Hero of Heroes

Unfortunately, it is not too long before we discover that our heroes are just as flawed as we are. History is filled with details of great men and women who succumbed to their flaws and temptations. Regrettably, we find this is true both of the heroes of the kingdom of this world and the heroes of the city of God. Those of us with more than a passing interest in historical theology cannot read too far before the flaws of the greatest theologians in church history come into sharp focus.

This should not surprise us. After all, most of the men and women God used to bring us His special revelation had deep flaws themselves. These flaws do not mean that Scripture errs but only that God's Word never hides the truth about the persons it describes. Moses had trouble following God's promises and commands without expressing doubt (Ex. 4:10-17) or disobeying (Num. 20:7-12). He is but one in a list that includes Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Hezekiah, Samson, and far too many others to mention.

Even the most famous king of ancient Israel had flaws. This man fell prey to the temptations that befall mankind. His dalliance with Bathsheba led to death, revolt, and eventual division of his kingdom. He had a strong blind spot when it came to his children. He turned a blind eye when Tamar was sexually assaulted. He was oblivious to the flaws of Absalom to the point where he neglected the needs and honor of his subjects and nearly lost his kingdom. Despite all this, David is held high as an ideal king, a paradigm for God's people, a hero of sorts.

For all of his greatness, David as our hero is ultimately unsatisfying. That is why the Old and New Testaments declare that our hero is to be Israel's greatest King; a King who possesses all of David's greatness but none of his weaknesses; a King who alone is worthy of hero-worship because He is God Himself. Let us abandon all other lesser heroes and fall at the feet of the greatest hero, King Jesus.