Doing a Study of a Character in the Bible – 7 Steps
We all know that studying our Bible is important, but it can be a challenge to do more than read our assigned part for the day during quiet time. How do we step beyond that routine and into studying, more than just reading?
We looked at stopping and studying a single word last month, but today we’ll consider what looking at a Bible figure can do for deepening our understanding of God and his word.
What a Character Study Is and Why Do One
A character study probably fits part of the image you have in your head: read about a Bible figure, who they are and what they did. That is the basic part, but we take it a step further for study. We look at the struggles or conflicts the person has faced, the lessons that person has learned, how God has impacted their life and how the person has changed or grown.
Looking at these aspects of a person, we can see better who God is, his character, and how he interacts with man. A study of Bible figures also offers an opportunity to see how people fit into the redemption story and learn from other’s walk with God. A character study draws us into deeper intimacy with Him, growing our trust and guiding us in his light.
How to Study a Bible Character
There is no one way to study a figure in the Bible, so I will share what I look for and how I go about it.
Step 1. Choose the figure.
Some Bible characters have hundreds of verses relevant to their lives, others have only two or three or even just a mention. To start with, you may want to choose someone in the middle – with several but not overly many verses. Several figures fit in this in-between category: Abigail, Gideon, Sarah, Adam, Jonathon, and Mary. Longer studies would include David, Moses, Jesus, Paul. For shorter studies, Elizabeth, the woman at the well, and Cain or Abel.
Step 2. Note down and read relevant verses.
This step is fairly straightforward, look up in a concordance or an online Bible the verses that mention the person, write them down, and read them. If you have chosen a figure like David, you may want to narrow your time period, or break your study into several blocks, for example the early years from anointing to warrior, the chased years (when Saul chased him), or the king years (once he was on the throne). If you choose Hulda, the prophetess, you won’t want to miss a single verse.
Step 3. Write out any standout Bible verses.
If any verses a remarkable as you read, this is a place to note them and meditate upon them and what God may be saying to you in this verse.
Step 4. Note the relevant time period and cultural influences of the person.
This is the place where you note where they lived and when. You might want to reference outside material or check the charts and maps in your own Bible. For example, if you study Aaron or Joshua, he was influenced by his time in slavery under Pharaoh as well as the people of Israel as they wandered the desert. If you choose Peter, he was influenced by the Roman rule that he was under as well as having lived during the time of Jesus.
Step 5. Summarize the character’s life, personality, and main conflicts/test of faith.
Jot down anything known about their birth family through to their death. This should be a summary, so just about three sentences or a few bullet points. Many figures don’t have this much information so it may be quite short. Feel free to include basic information about appearance, age, gender, family relations.
Then take a few moments to discuss the person’s main character points. Make particular note of the godly nature or flaws that are apparent. Consider how others respond to the figure and how they act in difficult situations. Remember that these are real people, and we are not putting them on a pedestal. We find Peter so approachable precisely because he is impulsive! Paul teaches us that God can work the impossible in people’s character since he started as a raging enemy of The Way
Then highlight the struggle or conflict in their life. This likely illuminates their walk with God and how man struggles in that walk. This usually represents the choice that we have to walk in faith and trust God, or to walk away. The kind of conflict or test of faith may vary from a moral dilemma to family argument, personal battles to ordinary life circumstances, or even a question of obedience. If we consider Esau, there is more information about his early years and less about his later years, but it is clear that his main life conflict is the loss of his birthright and blessing.
Step 6. Describe how victory comes about or how they addressed failure.
This is where we analyze what we have in the verses: has God acted, has the person acted in a godly manner or based on God’s teaching and word?
There will be personal victory, in a change of heart or perspective, or in a decision. If we consider the woman caught in adultery, she makes a choice to go and sin no more – what victory to break the bonds of sin! There may also be a group victory such as Gideon’s leading of the Israelite army into war and victory, however, focus on the individual and how they have triumphed. Returning to Gideon, we see that he overcomes thinking too little of himself and too little of God – his trust in God increases as he accepts the charge to lead the army.
In both of these instances, Gideon and the woman caught in adultery, there was an encounter with God. That is not always the case, for example in the lives of Abigail and Jonathon, we do not see them interacting with God directly. In these cases, we may need to ask how the person reflects God’s character or displays obedience to his word, or how God reveals himself to understand how the victory came about.
Step 7. What lessons have we learned from the character?
In this section, consider universal principles or application for life, characteristics of God, characteristics of a godly life, etc. This section may answer the question, how can I correct or improve my life to be more Christ-like? For some figures, you may even find a verse that states the main lesson. For Noah, we find Hebrews 11:7 outlines his journey of faith and obedience. Sometimes the lesson is a ‘don’t’ lesson; Aaron or Rachel might have the lesson ‘don’t go running after idols.’
These lessons should be thought of more broadly, for general application. If we look at the life of Caleb, we wouldn’t say that the lesson is that we need to bring back evidence when we scope out the enemy territory. A more appropriate, broad application would be ‘trust in God when he asks us to do something’, as Caleb’s life and God’s reward for him demonstrate.
After noting the broad or general lesson, consider how it might apply to your own circumstances and walk of sanctification. This is the time when you consider how the lesson helps you become more Christ-like, develop the fruit of the Spirit, or leave behind the old ways.
If you’ve studied Caleb, describe anything that might be a trust struggle right now and how you might even step out in faith to do what God has called you to do. If you’ve studied the woman at the well, maybe you’ll consider how to share your faith and take a step by writing out your testimony, so you are obediently ready. After a Rachel study, maybe you take time to consider how you spend your time, treasure, and talent to identify anything that might be creeping into idolatry and make choices to minimize its role in your life (social media or work are those that often come to mind).
God has a good plan for you
A character study highlights the virtues and imperfections of man while exalting God’s plan for us. No matter what we are going through, God has a good plan for each of us. No matter how mundane our days may be, like Naomi, no matter how challenging the family, like Esau, God works good in the lives of his beloved. Studying the troubles and delights of figures in the Bible leads us to better understand how God works in our lives, it increases our trust in him and guides us to walk in the steps of Christ.
A simple worksheet is available free below to keep as a general guide as you complete a character study. Who do you want to study first?
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