To Avoid Ending at Just Finding Names in a Dictionary of Biblical Characters

Many who look up 'Dictionary of Biblical Characters' feel two needs simultaneously. One is the desire to organize unfamiliar names and relationships, and the other is a deep longing to understand who God is through their lives. Truly, studying biblical characters is not just about collecting information; it’s a pathway to learn how God has worked throughout history. Since the Bible is not a collection of biographies but a testimony of God’s salvation history, our focus when studying characters should always be on God and His covenant.

Hebrews 12:2 urges us to 'fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.' Similarly, when examining biblical figures, our gaze must ultimately turn to Jesus Christ. Whether we’re reading about Abraham, Moses, or David, it’s not just their strengths and failures that reveal God’s faithfulness; it’s God’s character that shines through. An effective biblical character dictionary, therefore, should go beyond merely listing birthplace or family background; it should show where the individual fits into the flow of salvation history.

Starting with Concepts: Personal Data and Understanding Characters are Different

It’s helpful to distinguish between these two. A biblical character dictionary is useful for quickly identifying names, eras, referenced texts, and key events. However, understanding the character goes a step deeper. It involves asking what calling or circumstances brought them to God, how they responded in faith, what sins they revealed, and what God teaches us through them.

For example, think of Peter. The dictionary might describe him as a Galilean fisherman, one of the twelve disciples, and someone who denied Jesus three times. But understanding the character goes beyond this. In Luke 22:61, after meeting Jesus’s gaze, Peter weeps. In John 21, Jesus restores him after his fall. Truly knowing a person isn’t just memorizing events; it’s turning how Jesus restores failures into a testimony of His grace.

In this sense, it’s helpful to understand what meditation is. Meditation isn’t just about noting impressions but about internalizing God's will revealed in the text and applying it to life. When reading biblical characters similarly, the picture becomes three-dimensional.

What to Compare: Encyclopedic Summaries, Reading the Text, and Applying Meditation

When using a biblical character dictionary, it’s good to view it on three levels. First, an encyclopedic summary—identifying who is who, what era they lived in, and where they appear in the Bible. Second, reading the text—seeing what they say and how they react within the actual biblical context. Third, applying what you learn—considering how their stories relate to your pride, fear, obedience, or repentance today.