The Bible has a lot to say about—and to— young people. Scripture gives many outstanding examples of youthful men and women who displayed godly valor and sterling character. Though all human beings sin (Romans 3:23), God has recorded the stories of teen and young adult heroes and heroines. These stories can encourage young people in His Church today to continue "fighting the good fight," in the face of the many difficult obstacles and temptations confronting them.
There are many, many fine, clean, morally upstanding teenagers and young adults in the Living Church of God. Many parents are doing an outstanding job of teaching their children God's way of life, not only in word, but most importantly by example. Those parents are faithfully fulfilling God's desire: "But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring" (Malachi 2:15). Parents who sacrifice now, to ensure that their children learn the ways of God, will be rewarded for their diligence when Christ returns, and will receive great peace and happiness even now. "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:4–5).
Let us consider the examples of some godly youth in Scripture. What lessons can they teach young people today?
Diligent Joseph
Joseph, son of Jacob and Rachel, is one of the Bible's greatest young heroes. Joseph was persecuted by his older brothers, and was even sold into slavery. It would have been easy for Joseph to become discouraged, and to give in to the many temptations to sin that surrounded him every day. Yet Joseph knew God was with him, and he kept his character clean— so much so that he impressed his Egyptian master. "Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there.… And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him" (Genesis 39:1, 3–4).
Potiphar liked Joseph, saw value in this industrious young man, and eventually entrusted him with all he owned. He saw, again and again, that Joseph was a young man of fine character, whom he could count on. "And it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, 'Lie with me.' But he refused and said to his master's wife, 'Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?'" (vv. 7–9).
But Potiphar's unfaithful wife would not take "no" for an answer. She kept pestering Joseph, trying to seduce him. But Joseph did not give in. "So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, 'Lie with me.' But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside" (vv. 10–12).
In a fit of anger, Potiphar's wife then framed Joseph, accusing him of trying to force himself on her. This aroused Potiphar's anger, and he put young Joseph in the prison where the king's prisoners were kept.
Joseph could have given up, but he remained close to the God of his fathers and remained faithful and diligent in his work. Through a series of miraculous events, he rose to be ruler over all Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. Because of Joseph's diligence, God was able to use him as an instrument in bringing about the events that ultimately allowed his father's family to grow into a nation (Genesis 41:40–41).
Three Courageous Youths Who Defied an Idolatrous King
Babylon's vain King Nebuchadnezzar built a great idol, and decreed that everyone should worship it. A herald proclaimed his decree: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace" (Daniel 3:4–6).
Nebuchadnezzar was the absolute ruler of a mighty kingdom. One could not challenge the king's decree without risking one's life. Yet three young Jewish captives, trained in the palace school to serve the king, refused his order. Nebuchadnezzar was angered by their resistance, but at first tried to win them over to his way of thinking. "Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear… in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?'" (Daniel 3:14–15).
Faced with being plunged into a fiery furnace, many young people would surely compromise. Thinking of their whole lives ahead of them, and their careers hanging by a slender thread, why not cave in to the wishes of the boss? These three lads, however, were made of sterner stuff, and they courageously defied the king to his face! Answering the king, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego, said: "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up" (vv. 16–18).
The young men's courage did not stop Nebuchadnezzar from throwing them into the fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than usual. Yet an angel of God intervened to save them, giving Nebuchadnezzar a witness of the Lord'S great power. "Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, 'Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?' They answered and said to the king, 'True, O king.' 'Look!' he answered, 'I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'… Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!'" (Daniel 3:24–28).
Today, we live in a world of cowardice and compromise. How many young people today even know about this shining exhibition of fearless loyalty to the Maker of heaven and earth? Young people (and older people) in God's Church can be inspired by such courage, even in the face of what seemed to be certain death. We need to remember these examples so that we, too, can be emboldened to display such spiritual strength, and can be effective and valiant witnesses to those who would dare to defy God!
Girls Can Be Brave-Hearted, Too!
Esther was a young woman, in her late teens or early twenties, when she found herself thrust into a position of power in the greatest empire of her day. She was gorgeous— she had won a "beauty contest" held to find the king a new queen—but she did not allow her beauty or her success to go to her head.
Soon after she was crowned, Esther learned of a plot to destroy her fellow Jews. She could have tried to keep her lineage a secret, and to live out her life selfishly, in luxury and comfort, as a queen. Instead, she chose to risk it all, allowing God to use her to save His people.
Esther was aware of the danger she would face if she tried to discuss the matter with her husband, the king. She sent her uncle Mordecai a message explaining her dilemma. "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days" (Esther 4:11).
Mordecai responded with an urgent appeal to his niece, the queen. "Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther: 'Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king's palace any more than all the other Jews. For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'" (vv. 13–14).
Upon receiving Mordecai's message, Esther realized that she alone could act to preserve her people, and she sent her uncle this brave reply: "'Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!' So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him" (vv. 16–17).
Through faith, fasting and prayer, this young lady overcame great odds, found favor in the eyes of her husband the king, and prevailed upon him to save her people. Because of Esther's bravery, the Jews won a great victory over their enemies, and the people were saved, many of whom would later return to the ruined Jerusalem, to rebuild the city and temple of God. And her courageous actions preserved the Davidic line from which Jesus would be born.
A Loyal Young Woman of Character
Some examples of loyalty and character are not as earth-shaking on the surface, but they bring about deep and lasting consequences. Ruth was a young Gentile widow who remained loyal to her aging mother-in-law, Naomi, whose husband and two sons had died. Naomi did not want her daughters-in-law to live out their lives alone, so she tried to send them back to Moab, their land of birth (Ruth 1:8–13). But Ruth resisted, saying: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God" (v. 16).
This virtuous young woman was probably only in her mid-twenties when she chose to care for Naomi and return with her to Israel. Ruth's loyal example came to the attention of Boaz, a wealthy leader in Judah. They married, and their union led to a grandson named Jesse— who fathered King David.
A Young Man After God's Own Heart
God came to see that Jesse had done a good job of rearing his children. After King Saul had turned aside from following God's instructions, God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse's house in Bethlehem. "Now the Lord said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons'" (1 Samuel 16:1).
Jesse had a large family, including many tall, brave and handsome sons. From the eldest to the next to the youngest, each was presented to Samuel for consideration. "Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, 'The Lord has not chosen these.' [Samuel knew that God had not sent him on a "fool's errand," so he persisted.] And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are all the young men here?' Then he said, 'There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.' And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.' So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!'" (1 Samuel 16:10–12).
Samuel had come to anoint David as the nation's king, but Jesse could also be happy in witnessing the character of his other sons. David's three eldest brothers became soldiers in the service of their king and country. "The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons… were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah" (1 Samuel 17:13). When another Philistine giant from Gath defied Israel, he was killed by "Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother" (1 Chronicles 20:7). David himself became the greatest warrior-king in Israel's history. In the resurrection, Jesse—who fathered a royal dynasty whose descendants have been sitting on David's throne down to this present day—will have good cause to be well pleased by the valor and character his children displayed.
Like Jesse's sons, teenagers and young adults in God's Church today must fight difficult battles. But there is one important difference; God is not sending His young men and women to strive in carnal warfare. The young people of God's Church today must struggle against a greater enemy than Goliath—they must overcome Satan himself! Their weapons are not swords, spears and slingshots, but instead are prayer, fasting, meditation and Bible study.
Many are succeeding in that battle. We can find examples of godly youth not only in the pages of the Bible, but in our Church congregations, where many fine young men and women are successfully overcoming Satan, self and society. Sometimes the battle is not easy, but God has made help available—through His word, and through His ministry. If you ever feel you need some help, ask! Many are avoiding the temptation to give in to the pulls of this carnal world—and you can, too, with God's help! Remember: if you are not yet baptized, God's Spirit is "with" you, and if you have been baptized, His Spirit is within you. Your life can exemplify the words the Apostle Paul wrote to the young evangelist Timothy: "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12)!