Heroes with Blemishes
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Introduction
A hero is a male or female, regardless of age, religion, or race, that performs any feat that
benefits others. Heroes are part of every culture and time period. Heroes live all over the
world. Heroes are –atypical. They work in every conceivable spectrum of employment.
Heroes do not walk around with a tattoo or wear a necklace that declares they are heroes. For
the most part those you think might be a hero collapse under pressure. The unlikely man or
woman becomes your candidate for induction into the hero boardwalk.
But heroes, like all humans, have blemishes. A hero’s blemish is more noticeable. One reason
might be because of their public stature or accomplishments.
Christendom has witnessed it share of blemished heroes and more than likely will do so until
the Lord’s return.
The Bible has heroes with blemishes. In fact, the entire Hall of Faith1 is a walk through
redeemed and useable blemished heroes.
I want to examine several well know heroes and record some lessons for present day heroes.
Noah
You can refresh yourself on Noah by reading Genesis 6-9, Hebrews 11:7, and 2 Peter 2:5. Noah
was a hero with a blemish.
Noah was a man of righteousness in a wicked, evil generation. Man’s only intention of mind
and heart was continued evil. Noah found favor in the Lord’s eyes.
God regretted making man. Man need to be punished for their abominations. God would
destroy the world by water, symbolically washing away the filth and vile from His creation.
God instructed Noah to build an ark. Noah received the blueprint from Jehovah when he was
480 years old. According to Genesis 6:22 “Noah did; according to all that God commanded him,
so he did.”
During these 120 years, three sons were born to him. Three sons married. During the day
Noah was a boat builder, a husband, a father, and a family man. During his off hours he was a
preacher of righteousness according to 2 Peter 2:5.
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Hebrews 11
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After the animals were gathered, the pitch settled into the cracks of the gopher wood, and food
was collected Noah and his family entered.
Then God punctured the heavens and drilled into the earth releasing the expanses of water
flooding the earth. Forty days the rains fell, the boat rose, the moans of the rebellious people
were heard for a while, and darkness surrounded this mammoth boat and its passengers.
God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the cattle that were with him in
the ark.2 We know the ark came to rest on Mount Ararat and all were safe. Noah
worshipped God and God sealed His covenant with him that we enjoy after many
rains – the rainbow.
Noah settled into repopulating the earth, planting vineyards, and resuming a
normal life. Noah had a green thumb and his vineyard did well. Noah enjoyed the fruit of the
vine and got drunk. He was in such a stupor that he either fell down and passed out or lies
down and fell asleep naked. Ham discovered his father’s nakedness and told his two brothers.
The two brothers entered backwards with a garment draped across their shoulders and covered
Noah’s nakedness.
This great man - this man of faith – lived out the balance of his 350 years with this blemish.3 No
other mention of this blemish is made in Scripture. No prophet uses it as an illustration. Christ
does not refer to it. Jehovah does not remind His people of their ancestor’s blemish.
Noah’s blemish did not nullify the message of righteousness he preached to those about to
perish.
Abraham
Abraham was called from Haran to sojourn into the land of Canaan; that land God promised to
give to him and his descendants. Abraham was to depart from his country, relatives, and
father’s house. God was calling him to implicit trust and obedience without promise of sight.
Abraham did leave his country and his father’s house but took Lot with him. Partial obedience
always brings conflict and consequences.
Because of a famine, Abraham journeys down to Egypt. Sarai is a beautiful, ravishing woman.
Abraham pleads with her to lie that she is his sister in order to protect his life; for on account of
her beauty the Egyptians might kill him for her.
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Genesis 8:1
Genesis 9:28
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She does. God is not pleased.
Abraham and Lot were extremely wealthy men. Their herdsmen often fought over grazing
land. The disputes intensified where Abraham, although heir to the promise of God, gave Lot
the opportunity to choose first which direction he desired to end the conflict.
Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere
like the garden of the Lord…..so Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan.4
Abraham was a gracious and benevolent uncle. Abraham was also a timid man. That was his
blemish – timidity.
God ratifies His covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15. Abraham wonders if Eliezer could be
recognized as the heir of God’s promise.
Abraham’s timidity rises to the surface again. His strong-willed wife is impatient. She adopts
the pagan cultural practices of building a household through the use of concubines. She
counsels Abraham to take Hagar and have children with her.5 She conceived a boy whom they
name Ishmael.
God gives Abraham a sign of the covenant which is circumcision. Angels appear to Abraham
about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. And another blemish.
Abraham lies a second time about Sarah to Abimelech and Sarah goes along with the roost.
Isaac is born. The boys grow up and sibling rivalry begins. Sarah’s bitterness with Hagar grows
and she demands her husband cast them aside. She wants them out of her sight.
Again, Abraham’s timidity complies and he leaves them in the desert with a jug of water.
However, God intervenes.
All of Abraham’s baggage (partial and deliberate disobedience) has been divinely removed over
time. Some time now has passed. Isaac is an older teenager. Abraham’s real test now comes in
Genesis 22.
Guess what? Abraham passes with flying colors. His timidity is conquered by trusting
obedience. His blemishes have taught him the valuable lesson of listening only to and
completely obeying God.
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Genesis 13:10-11
Hagar might have been a slave Abraham secured while in Egypt
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David
After reading the about life and legend of David, the shepherd boy who became king over a
mighty nation, one must conclude that David had blemishes!
David came from humble beginnings. Like Joseph, he seemed despised by his brothers. He was
relegated to the tending the family’s flock of sheep. However, David earned his stripes, if you
please, when God guided that smooth flat stone smack dab into the middle of ole’ Goliath’s
forehead! This 9’9” man fell sending a seismic shock wave that could have registered a 4.6 on
the Richter scale.
Through a series of events, David was anointed King over Israel and then Judah, uniting the
Kingdom. His life prospered. He seemed to have the Midas touch. Whatever he set his hand to
resulted in national and personal prosperity.
He was a might man of war. In all of Jewish history, David is known as the most fierce and
famous warriors. He surrounded himself with mighty men of valor. But this was the beginning
of the blemishes.
David failed to go before his men into battle. He allowed his flesh to dominate his reasoning
and relationship to God and committed adultery with Bathsheba. He enters into a downward
spiral of cover up. He recalls Bathsheba’s husband from the battle front and twice seduce him
to sleep with his wife. His loyalty would be a peacock’s feather to David but it was bitter gall in
David’s stomach. Finally, he pens a letter and has Uriah deliver his own death warrant to Joab.
David is convicted, confessions, but this single blemish weasel its way into his family structure.
David’s son Amnon commits incest. David is aware of it, is angry, but refuses to address this
immorality.
Absalom waits two years for his father to bring retribution on Amnon and justify Tamar.
Absalom realizes his father will not act and takes matters into his own hand. He stages
Amnon’s murder.
Absalom flees from Jerusalem and hides out for three years. Joab brings in the woman of
Tekoa who weaves a brilliant story to manipulate David. David relents and allows Absalom to
return.
Absalom must have been contriving the revolt against his father while away for three years.
The next two years he stands at the city gate, greeting people, empathizing with them, and
making campaign promises that his kingship would be a much needed improvement.
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David flees, Absalom is over thrown, and Davis is restored as king. But the blemishes cannot be
hidden any longer by Botox or Cover Girl!
The continuation of David’s family blemishes, I purport, is David failure to address the sexual
sins in his own son. It is only speculation, but could his failure be attributes to a continued
sense of disqualification from his own sexual sin – even though he writes about God’s
forgiveness, his confession, and the joy of his salvation restored?
Peter
So much promise. So much hope. So much potential! But it needed to be harnessed by the
indwelling Holy Spirit.
Peter was one of the twelve disciples chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter was privilege to
join James and John and witness miraculous moments. This trio was known as the inner circle.
Peter uttered the prophetic statement that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God for
which he was entrusted with the keys of the Kingdom. And Peter preached one thing and did
another as recorded in the book of Galatians.
Peter also suffered from hoof ‘n mouth disease. He seems to usually be switching his left and
right foot in his mouth with incomprehensible utterances. For example:
Divine Revelation
Matthew 16:16
John 10:1-5
John 12:12-15
Matthew 17:1-3
Human Limitations to Understand
Matthew 16:21-23
John 10:6
John 12:16
Matthew 17:4
It was Peter who professed utter loyalty to Jesus regardless of circumstances. Peter declared
before his fellow disciples he would never leave Jesus. Even when Christ predicted his betrayal,
Peter profusely stood on the mount of pride and self-reliance.
And Peter’s blemish showed itself when he warmed himself by the Roman fire during Christ’s
trial, terrified of a little slave girl’s accusations!
With so many blemishes it was Peter who outran the beloved disciple to the tomb of Jesus
when they received word from the women that He appeared alive to them.
And it was Peter whom Christ personally restored at the Sea of Galilee. It was Peter that
preached the first message and 300 people were saved. It was Peter who unlocked the Gospel
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to Cornelius. It was Peter who as a member of the first theological synod6 that guides the
council regarding how a Gentile should receive Christ Jesus as Savior.
What man or woman used by God Almighty does not have blemishes? The very fact that God
uses us despite our blemishes is evidence of His magnificent grace and mercy. We do not
deliberately go out of our way to “rack up” blemishes. Nonetheless, because we still live in a
corrupt world ruled by a fallen angel in a defiled body must result in a greater dependency
upon the strength, knowledge, and power of God who desires greatly to use these earthen
vessels making them vessels of honor.
Blemishes – yes!
Clearasil - no!!
Repent, return, and resume the call of God upon our lives.
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Acts 15
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