Let’s say you’re on the television game show “Jeopardy!” You and the reigning champion are tied, and the last category is Famous Bible Characters. You’re in your head saying, “I got this,” making a note of any Bible characters you remember from Sunday school. Your mind immediately goes to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, and David.
However, right before you select the category, you realize that you misread and the category is No-So-Famous Bible Characters. Could you still spout off a list, or would your opponent walk away with the grand prize? If you lack knowledge of obscure Bible personalities or want to learn more about those who stood in the background, here are some not-so-well-known Bible characters for you to look into.
Josiah
Public Domain
Josiah was the king of Judah. The Bible discusses his reign in Jerusalem in 2 Kings 22–23 and 2 Chronicles 34–35. He was King Amon’s son and King Manasseh’s grandson, and both were wicked rulers of Judah. Still, Josiah was a godly king and one of the world’s youngest kings. His reign started at eight years old after his father’s assassination. Josiah called for national repentance during his reign. 2 Kings 23:3 describes how Josiah made a covenant before the Lord to walk with Him and keep His commandments. Josiah showed how much influence a young person can have while living a life committed to God and being blessed for it.
Mordecai
Public Domain
We’re first introduced to Mordecai in Esther 2:5-7. These verses describe Mordecai as a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin who lived in Susa, the capital of Persia. After the death of Esther’s parents, Mordecai took her in as a daughter. He’s the one who urged Esther to hide her Jewish lineage when she was selected as one of the virgins to be the next queen of King Xerxes. Esther would go on to be queen. Mordecai also revealed the assassination plot against Xerxes; he told Esther about the plan, who passed the information to Xerxes. Mordecai’s faithfulness and reliability put him in good standing with the king of Persia, and his concern for his fellow Jewish people brought the blessing of God.
Jethro
James Tissot/Wikimedia Commons
Jethro is Moses’ father-in-law and Zipporah’s father. We first meet Jethro in Exodus 2:16, described as a priest of Midian. When Moses fled from Egypt, Jethro welcomed him to Midian with open arms after Moses saved his daughters from some strange men. He invited Moses to dinner that night and showed him the Midian hospitality. Later on, Jethro gave Zipporah to Moses as a wife, and he gave Moses his blessing to return to Egypt to free his people. Jethro was a godly man of honesty who played a minor part in God’s story of deliverance for the Israelites. He’s an excellent role model for in-laws. He gave wise advice, stepped in when help was needed, and got out of the way.
Balaam
Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons
Balaam was an evil prophet in the Bible. However, he remains noteworthy because he was a wicked prophet, but he wasn’t a false prophet. Balaam did hear from God, and God gave him some accurate prophecies. However, Balaam’s heart wasn’t right with God, and he eventually showed his true colors by leading Israel astray. Numbers 22 -24 highlights Balaam and King Balak’s story. King Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel for a reward. Balaam agreed but said he needed to ask God first. While on his way to Moab, an angel came to deter Balaam. He couldn’t see the angel, but his donkey could. Balaam would beat his donkey for disobeying him. His name and story would become infamous; Paul would compare false teachers to Balaam
Hopefully, this list of obscure characters will inspire you to read deeper into your Scripture. You never know when you’ll need the information for “Jeopardy.” It’s important to note that these characters may be unknown, but that doesn’t mean irrelevant. If He can use these people for the betterment of His kingdom, imagine what He can do with you.
