Faithfulness Illustrated in Other Lives in the Bible (cont'd)

Azariah - Uzziah, the king of Judah became prideful and he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.

Azariah, the priest went in after him along with eighty priests of the LORD who were valiant men.  They withstood King Uzziah and said to him, "It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense.  Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed!  You shall have no honor from the LORD God."

Uzziah became furious, and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense.  And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead before them in the house of the LORD beside the incense altar.

And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at Uzziah and there on his forehead, he was leprous so they thrust him out of the place.  He hurried to get out because the LORD had struck him (2 Chronicles 27:16-20).  King Uzziah was a leper until he died (verse 21). 

Azariah demonstrated his faithfulness to God by standing up to the king when he offered a sinful offering.

Hanani and Hananiah - Then it was, when the wall was built and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani, and Hananiah, the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many (Nehemiah 7:1, 2).

Isaiah - When King Hezekiah had been healed from his sickness he received letters and a present from the son of the king of Babylon.  Hezekiah was pleased with them and showed them the house of his treasures.  He showed them everything in his house and dominion.  

Isaiah, the prophet asked the king about his visitors-what did they say and where they came from; Hezekiah told him that they were from Babylon.  Isaiah asked him what they had seen in the king's house and Hezekiah told him that they had seen all that was in his house.

Then Isaiah said to him, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is your house, and what your fathers have accumulate until this day, shall be carried to Babylon, nothing shall be left,' says the LORD.  'And they shall take some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon!'"

Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you spoken is good!"  For he said, "At least there will be peace and truth in my days" (Isaiah 39:1-8).

Jeremiah - God told Jeremiah to stand in the court of the LORD's house and speak to all the cities of Judah who came to worship in His house all the words which, He commanded him to speak to them.  He said to Jeremiah, "Do not diminish a word.  Perhaps everyone will listen and turn from his evil way, that I may relent concerning the calamity which I purpose to bring on them because of the evil of their doings."

God told Jeremiah to tell the people if they will not listen to Him, to walk in His Law which He had set before them, to heed the words of His servants the prophets whom He sent to them, both rising up early and sending them but they have not heeded, then He would make this house like Shiloh, and the city a curse to all the nations of the earth.

So, Jeremiah spoke the words in the house of the LORD.  When he was finished speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, "You will surely die!"

They demanded to know why Jeremiah had prophesied in the LORD's name saying that this house shall be like Shiloh and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant.  The people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

When the princes of Judah heard, those things they went from the king's house to the LORD's house and sat the entry of the New Gate of the LORD's house.  The priests and prophets spoke to them saying, "This man deserves to die! For he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears."

Jeremiah spoke up and said to all the princes and all the people that the LORD sent him to prophesy against this house and this city with all that worlds they heard.  He tells them to amend their ways and their doings and to obey the voice of the LORD their God.  Then the LORD will relent concerning the doom that He had pronounced against them.

Jeremiah said, "As for me, here I am, in your hand; do with me as seems good and proper to you.  But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will surely bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for truly the LORD has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing."

So the princes and all the people said the priests and the prophets, "This man does not deserve to die.  For he has spoken to us the name of the LORD our God" (Jeremiah 26:1-15).

Daniel - Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home.  And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days (Daniel 6:10).

Daniel remained faithful to his God in spite of the decree that, "Whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you. O King, shall be cast into the den of lions" (verse 7).

We show our faithfulness to God when we are obedient to Him at all times, no matter what.  Daniel, like his three friends, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego, he was willing to be faithful to God even unto death.  

Daniel praying to God despite the decree