If Jesus Christ could be considered the greatest failure of all time from a worldly viewpoint, he had many examples in the Old Testament that also looked as if they had failed. When faced with doubt and confusion about his own success, Jesus Christ had an immense wealth of scriptures to keep his heart at ease with God’s true perspective.
By the age of twelve, he astonished the doctors (teachers) at Jerusalem with his understanding and answers about the scriptures (Luke 2:46,47).
When he was about thirty and had received the gift of holy spirit, he went into the wilderness. The Devil tempted him with cunning questions that were meant to deceive Jesus. Yet even in a physically weakened state after not eating for forty days, he had the exact scriptures needed to surgically root out these devilish attacks. He replied with “It is written,” and God’s living and powerful Word backed off the adversary (Luke 4:1-13; Hebrews 4:12).
While studying the Old Testament writings, Jesus Christ saw that those who appeared to be failures in the world’s eyes were actually God’s winners. Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, Jeremiah, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Daniel, and Jonah stretched out themselves in love first to God and then in prayerful service to others.
Moses
Moses was an Israelite child who was rescued by “the daughter of Pharaoh” from the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. Although raised in a royal setting, he learned who his real parents were. He was taught of the coming Messiah who would redeem God’s people. He refused the world’s “success” in Egypt and accepted the “failure” of standing for the true God. He esteemed the reproach of anticipating Christ to be greater riches than all of Egypt’s vast wealth.
Hebrews 11:24-27:
By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses stood up for God’s people, and rescued a Hebrew who was being beaten. Rather than receiving thanks for this protection, Moses was rebuked as a killer. Under a death threat from Pharaoh, Moses fled Egypt into the desert.
Exodus 2:11-15:
And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
Moses may have seemed like a failure as he sat in a foreign land, an escaped criminal. But Moses was a great example to Jesus Christ of intimate fellowship with God. Moses was called the meekest person upon the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). Jesus Christ knew that Moses became one of the greatest prophets of all time, performing miracles that are still well known in our time. And Jesus knew that he himself would be a prophet like unto Moses (Deuteronomy 8:15; Acts 3:22; 7:37; John 1:21,25; 6:14). Moses turned failure into victory.
David
David faced failure and death as he fled from King Saul and later from his son, Absalom. On one occasion, he lost all of his own goods and family members, and those of his men. David and his men wept until they could weep no more. At that point, David’s men were so upset at their loss that they considered killing him. Could David look more like a failure?
I Samuel 30:1-6:
And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.
So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.
Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.
And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters….
What was David’s response in the midst of incomparable defeat?
I Samuel 30:6:
…but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.
David trusted in God and set a wonderful example for Jesus Christ. Jesus knew that he was “the son of David.” Jesus had read the prophecies that David spoke concerning who he would be as the Messiah (Psalms 16:8-11 and Acts 2:25-28; Psalms 110:1 and Mark 12:35-37; Psalms 110:4 and Hebrews 6:10). Jesus Christ knew that his ancestor David was no failure!
Elijah
After standing for the true God and getting rid of idolatrous prophets, Elijah faced a challenging situation.
I Kings 19:1-4:
And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.
Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.
And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.
But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
Elijah felt like a failure. He was ready to quit. Thinking that he was alone, he told the Lord that he was only a hairbreadth away from death.
I Kings 19:10:
And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
God helped Elijah regain a true perspective. Despite the earthly distractions (wind, earthquake, and fire), Elijah was able to hear God’s still small voice within.
I Kings 19:11-13:
And he [the Lord] said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?
Elijah responded to God’s voice and carried out God’s will, including anointing Elisha as prophet in his place. Although a failure to the political leaders of his time, Elijah was a mighty success in God’s sight.
Elisha
The Prophet Elisha received repeated revelation that helped the armies of Israel escape attacks from Syrian forces. The king of Syria learned what Elisha had done, so he sent a great military host to take this troublesome prophet. Elisha’s servant saw the horses and chariots surrounding them, and he ran to Elisha for help in what was sure to be disastrous failure.
II Kings 6:14,15:
Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.
And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
Elisha realized that one of the world’s mightiest armies had him surrounded. But failure was no option when it came to God. He saw things spiritually, and prayed that his servant could see that they were far from being failures.
II Kings 6:16,17:
And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Hezekiah
Hezekiah was a mighty king of Judah who trusted God to survive a long siege in Jerusalem by King Sennacherib and his Assyrian forces. Since taking the throne at the age of twenty-five, Hezekiah had cleansed the Temple, restored worship, and brought great joy to the people as God heard their prayers. But Hezekiah’s health was failing.
II Chronicles 32:24:
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death….
This was a “terminal” illness according to worldly wisdom. Like so many other Biblical “failures,” Hezekiah stretched out himself in prayer to God.
II Chronicles 32:24:
…and prayed unto the Lord: and he spake unto him, and he gave him a sign.
What was the sign that the Lord gave Hezekiah? He literally turned the direction of the sun back by ten degrees as seen on the sun dial.
Isaiah 38:7,8:
And this shall be a sign unto thee from the Lord, that the Lord will do this thing that he hath spoken;
Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down.
Not only did the Lord change the course of the sun, He healed Hezekiah so that he could enjoy fifteen more years of life. In thankfulness for turning his failure into victory, Hezekiah wrote fifteen “songs of degrees” (Psalms 120-134), one song for each of the years that the Lord had graciously added to him. During that time, Hezekiah had a son, Manasseh, who was an ancestor of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:10). Jesus would have known that his own life and family tree depended not only on David, but also on Hezekiah’s trust in God to deliver him. God turned Hezekiah’s failure to victory.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah faced stark opposition for speaking the Word of God in the days of Zedekiah, king of Judah. At one point, he was thrown into “solitary confinement,” a prison dungeon. This was no ordinary situation, but failure perhaps beyond what most people could imagine.
Jeremiah 38:6:
Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire [human refuse]: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.
How would you feel if you were lowered into a cesspool? The smell, disease, and everything associated with being up to your neck in human excrement would be nauseating. Perhaps Jeremiah knew ridicule more than any other prophet, with the exception of Jesus Christ. Yet Jeremiah knew his calling, and he saw things from a spiritual perspective. He had to speak God’s Word (Jeremiah 20:9). It was the joy and rejoicing of his heart.
Jeremiah 15:16:
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Most people know the Biblical record of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. When they were taken by King Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon they were called Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Because they kept God’s spiritual perspective, they were unmoved by the work of evil men that was meant to destroy them. By refusing to follow the kings’ idolatrous commands, they were set up for spectacular public execution. Their potential failure would make headlines in today’s news.
Daniel 3:19-23:
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
God delivered these faithful men. Their friend Daniel often stretched himself out in prayers for them. Later, his prayer would be needed to combat failure and death that was planned for him by cunning and deceitful men.
Daniel
Darius became king of Babylon, and was deceived into signing a decree that would prohibit anyone from making a petition to any god or person other than Darius for thirty days. This did not stop Daniel from praying to the true God. As a result, he would face failure of the most extreme kind—death in a pit of lions.
Daniel 6:16,17:
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
This was the worst possible scenario. Not only was Daniel thrown in with hungry lions, the den was covered with a stone and sealed with the authority of the king and his lords. Yet Daniel had a Lord who brought victory. Think of how Jesus Christ would have reflected on Daniel being sealed in the den when he faced his own death and burial. Jesus was placed in a tomb for three days and three nights, covered with a stone, and sealed shut under the authority of the religious leaders (Matthew 27:66). But as with Daniel, failure was turned into the greatest victory!
Jonah
The Prophet Jonah was the ultimate inspiration for Jesus Christ. When he needed to absolutely believe that his heavenly Father would raise him from the dead after three days and three nights, it was the “failure turned to victory” of Jonah that comforted his heart and strengthened his soul. He boldly proclaimed what God would do for him.
Matthew 12:40:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Jonah seemed to be a habitual failure. When the Lord told him to cry against Nineveh, Jonah tried to sail to Tarshish and avoid God’s command. He was caught in a raging storm, a mighty tempest that threatened to break the ship apart. As things progressed, Jonah was thrown overboard into the sea.
Jonah 1:15 -17:
So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
Now the Lord had prepared [allotted] a great fish [sea creature] to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
God knew that Jonah would be cast overboard and drown in the sea. He allotted just the right sea creature to be ready to swallow Jonah’s body and protect it from the dangers of the sea for three days and three nights. As he was dying, Jonah stretched himself out in prayer to the Lord God. He knew that God would hear his voice and that he would again look toward God’s holy temple.
Jonah 2:1-4:
Then Jonah prayed unto the Lord his God out of the fish’s belly,
And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell [the grave, the state of death] cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.
Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Look at Jonah’s last words in the midst of worldly failure. And look at the Lord’s response!
Jonah 2:9,10:
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah knew that salvation is of the Lord. God literally raised Jonah from the dead. Think how Jesus would have understood that his heavenly Father would do the same for him! What an inspiration Jonah was to Jesus Christ, our lord who brings salvation to all who believe on him.
For further understanding, see:
Failures for Christ: Stretching Out in Prayer and Love
Failures for Christ: New Testament Champions
Failures for Christ: From Failure to Victory!
