Flannelgraph Heroes

I don't remember the Bible saying anything about Jesus being a member of the Bee Gees.

Being a PK(pastor's kid) for 21 years, I heard all the major Bible stories and then some over and over and over again. An aura always seemed to surround Biblical characters as if they always knew what to do and if they didn't, they listened to what God said. My flannelgraph view of Moses, Jacob, Joseph and Abraham had been basically unchanged since elementary school when our church really did use cut out pieces of flannel to represent different Bible characters.

This is the first time in my life that I've actually read through the Bible instead of taking a little here, a little there, do a subject study on this, read a section of that, etc. And I've been stunned by my own naive view of these people I've known about my whole life. Here's what I've found:

• Flannelgraph Moses: A little scared at times, but basically a nice guy who did what God said and then messed it up in the desert.
  
• Reality: Moses was a pain in the behind! He argued and complained with God over stupid things ("What if they don't like me? What if they think I'm a liar? I don't like speaking in front of people."), doubted God's promises, got fed up as a leader and wanted to bail out. In fact, when you actually read the whole parting of the Red Sea account, Moses has very little to do with anything! It's God, God, God, God! Moses was just kind of standing there.


• Flannelgraph Abraham: Faithful, old guy who got a kid after a while, almost killed his kid, but didn't and has a song about him that's similar to the Hokey Pokey but you praise the Lord instead of "that's what it's all about".
• Reality: Abraham messed things up too! He lied about his relationship to his wife...twice! He gave in to his wife's poor idea about Hagar and then gave in to her again when Sarah complained about Hagar. Yes, he showed great faith, but at other times you wonder where his heart was.
• Flannelgraph Joseph: A nice kid, who had mean brothers. He got sold into slavery in Egypt, ran away from a horny woman, got put in prison anyway, interpreted a bunch of dreams and then became the (almost) King of Egypt. He forgave his brothers and gave them stuff.
• Reality: Joseph rocks my world! Of all the Patriachs (does he even count? I'm not sure why everyone leaves Joseph out), he's the one I'd want to be like the most. He shows constant integrity, faithfulness and passion amid struggle after struggle. When his brothers come to Egypt, he doesn't just give them a group hug and cry a lot. He tests their motives. He throws one brother in jail and demands that the rest bring Benjamin. Then he plants his own silver cup in Benjamin's bag as yet another test of his brothers' sincerity. It takes Judah sobbing at Joseph's feet, offering to take Benjamin's place before Joseph let's himself known.

So what did I learn from this?

1. You have to read the Bible. Let me say it another way. YOU have to read the Bible. Not the pastor who tells you what it says. Not the VeggieTales version with dancing cucumbers and singing grapes. YOU have to read it yourself. You have to read the BIBLE. Not a commentary. Not a Bible study. The BIBLE itself. Otherwise, you're just getting flannelgraph heroes, not the real deal.
2. God uses whomever He wants to bring Himself glory. Right about the second time Moses was complaining, I would have kicked him off the mountain and started looking elsewhere. It's interesting to think that sometimes God uses us in spite of us. I'd like to be the kind of person, like Joseph, who God works through.