Key Verse: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:"
- 1 Peter 4:12 KJV
In the Bible, there are numerous examples of individuals who were tested by God to strengthen their faith and character. When we are going through trials, tribulations and tests, we want to know that someone else has gone through something similar, and that they successfully came through it. Let us look at some famous people in the Bible that were tested and passed the test.
1. Abraham is a central figure in the Old Testament, known for his unwavering faith and obedience to God. In Genesis 22:1-19, we see Abraham tested when God commands him to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice on Mount Moriah. This test was a severe trial of Abraham's faith and love for God. Despite the difficulty of the command, Abraham was willing to follow through, demonstrating his devotion and trust in God's plan, so God spared his son and blessed him.
2. Job is also a notable example, as his life was a test of patience and faith, enduring severe trials and tribulations. In the verse Job 1:12, God allows Satan to test Job by taking everything he had including his livestock, servants, and his children. Even though his wife encouraged him to curse God and die, Job never did.
God rewarded him as described in Job 42:12-13, 16, “So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. He had also seven sons and three daughters… After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, even four generations.”
3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were tested when they refused to bow to the king’s idol, showing their unwavering faith. Enraged by their defiance, King Nebuchadnezzar ordered their death in the fiery furnace. (Daniel 3:19)
God intervened miraculously, and the three men were protected. In addition to the three Hebrew boys, the king saw a fourth person like “the Son of God.” The king ordered them removed, praised their God and promoted them.
4. Moses and the Israelites are another example during their time in the wilderness. God tested their faith and obedience by leading them through a challenging journey, as mentioned in Deuteronomy 8:2: "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no."
Remember, there was a time when the Israelites were failing the test, and Moses had to intervene to God so He would not destroy them all.
And finally, the big one!
5. After Jesus was baptized, he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted and tested by Satan. Jesus fasted for forty days and nights, during which Satan approached him and tried to tempt him three times. (Matthew 4:1-11)
- The first temptation was to turn the stones into bread to relieve his hunger.
- The second temptation involved Satan taking Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and urging him to jump off, promising Him that angels would save Him.
- The third temptation was for Satan to offer Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if he would bow down and worship him.
Jesus resisted each temptation by quoting scripture, and after the third temptation, Satan left him. Think about that for a moment, God the Father allowed God the Son, His only begotten Son, to be tempted by Satan.
Jesus passed every test, and we are to strive to be like Jesus.
These tests serve as reminders of God's sovereignty and the importance of faith and obedience in our lives. Just as each of the above were tested, we too face trials that can either strengthen our faith or weaken it. It is through these tests that God reveals the true state of our hearts and helps us grow in our relationship with Him.
May we respond well to God's tests with
faith and obedience, trusting in His goodness and sovereignty.
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