Bible – Bible Society of Zimbabwe

Heroes’ Day is an occasion to honor and celebrate the courage, sacrifice, and impact of heroes who have shaped our lives and communities. In the Bible, we find many stories about men and women whose lives reflect profound faith and steadfastness. These biblical heroes serve as timeless examples of virtues we can aspire to in our own lives.

Abraham: The Father of Faith

Abraham, often referred to as the “father of faith,” is a towering figure in the Bible. His story is one of unwavering trust in God. When God called Abraham to leave his homeland and go to a place he would be shown, Abraham obeyed without hesitation (Genesis 12:1-4). His willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, trusting in God’s promise, is a testament to his profound faith (Genesis 22:1-18).

Moses: The Deliverer

Moses is celebrated as the deliverer of Israel from slavery in Egypt. His life is marked by acts of extraordinary bravery and faith. Despite his initial reluctance, Moses answered God’s call to lead the Israelites out of bondage, facing Pharaoh’s wrath and the perils of the wilderness (Exodus 3-14). His leadership and unwavering reliance on God highlight the importance of faith and perseverance.

Esther: The Courageous Queen

Esther, a Jewish queen in Persia, displayed remarkable courage and wisdom. When her people faced destruction, Esther risked her life by approaching King Xerxes uninvited to plead for their salvation. Her famous declaration, “If I perish, I perish,” (Esther 4:16) shows her bravery and selflessness in the face of great danger.

David: The Shepherd King

David, the shepherd boy who became king, is renowned for his faith and courage. His defeat of the giant Goliath with a sling and a stone is a powerful example of trusting in God’s strength rather than human might (1 Samuel 17). David’s life, though marked by imperfections, is a testament to God’s grace and the power of repentance.

Daniel: The Uncompromising Prophet

Daniel’s story is one of steadfast faith in a foreign land. Despite the threat of death, he refused to give up on his faith, continuing to pray to God even when it was not allowed. His survival in the lions’ den (Daniel 6) is a powerful reminder of God’s protection over those who remain faithful to Him.

Mary: The Obedient Servant

Mary, the mother of Jesus, exemplifies obedience and humility. When the angel Gabriel announced that she would bear the Son of God, Mary’s response was one of submission to God’s will: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38). Her faith and willingness to accept God’s plan played a crucial role in the story of salvation.

Paul: The Zealous Apostle

Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, became one of the most zealous apostles of Christ. His missionary journeys, tireless preaching, and numerous epistles have profoundly shaped Christian theology and practice. Paul’s transformation and dedication to spreading the gospel, despite immense suffering and persecution, are inspiring examples of redemption and commitment (Acts 9, 2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

Conclusion

As we celebrate Heroes’ Day, these biblical figures remind us that true heroism is rooted in faith, obedience, and a willingness to serve God’s purpose, even at great personal cost. Their stories encourage us to cultivate these virtues in our own lives, trusting that God can use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.

Death of the Animals

1 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to the king and tell him that the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 2 If you again refuse to let them go, 3 I will punish you by sending a terrible disease on all your animals—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. 4 I will make a distinction between the animals of the Israelites and those of the Egyptians, and no animal that belongs to the Israelites will die. 5 I, the Lord, have set tomorrow as the time when I will do this.’”

6 The next day the Lord did as he had said, and all the animals of the Egyptians died, but not one of the animals of the Israelites died. 7 The king asked what had happened and was told that none of the animals of the Israelites had died. But he was stubborn and would not let the people go.

Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take a few handfuls of ashes from a furnace; Moses is to throw them into the air in front of the king. 9 They will spread out like fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and everywhere they will produce boils that become open sores on the people and the animals.” 10 So they got some ashes and stood before the king; Moses threw them into the air, and they produced boils that became open sores on the people and the animals. 11 The magicians were not able to appear before Moses, because they were covered with boils, like all the other Egyptians. 12 But the Lord made the king stubborn and, just as the Lord had said, the king would not listen to Moses and Aaron.

Hail

13 The Lord then said to Moses, “Early tomorrow morning meet with the king and tell him that the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 14 This time I will punish not only your officials and your people, but I will punish you as well, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the world. 15 If I had raised my hand to strike you and your people with disease, you would have been completely destroyed. 16 But to show you my power I have let you live so that my fame might spread over the whole world. 17 Yet you are still arrogant and refuse to let my people go. 18 This time tomorrow I will cause a heavy hailstorm, such as Egypt has never known in all its history. 19 Now give orders for your livestock and everything else you have in the open to be put under shelter. Hail will fall on the people and animals left outside unprotected, and they will all die.’” 20 Some of the king's officials were afraid because of what the Lord had said, and they brought their slaves and animals indoors for shelter. 21 Others, however, paid no attention to the Lord's warning and left their slaves and animals out in the open.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand toward the sky, and hail will fall over the whole land of Egypt—on the people, the animals, and all the plants in the fields.” 23 So Moses raised his stick toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the ground. The Lord sent 24 a heavy hailstorm, with lightning flashing back and forth. It was the worst storm that Egypt had ever known in all its history. 25 All over Egypt the hail struck down everything in the open, including all the people and all the animals. It beat down all the plants in the fields and broke all the trees. 26 The region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was the only place where there was no hail.

27 The king sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and my people and I are in the wrong. 28 Pray to the Lord! We have had enough of this thunder and hail! I promise to let you go; you don't have to stay here any longer.”

29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will lift up my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But I know that you and your officials do not yet fear the Lord God.”

31 The flax and the barley were ruined, because the barley was ripe, and the flax was budding. 32 But none of the wheat was ruined, because it ripens later.

33 Moses left the king, went out of the city, and lifted up his hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder, the hail, and the rain all stopped. 34 When the king saw what had happened, he sinned again. He and his officials remained as stubborn as ever 35 and, just as the Lord had foretold through Moses, the king would not let the Israelites go.

Dead Animals

1 The Lord sent Moses with this message for the king of Egypt:

The Lord God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him. 2 If you keep refusing, 3 he will bring a terrible disease on your horses and donkeys, your camels and cattle, and your sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will protect the animals that belong to the people of Israel, and none of theirs will die. 5 Tomorrow is the day the Lord has set to do this.

6 It happened the next day—all of the animals belonging to the Egyptians died, but the Israelites did not lose even one. 7 When the king found out, he was still too stubborn to let the people go.

Sores

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:

Take a few handfuls of ashes from a stove and you, Moses, throw them into the air. Be sure the king is watching. 9 The ashes will blow across the land of Egypt, causing sores to break out on people and animals.

10 So they took a few handfuls of ashes and went to the king. Moses threw them into the air, and sores immediately broke out on the Egyptians and their animals. 11 The magicians were suffering so much from the sores, that they could not even come to Moses. 12 Everything happened just as the Lord had told Moses—he made the king too stubborn to listen to Moses and Aaron.

Hailstones

13 The Lord told Moses to get up early the next morning and say to the king:

The Lord God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him! 14 If you don't, he will send his worst plagues to strike you, your officials, and everyone else in your country. Then you will find out that no one can oppose the Lord. 15 In fact, he could already have sent a terrible disease and wiped you from the face of the earth. 16 But he has kept you alive, just to show you his power and to bring honor to himself everywhere in the world.

17 You are still determined not to let the Lord's people go. 18 All right. At this time tomorrow, he will bring on Egypt the worst hailstorm in its history. 19 You had better give orders for every person and every animal in Egypt to take shelter. If they don't, they will die.

20 Some of the king's officials were frightened by what the Lord had said, and they hurried off to make sure their slaves and animals were safe. 21 But others paid no attention to his threats and left their slaves and animals out in the open.

22 Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch your arm toward the sky, so that hailstones will fall on people, animals, and crops in the land of Egypt.” 23-24 Moses pointed his walking stick toward the sky, and hailstones started falling everywhere. Thunder roared, and lightning flashed back and forth, striking the ground. This was the worst storm in the history of Egypt. 25 People, animals, and crops were pounded by the hailstones, and bark was stripped from trees. 26 Only Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was safe from the storm.

27 The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “Now I have really sinned! My people and I are guilty, and the Lord is right. 28 We can't stand any more of this thunder and hail. Please ask the Lord to make it stop. Your people can go—you don't have to stay in Egypt any longer.”

29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my arms in prayer. When the thunder and hail stop, you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But I am certain that neither you nor your officials really fear the Lord God.”

31 Meanwhile, the flax and barley crops had been destroyed by the storm because they were ready to ripen. 32 But the wheat crops ripen later, and they were not damaged.

33 After Moses left the royal palace and the city, he lifted his arms in prayer to the Lord, and the thunder, hail, and drenching rain stopped. 34 When the king realized that the storm was over, he disobeyed once more. He and his officials were so stubborn 35 that he refused to let the Israelites go. This was exactly what the Lord had said would happen.

Exodus 9