols.
The Bible records the errors, mistakes and flaws of our heroes.
Examples of Imperfect Models
Abraham … fear and dishonesty. (Genesis 12:10-13)
Sarah… unbelief and dishonesty (Genesis 18:9-15)
Moses… anger issues, murder. (Exodus 2:11-12)
David… lust, adultery, murder (2 Samuel 11)
Hezekiah… unyieldedness, selfishness (Isaiah 39:6-8)
Peter… pride and betrayal (Matthew 26:33; 69-75)
Paul…. Self-righteousness, murder (Philippians 3:4-7; Acts 8:1-3)
Why would God expose His beloved saints like that?
To show that none but God is perfect.
1 Samuel 2:2 (NLT) No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.
Isaiah 46:3-5 (NLT) 3 “Listen to me, descendants of Jacob, all you who remain in Israel. I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. 4 I will be your God throughout your lifetime-- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. 5 “To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?
People say, “Never meet your heroes,” yet God presents us with heroes.
Our heroes show us the need to rely on God and His grace.
What made our models look good cannot be found in them. Only the grace of God is responsible.
If God’s mercy was good for David, it will surely be good for Victor. If God’s grace was sufficient for Paul, it will definitely be sufficient Nikkie. If the provision of El Shaddai supplied Abraham’s need, Brooke, Sade, and Margie have no need to worry. Unless we see God provide the ram for Abraham, we would not know in practical terms what is meant by His Name, Jehovah Jireh. The records of His patience with Moses by the burning bush, His unfathomable wisdom and power at the Red Sea,
Modern Day Models
Parents.
Exodus 20:12 (NKJV) “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
Teachers.
Galatians 6:6 (NKJV) Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
Pastors.
1 Timothy 5:17 (NKJV) Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
Mentors.
Titus 2:3-5 (NKJV) 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 [to be] discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.
We get disappointed when our glass heroes show their cracks. We see their fault lines and reject them. When I grow up, I want to be just like my daddy. But then I grew up and saw that daddy isn’t as tall as he used to be.
Models are also trying to figure things out.
Models do not exist expressly for us. They have their own lives to live and whatever benefits we draw from them should engender gratitude. Some are so disappointed by the shortcomings of their heroes that they refuse to honor anybody else.
How To Treat Our Heroes
Heroes, not idols.
Heroes are to be admired and emulated but not to be idolized and worshiped.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NLT) And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.
We follow the examples of our heroes to the extent that they are faithful to Christ.
3. Remember that models are also trying to figure things out. Models do not exist expressly for us. They have their own lives to live and whatever benefits we draw from them should engender gratitude.
4. We can expect great qualities, virtues worthy of emulation from our heroes, but from God alone should we expect perfection.
5. Eventually, every hero will disappoint, either through their own failings or through our own growth. Children will eventually grow as tall if not taller and stronger than their parents. A PhD holder will not be able to learn much from her first grade teacher anymore , but that is no reason to dishonor her. Even those heroes who fall, their past benefits should not be forgotten.
6. Some are so disappointed by the shortcomings of their heroes that they refuse to honor anybody else.
Benefits of Hero-Models
They show us that anybody is susceptible to failure, if we fail to lean on grace.
1 Corinthians 10:12 (NKJV) Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.
2. They show us God’s mercy.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT) 22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
3. They show us the depths of God’s grace to restore us.
Psalms 37:23-24 (NLT) 23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.
Romans 14:4 (NKJV) Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
4. They teach us how awesome and glorious our God is … He able to use such imperfect vessels.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NKJV) 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called.] 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence.
The greatness of God is highlighted by the substandard materials He has to work with.
5. This should relieve us of performance anxiety in our relationship with God, and in our posture before men.
There will be some who would use this as an excuse for not growing, for wallowing in mediocrity. They are the kind who would complain that the standards are too high in a high pressure environment. Those who love God will flourish in either environment anyway. The removal of pressure simply eases their flourishing. The difference will always be one of mindset.
Matthew 11:15-19 (NLT) 15 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand! 16 “To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square. They complain to their friends, 17 ‘We played wedding songs, and you didn’t dance, so we played funeral songs, and you didn’t mourn.’ 18 For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’19 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
