He’s a real Man’s Man!

Tucked away at the end of I Corinthians, Paul defines a man’s man! Or should I say, Paul defines God’s man!

 

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. I Corinthians 16:13.14 

 

For an Old Testament reference, consider the words of Joab, King David’s general, directed toward his soldiers before a crucial battle. 

 

Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.  2 Samuel 10:12. 

 

Many years ago, I knew a man who was a physical hulk of a man. Not only was he a towering man of 6’5”, but he was lean and muscle-bound. Physically, he was quite intimidating. My 5’8’ skinny frame was quite a contrast to him. However, I considered him somewhat insecure in his personality and shallow in his character.  

 

Therefore, it struck me one day when a friend of mine described him to someone else by saying, ‘you need to meet this guy, he’s a real man’s man.’ It struck me because first of all, with my short frame and skinny arms, I knew no one would ever describe me that way. But secondly, is a man really a ‘man’s man’ because of his physical stature? I hope not, because I’ll never qualify. 

 

God’s Man 

 

This story brings to mind the power of influence that physical appearance plays in our pre-judgment process of others.  I can’t help being reminded of the story of King Saul in the book of I Samuel. Saul was a hulk of a man as well. The people looked at him and wanted him as king. Why? Simply because he looked the part. He was big, strong, and handsome. The people looked at him with eyes that could only see the outside. They didn’t know that on the inside, he was insecure in his personality and shallow in his character. 

 

So, God gave in to the request of the people and allowed Saul to become the first king of Israel. Meanwhile, God told the high priest Samuel to go and meet the sons of Jesse because among them was Israel’s future king. The following verses are from I Samuel 16. 

 

Now the Lord said to Samuel…’ fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.  

 

Samuel was the high priest at the time of king of Saul. He knew Saul was a disaster of a king. He knew that despite Saul’s kingly appearance, he was morally weak and insecure. Nevertheless, Samuel still fell into the same ‘appearance’ trap that all of us do. Samuel initially considered Jesse’s oldest and strongest son as the possible king of Israel. 

 

When they entered (the house of Jesses), Samuel looked at Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him.’ 

 

The text reveals Samuel’s thoughts. Of course, in Samuel’s mind, Eliab ‘looks’ like the right choice. Just like King Saul had appeared to be the right choice for the people. We have strong biases toward appearance, don’t we? 

 

But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. 

 

BOOM! There it is. God looks at the heart. 

 

So, what is the description of a Man’s Man? Or, more importantly, what is the description of God’s Man? Back to our text:  

 

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love. I Corinthians 16:13.14 

 

Father, our world needs men more than ever before. Real men have clear minds; they are on the alert, watching and protecting those under his care. They also are men of the Word standing firm on the principles of our faith. True men are disciples of Jesus; they are strong and courageous. Lastly, they are strong yet always loving, caring, and kind. Love is the firm foundation of a man of God. Father, raise up such men around us all. In Jesus’ name, Amen!