No doubt I'm missing several great men of the Bible, but these men of God outline the characteristics that all Christian men should possess. We, as women, should be looking for these characteristics in a possible husband.
1) Faithful Like Abraham: In Genesis 22, God told Abraham that he was to go up to Mount Moriah, and offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice unto God. Abraham didn't hesitate to follow God's orders because he had very strong faith that God would provide. As Abraham was about to kill his son and offer him unto God, an angel of the Lord called out to Abraham saying, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." God saw that Abraham had complete faith, even to the point of killing his own son. A ram was provided to Abraham from God for him to make a sacrifice. God provides to those who are faithful to Him. A man, being the head of the household, will provide for his family through his faith.
2) Meek Like Moses: (Exodus) Moses grew up having everything that he could ever dream of having by living in the house of Pharaoh. He had great wealth and possessions, but these things did not mean anything to Moses. When Moses saw the cruelness that the Egyptians had toward the Israelites, he chose them over riches. Moses stood up for the Israelites and led them to freedom, giving up riches and the future throne. Being humble is a great attribute to a man. If a man is to present themselves humbly, they will be a better witness of God by showing others that he is not above them, and those people will find it easier to relate and learn from the man of God. A man of God will put his family and friends above wealth and fortune.
3) Courageous Like Daniel: (Daniel 6) When the men of Babylon became jealous of Daniel's influence and power in the position that was given to him in the kingdom, they tried to take Daniel's relationship with God away. The Babylon men convinced the king to outlaw the worship of anyone or anything besides the king, including God. Daniel didn't abandon God, and instead, continued to pray to Him. Daniel was accused of worshiping God, and he was thrown in the den of the lions. Daniel willingly accepted his punishment because he knew that God would take care of him. In the den, Daniel peacefully slept throughout the night even with the lions surrounding him. The next morning, God brought him out of the den, and instead, the evil men of Babylon was thrown in the den and devoured. Due to Daniel's bravery and unwavering faith, God brought him out of the den when everything looked hopeless. As a husband, a courageous man will lead his family in the way of God, even when being persecuted.
4) Righteous Like Job: (Job 1) Job is a very devoted man of God. He always obeys God and His word, which is why the devil wanted him to fail so badly. God allowed the devil to send temptations unto Job, in order to show the devil the unwavering faith that Job possessed. The devil sent word to Job about various, unfortunate killings of his people that God allowed, but Job still would not curse the name of the Lord. When the devil saw that he had to take drastic measures to get Job to fail, he had Job's sons and daughters killed, but even through this tragic event, Job did not waver from God. Instead, Job praised God, knowing that this was His will. A man that will put obedience to God above everything else, even when it comes to his children, is indeed a great man of God. As a husband, a wife can put her faith in a man that always does the right thing according to God.
5) A Changed Man Like Paul: (Acts 13) Before becoming a great man of God, Paul's name was Saul. Saul was a persecutor of those Christians that believed and followed God. When God came unto Saul one day while he was journeying to find Christians, God sent a bright light out of Heaven that blinded Saul, and showed him that he was wrong in persecuting those people of God. God sent another man of God unto Saul to bring back his sight. Saul's name was changed to Paul when he accepted God as his personal savior, and left behind his sinful acts of persecution. From that point on, Paul began journeying around the land preaching, teaching, and establishing churches all in the glory of God. Paul changed many peoples' lives by doing the work of God. A man that is willing to give up his past for God, then fully dedicate his life to the work of God is a holy man of God. No matter what past a man has, they can become a Godly man. When looking for a husband, his past doesn't define the man he is presently.
6) A Friend Like Barnabas: (Acts 13-14) Barnabas was a great help and friend to Paul after he became a Christian. Everyone still feared Paul because of his past, but Barnabas was willing to have a friendship with him, and help him in his walk with God. Together, Paul and Barnabas traveled around establishing churches and being preaching God's word. With the friendship that Barnabas provided to Paul, Paul was able to learn from a man of God. Having someone to look up to, Paul was able to model his life after someone that was more experienced with the Christian faith. Being a friend and Godly influence to others may mean more than what one thinks, and God honors a man that will be that for someone. A man that is a Godly friend to others will be a loyal and honorable husband.
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