5 People God Called Beloved in the Bible
5 individuals in the Bible are specifically referred to as the beloved of God. God himself and others testified that these were beloved by God. God does have special love for some people...
5 individuals in the Bible are specifically referred to as the beloved of God. God himself and others testified that these were beloved. God does have special love for some people because of their relationship with him; we see this all through scripture. We will look at these 5 people below and see what exactly it was that made them beloved by God and what we can learn from them.
1. The Lord Jesus
“And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” Matthew 3:17
“Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” Mark 1:11
2. King David
“But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:14
“To whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” Acts 13:22
In the Bible, the name David (Hebrew: דָּוִד, Dāwîḏ) means ‘beloved.’
3. King Solomon
“Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God.” Nehemiah 13:26
“And He (God) sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.” 2 Samuel 12:25
The Hebrew name Jedidiah (יְדִידְיָה, Yedidyah) means “beloved of the Lord.”
4. Daniel the Prophet
“At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.” Daniel 9:23
“And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” Daniel 10:19
“And he said to me, ‘O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.’” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.” Daniel 10:11
5. John the Apostle
“Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.” John 13:23
“When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son!’” John 19:26
“Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.” John 20:2
“Therefore, that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’” John 21:7
Why were they beloved?
We find in these five men two main characteristics, which made them beloved by God and which governed every detail of their lives.
1. They obeyed God and submitted to his will.
These men obeyed God in their generations even against great threats to their lives. They also taught others to obey God through their writing and teachings.
Jesus:
“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” John 8:29
“Then I said, ‘Here I am; it is written about Me in the scroll: I have come to do Your will, O God.’” Hebrews 10:7
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:8
Daniel:
“Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Daniel 6:10
John:
“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:17
“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this, we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1 John 2:3-6
David and Solomon, and the danger and blot of sin.
Although David and Solomon obeyed God, their lives were not a straight line. They sinned gravely against God at some point in their lives.
David:
David sinned greatly in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba by committing murder and adultery. However, David repented sincerely and never repeated his sin. God still considered him a man after his heart. God himself testifies that David walked perfectly before him except in this one matter.
“Because David did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” 1 Kings 15:5
Solomon:
Solomon was initially obedient to God. However, later in life, he sinned because of his involvement with pagan women who led him into idolatry. His life is a caution against complacency and sin. We can fall into sin if we are not careful and watchful. God was angry with Solomon’s sins, and there were consequences.
“And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.” 1 Kings 3:3
“Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin by these things? Yet among many nations, there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, pagan women caused even him to sin.” Nehemiah 13:26
“Therefore, the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.” 1 Kings 11:11-13
2. They walked in holiness and the fear of God.
These men walked in holiness and the fear of God and taught the same.
Jesus:
“Who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear.” Hebrews 5:7
John:
“No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.” 1 John 3:6-7
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” 1 John 5:3
Daniel:
“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” Daniel 1:8
David:
“Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.” Psalm 34:9
Solomon:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
The secret of the Lord is with those who fear him.
One great reward of fearing God is that he promises to reveal his secrets to those who fear him. David wrote, “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14.
We see this amazing promise fulfilled in the lives of these 5 beloved men. God revealed great secrets to them that he did not reveal to anyone else.
Jesus:
Jesus, as the beloved son of God, knew the mind of God and only did what he saw the Father doing and spoke what he heard his Father speak. The great work of salvation was entrusted to him, and no one can know the Father without Jesus.
“The Father loves the Son and shows Him all He does. And to your amazement, He will show Him even greater works than these.” John 5:20
"All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." Matthew 11:27
Daniel:
Daniel was shown a vision of the end times, the antichrist, the final judgment, and eternity. God also revealed to Daniel the great mystery behind King Nebuchadnezzar's dream.
Do not be afraid, Daniel,” he said, “for from the first day that you purposed to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them… Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision concerns those days… But first I will tell you what is inscribed in the Book of Truth.” Daniel 10:12, 14, 20
“And I heard the voice of a man calling from between the banks of the Ulai: ‘Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.’” As he came near to where I stood, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” Daniel 8:16-17
John:
John was shown the entire vision recorded in the Book of Revelation concerning the end times, the antichrist, heaven, hell, the final resurrection, judgment day, and eternity. He also wrote the gospel of John and the books of 1-3 John, which contain great revelations of Jesus Christ and victorious Christian living.
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.” Revelation 1:1-2
David:
About 73 of the psalms and prayers recorded in the great Book of Psalms are attributed to David. David’s Psalms also contain truths on the Lord Jesus, the future, and eternity. David's great wisdom, heartfelt prayers, and insights into godliness and the character and nature of God have inspired millions for generations. David was also the greatest king and military leader Israel had because he ruled and walked in the fear of God.
“The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” Psalm 25:14.
Solomon:
Solomon was the wisest king Israel had and the wisest man that has ever lived by God’s promise because he feared God. He asked God for wisdom to rule his people justly, and God blessed him beyond measure with great wisdom and great wealth. Kings and queens travelled the world to hear Solomon speak.
“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.” 1 Kings 3:9-12
Solomon's wise words are also recorded in the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The books contain wise sayings and practical advice on almost all areas of life and thoughts on the meaning of life and eternity. The book of Proverbs also contains hidden mysteries of creation, the Lord Jesus, and eternity. Solomon's words have impacted generations.
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Proverbs 9:10
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13
Obedient born-again believers are beloved.
As born-again believers, we have a great advantage that the Old Testament saints did not have. Jesus says that the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist (Matthew 11:11). This is because we have the privilege of being born again. We have God’s Spirit living within us, and he enables us to please God. Therefore, although only a few men in the Old Testament walked closely with God and were called beloved, we have the grace of God in us to enable us to please God as they did.
Paul refers to the Church of Colossae as the elect of God, holy and beloved. And he calls the Roman Church beloved and called to be saints. We see, therefore, that the way to be beloved by God is the same as it always was: to fear God and walk in obedience and holiness.
“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering.” Colossians 3:12
“To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:7
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Have you given your life to Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? He loves us so much that he, our creator, left heaven and came to earth, dying for us on the cross, taking our sins upon him so that we may be forgiven and receive his righteousness. He conquered death by rising from the dead and made a way for us who were dead in sin to be reconciled back to the Father (God). What’s more, he has prepared a wonderful home for us in heaven, where those who love him and obey him will spend eternity with him. Learn more here about how to be born again and have eternal life after this brief life on earth.
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