I was recently listening to a “Renewing Your Mind” podcast series on lesser known people in the Bible. It set me thinking about people who are described in the Bible, who are not named, but who made a difference in the kingdom of God.

I’m sure many of you have thought, “Who am I? How can I make a difference? Nobody even knows who I am.” The truth is that there are lots of people in this world, who have made a difference, but nobody other than God truly knows how much.

Let’s take a look at some of the unnamed heroes of the Bible.

Fill The Earth

When we think of the global flood, we think of Noah. We might even think of his sons, but we rarely think about the wives. Neither Noah’s wife nor his sons’ wives are named.

Then the Lord said to Noah, “Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. … Then Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him entered the ark because of the water of the flood. (Genesis 7:1,7)

You might think that they aren’t named because they are unimportant, but they are very important to God’s plan.

On the very same day Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark, they and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, all sorts of birds. So they went into the ark to Noah, by twos of all flesh in which was the breath of life. Those that entered, male and female of all flesh, entered as God had commanded him; and the Lord closed it behind him. (Genesis 7:13-16) {emphasis mine}

The story of the world would have turned out quite differently if only Noah and his sons had made it onto the ark. Just as it was important that all of the animals entered by twos, male and female, it was equally important that the people entered as couples. How else would the world be repopulated with people?

“Go out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing of all flesh that is with you, birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. (Genesis 8:16-18) {emphasis mine}

These four women were the progenitors of every person alive today. We can all trace our existence back to them. Without these faithful women, the human race would no longer exist.

Healing & Faith of a Foreign General

Most of the unnamed heroes of the Bible don’t have quite the worldwide influence of the 4 matriarchs, but their actions were critical for the well-being of individuals. They made a difference even if no one knows their names.

Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and highly respected, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was also a valiant warrior, but he was a leper. Now the Arameans had gone out in bands and had taken captive a little girl from the land of Israel; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:1-3) {emphasis mine}

This little girl, who was captured from her homeland and probably never saw her family again, made a difference in the life of her master. She caused him to seek out Elisha for healing. In the process, he was healed not only of his leprosy, but was brought into faith in the one true God. Her caring heart brought her master, one of the most powerful people in Aram, to become a follower of God. Most likely, this change in his heart led him to share with others in his nation.

His change of heart required other unnamed servants as well.

Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.” But Naaman was furious and went away and said, “Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:10-14) {emphasis mine}

Naaman was used to deference from the people around him. When Elisha failed to meet him and just told him, through a servant, to go wash seven times in the Jordan River, he was furious. He didn’t believe. He was ready to head home, but several unnamed servants approached him and convinced him to obey this simple command. When Naaman obeyed Elisha’s command, he was physically healed, but more than that, his heart was changed.

When he returned to the man of God with all his company, and came and stood before him, he said, “Behold now, I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel; so please take a present from your servant now.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Naaman said, “If not, please let your servant at least be given two mules’ load of earth; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering nor will he sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” He said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him some distance. (2 Kings 5:15-19) {emphasis mine}

Naaman went from worshiping false gods to worshiping the one true God. His whole heart and mind changed. How many others might he have told about the God of Israel? How many others might he have led to faith? Did the very unnamed servants, who encouraged him to obey Elisha, come to believe in the God of the Bible themselves? We will never know this side of heaven, but God used a little, Hebrew servant girl and some humble servants to lead a powerful general to faith in God. I think we will see Naaman in heaven someday and maybe others whom he taught about God.

Building the Walls of Jerusalem

Sometimes unnamed people are listed as working with named individuals. Others may get the credit, but it takes everyone to get the job done. This is true whether we are talking about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem or if we are talking about running a church or other Christian ministry. This is true of a mom who trains up her children in the way of the Lord.

There are frequently leaders that get the fame, but they could not do what they do without all the unnamed volunteers. They would be nothing without their helpers. Do not discount the helpers as unimportant.

Then Eliashib the high priest arose with his brothers the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They consecrated the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel. Next to him the men of Jericho built, and next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. Now the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. Next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah the son of Hakkoz made repairs. And next to him Meshullam the son of Berechiah the son of Meshezabel made repairs. And next to him Zadok the son of Baana also made repairs. Moreover, next to him the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not support the work of their masters. Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and its bars. Next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, also made repairs for the official seat of the governor of the province beyond the River. (Nehemiah 3:1-7) {emphasis mine}

The Bible lists the leaders, but they couldn’t get the work done without the unnamed people (many more if you continue through Nehemiah 3). Just because you don’t get the credit, don’t think that your help doesn’t matter. Every member of the body of Christ is needed to fulfill God’s very good plan.

This article got really long, so I decided to break it into three posts. I think we can get more out of it if we have time to think about each unnamed individual, how God used them, and how we can be used in similar ways.

May God bless you and encourage you to use what God has given you.

Trust Jesus

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.