Five Faithful Young Men Found in Scripture

I remember a great Ron Hamilton (Patch the Pirate) song from when my children were younger. “Faithful Men” [1] is a simple, two verse song that speaks of the faithful men that have gone before us. Verse 1 includes these words:

I am looking to Jesus

Giving all in the race

Pressing upward to gain

The heavenly prize

Faithful men are my witness

Who have struggled and died

And they watch

From the grandstand in the skies

While it is a great song for a chorus of boys to sing, it is also a great reminder of so many men throughout history of whom the Bible shares for our learning. Take a look at these five faithful young men found in scripture.

Joseph

Joseph was the son of Jacob (Israel) and Rachel. He had many brothers and at least one sister. Though he was Rachel’s first-born, he was Jacob’s eleventh son. He was Israel’s favorite and for this his brothers hated him (Genesis 37:3-4). Even though Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, he was Godly and faithful.

Key verses about Joseph:

Genesis 41:38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?

Genesis 41:46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

Samuel

Samuel is the son that Hannah earnestly prayed for. His father Elkanah had two wives Peninnah and Hannah. But Hannah was the wife that he favored (1 Samuel 1:1-28). Hannah made a vow to the Lord that she would dedicate her son to the Lord and followed through when she left her son, Samuel, with Eli the priest of Shiloh. The Jewish historian Josephus records that Samuel was about eleven years old when he heard his calling from the Lord. In his calling the Lord revealed to Samuel that Eli’s sons were evil. Samuel bravely shared the revelation with Eli and from that point on Samuel was seen as a prophet of the Lord to all of Israel.

Key verses about Samuel:

1 Samuel 2:26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

1 Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

David

David was the youngest of eight boys. The Bible does not mention his mother’s name, stating only that his father was Jesse of Bethlehem. As a young boy David killed Goliath, the Philistine with just a sling and a stone. He was also the young man who sang psalms to King Saul, lifting him out of a depression. In the years to come Saul’s love for David would turn to jealousy and Saul would continually seek to kill David. David had eight wives and at least six sons. Throughout his life, David remained faithful to God and often recorded his thoughts in the Book of Psalms.

Key verses about David:

1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.

1 Samuel 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.

Josiah

Josiah was the son of King Amon and his wife Jedidah. He was the grandson of King Manasseh. Manasseh turned from the Lord and built a temple for idolatrous worship. Josiah had four sons. Josiah became King of Jerusalem at the very young age of eight, when King Amon died. Josiah reformed what his grandfather had started, returning the Ark of the Covenant to the Temple. He remained faithful to God until he was wounded in battle and taken back to Jerusalem to die.

Key passage about Josiah:

2 Chronicles 34:1–3 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

Timothy

Timothy (Timotheous) was born in Lystra in Lyconia. He was a respected Christian along with his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, who were both Jews. He was Paul’s disciple as well as a co-preacher and close friend. He is the one whom Paul called for when Paul fulfilled his death sentence in prison. In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he says “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Key verses about Timothy

2 Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Final Thoughts

We are blessed to have the Bible which tells us about these five faithful men and others. Through their example we can learn and then “commit” these things to other faithful men. This circle of discipleship is how we spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, as we are all called to do.

More to read: 5 Young People in the Bible That Did Great Things

Tagged as: young faithful men, young godly men