Some of the people in the Old Testament who are famous for obeying God are: Joseph, Job, Noah and Abraham. Some of the people in the Old Testament who are known for disobeying God are: Adam, Eve, and Jonah. In the Bible these people are either very devoted to God, or want to do things their own way; this in the bible teaching only leads to destruction. The people who follow the teachings of God are blessed. In other words, rewarded with pleasurable things and are content.
In the story of Joseph, he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Joseph’s father gave him a beautiful coat of many colors, his brothers were jealous because they felt their father favored Joseph over the rest of them. Joseph went through a lot of suffering being a slave, and also being thrown in jail because he was accused of something he didn’t do. Yet he still trusted in God, he believed that he had a plan for his life. In the end, God made Joseph a King, and put him in a position of high power because of that trust. Job was very devoted to God, and loved and served him.
God had blessed him with many things, but Satan wanted God to take away everything he had because he believed Job would curse God if he did. He thought he only loved God because he was blessed. God allowed Satan to cause havoc in his life taking away everything, until he was close to death. Yet Job was still faithful, and didn’t curse him. He kept believing that God would see him through. In the end, Job got everything back multiplied, and his health was restored. In the story of Noah, he and his family were the only righteous people left in the land. Everyone else was worshiping false idols, and doing a lot of wicked things; because Noah was obedient to God, he let him and his family live. He told them to build an ark, and get two of each animal to procreate. Noah was obedient to this, and when God flooded the earth they survived.
Abraham was a true man of God. God decided to test him, and told him to sacrifice his son. Abraham loved God so much that he was going to do it, but God stopped him and told him it was a test; because of Abraham’s obedience he and his family were blessed. God is always consistent, whenever he says he is going to do something, he is going to do it. He always rewards the obedient, and never leaves or forsakes them. On the other hand God will punish us for our sins like in the story of Adam and Eve. God said to never eat from the tree of life. Eve allowed herself to be tricked by Satan, and ate from the tree God ordered them not to eat from. Then she gave the fruit to Adam to eat also. They both sinned against God; their punishment was too be thrown out of the Garden of Eden, and they were separated from God. Now the world is a sinful place because what happened in the Garden of Eden that day.
Jonah was told by God to go do his work, but Job was disobedient. He didn’t want to do what God had asked of him. Instead he tried to hide from God, and he was punished by being eaten by a whale. He lived in the whales belly for three days and nights. God is merciful because when Jonah prayed and asked forgiveness, God let him out of the belly of the whale. God’s personality is very loving and loyal. God is there for us when we need him. He is merciful and patient. He also is a forgiving God, who will forgive us if we sin.
