Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: The Doctrine of Election

The Making of a Faithful Man

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Old Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2012-11-20

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver examines Nehemiah 7:1-2 to show that faithfulness is rooted in the fear of God. He contrasts true faithfulness with worldly substitutes like responsibility, accountability, and stability, and demonstrates from Hanani's example that a man who fears God will be gracious, dependable, and depart from evil. The sermon calls believers to cultivate the fear of the Lord as the foundation for faithfulness in every area of life.

[John Weaver] And we're just simply going to read verses 1 and 2. Nehemiah chapter 7, the title of the message today is the making of a faithful man. The making of a faithful man. Notice Nehemiah chapter 7. Nehemiah chapter 7, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Nehemiah chapter 7, verses 1 and 2.

[John Weaver] Now it came to pass when the wall was built and I had set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, that I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem. For he was a faithful man and feared God above many. Faithfulness is a quality and attribute that is lacking so greatly today. I do not know if you've ever stopped or paused to think about the importance and necessity of faithfulness or not. But when I talk about faithfulness, I'm not just simply referring to faithfulness in marriage, but faithfulness in every area of life. Faithfulness in our word, faithfulness in our business, faithfulness in our church, One of the greatest evidences of the deterioration in our society is the lack of faithfulness in every area. Just stop and think of marriages that have been broken, businesses that have gone under, churches that have deteriorated and actually dissolved, governments and other institutions that have just simply been devastated by unfaithfulness.

[John Weaver] Back during David's time, unfaithfulness was so horrible and conditions were so terrible that David, in Psalm 12 and verse 1, cried out, Help, Lord, for the godly man seeth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men. If you read the rest of Psalm 12, he will delineate a few of the conditions that arise there from unfaithfulness. So let me ask you several questions. Are you faithful? Would you consider yourself faithful?

[John Weaver] Do you have any idea concerning the essence of faithfulness? Are you a faithful friend? A faithful steward? A faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you learned to value faithfulness? If so, here's my question. Have you made it a priority in your life? Let me show you how important faithfulness is. I quote this scripture often. You've heard me quote it hundreds of times. And if the Lord allows me to live, you'll hear me quote it hundreds of more times. But it's one of my favorite passages, and it demonstrates the absolute importance and necessity of faithfulness.

[John Weaver] For in Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says it is the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed because His compassions, they fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness." Have you ever stopped to think that if God ceased being faithful, we would cease to exist? Do you think it's important for God to be faithful? If it's important for God to be faithful, you would think it's important for you to be faithful as well. And according to Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 9, God is called the fateful God. In 2 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 13, the Bible says, if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. Now when we stop and think about faithfulness, it's our desires, and they're expressed many times in many ways, but it is our main desire that others be faithful to us. And certainly, we would think we would want to be faithful to others as well. But do you realize that we expect and we desire that our friends are to be faithful to us and we want that in one sense of the word, now listen carefully, and in another sense of the word, we do not want our friends to be too faithful to us.

[John Weaver] You say, what in the world are you talking about? Well, I want you to hold on to Nehemiah 7. I'm going to come back and explain this. But I do want you to turn to the book of Proverbs chapter 11. Turn over just a few books. Proverbs chapter 11. And look at verse 13. Proverbs 11 and verse 13. Here's what I mean when I say we want our friends to be faithful to us. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 11 and verse 13. A tale-bearer revealeth secrets, but he that is a faithful spirit concealeth the matter." Now wait a minute. If you confide one of your deepest secrets to your best friend, do you want that friend to go blab everything that you've just told them? Do you want them to spread your innermost secrets and your innermost thoughts and fears to just anyone and everyone?

[John Weaver] And the answer is absolutely no. You want your friend, if you confide in that friend, to keep everything that you said under wraps. I never will forget years ago, a fellow came to me for counseling, and he was a dear friend of mine. And so, I counseled him, and a little while later, a couple weeks later, he and his family were at our house for supper. While I was outside doing something, Alice was in the kitchen cooking and he walked in to the kitchen where Alice was and he said to her, I suppose your husband has told you all about my problems. Alice looked at him and said, I'm sorry.

[John Weaver] I don't know what you're talking about. My husband never divulges anything to me that's told him in confidence. You know, I've often thought about that. If I had told her what He had confided in me, do you think I would have lost a friend? I certainly would have lost His trust. We do not want our friends blabbing our inmost secrets and our inmost desires. We demand faithfulness in that area. Now, I just said that we want our friends to be faithful to us in one sense of the word, And in another sense of the word, we don't want them to be too fateful. What am I talking about?

[John Weaver] Well, turn right over to Proverbs chapter 27, and look if you would please at verse 6. Here's exactly what I mean. Look what the Bible says, Proverbs 27 and verse 6. The Bible says, fateful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Now watch that. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. We do not like wounding. We do not like rebuke. We do not like reproof and reproach from a friend, even though the Word of God teaches us, if someone is truly our friend, they will indeed rebuke us.

[John Weaver] They will not allow us to go forward in sin or forward in rebellion. They will stop us, even to the point of hurting us, hurting our feelings, hurting our relationship, They will not suffer sin upon us even if it costs the friendship. Enemies deceive. Enemies could care less. But fateful are the wounds of a friend. And a good, godly, fateful friend will indeed rebuke us and reproach us and admonish us even when we sin.

[John Weaver] And usually they will do it privately for which we should be grateful and thankful. But you know, the Bible demands this. In Leviticus 19 and verse 17, let me just quote it. We're going to look at some other passages. But listen to Leviticus 19 and verse 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. Thou shalt anywise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him. So, if Ron and I are friends, and Ron does something wrong, and I totally ignore it, it's unbiblical, it's ungodly, but I just ignore it. According to the Word of God, I hate him. Thou shalt not hate thy neighbor in thine heart. Thou shalt anywise rebuke thy neighbor and not suffer sin upon him.

[John Weaver] Now the exact same truth is taught in the New Testament. Let me show you. I want you to turn first of all to the book of Romans chapter 15 and look at verse 14. Romans 15 and verse 14. There are words here I want you to underline. I want you to see Three passages. One is Romans 15. And notice if you would please verse 14. Look what the Apostle Paul tells these Roman Christians. Romans 15 verse 14.

[John Weaver] He says, I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus. I'm in 14. Romans 15 and verse 14. He said, and I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

[John Weaver] Now if you want to underline that little word admonish, you're going to see it again. But now notice what he said. He said that we are able also to admonish one another. And the reason we're able is because we're full of goodness and we're filled with knowledge.

[John Weaver] Now, turn over if you would to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and look at verse 15. 2 Thessalonians Chapter 3 and notice if you would please verse 15 notice what the Word of God says Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 15 In fact, let's go to verse 14 just so that you can see the context. He said, If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

[John Weaver] Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother. Now there's that word admonish again. Admonish him as a brother. If you will turn back to the book of Colossians, just a few pages back. Look in Colossians 1 in verse 28. Here's the same word, it's just translated a little differently. Colossians 1 verse 28. The Apostle Paul says, whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom.

[John Weaver] Now note this last phrase, that we may present every man perfect or mature, complete and upright in Christ Jesus. The interesting thing is this. In Romans 15 and verse 14, the word admonish. In 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 15, the word admonish. And in Colossians 1 and verse 28, the word warning are all from the same Greek word. The Greek word is nuthateo, which literally means, I cause to stand in your mind. In other words, it means here is a rebuke. Here is a reproof, here is a warning, here is an admonishing in such a way that it is caused to stand out in our minds and we do not forget it.

[John Weaver] Now what did the Apostle Paul say? He said, I know that you're full of goodness in all wisdom or knowledge and that you're able also to reprove and rebuke each other. Again he tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3, We're not to count each other as an enemy, but admonish, rebuke, warn each other as our brother. And I want you to look back at Colossians 1 in verse 28.

[John Weaver] Let me point this out. The Apostle Paul says whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect or mature and complete in Christ Jesus. Now, here's the thing. The Apostle Paul has just told us the three things that are absolutely necessary to make someone mature and upright and complete in Christ. What are they? Preaching, warning, that is rebuking, reproof, admonishment, and teaching. And here's what God is saying. A man that is a faithful friend will do all of those three things. Why? Because he wants you to be mature and complete in Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. I'm building this up just to show you something from Nehemiah chapter 7. But look in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 at the first two verses. Here's the truth. If you and I are to serve Christ, we must serve Him faithfully. Christ does not want someone up and down, off and on. You remember what he said in the book of Revelation, I would that thou were either hot or cold, but because you're lukewarm, what will you do?

[John Weaver] He said, I'll spew thee out of my mouth. So he wants us to be faithful in whatever we do. Look in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 1, the apostle Paul writes, Let a man so account of us as of the ministries of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. Now, wait a minute. You said, Brother Weaver, you're a steward, you're a pastor, you're a preacher. Oh yeah, I am. But so are you. You may not be a pastor, but has God not given you a life? Has God not given you breath? Has not God given you a family? Has not God given you a vocation, a calling, a work? Has not God given you His salvation? If so, you are a steward over everything that God has given you. And God says He requires that you be faithful.

[John Weaver] It's not enough to teach the truth. It's not enough to understand the truth. We must learn to be faithful in all things. We must learn to be faithful in every area of our life. John, in 3 John 1 in verse 5, wrote unto Gaius. Let me read to you what he said. Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to the strangers. What did John say of Gaius? Doesn't matter who you're working with, you are faithful, not only to the brothers, but to the strangers as well.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to go back to the book of Proverbs. I want you to look in Proverbs 28 and verse 20 first. And then we're going to Psalm 101. But I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 20. And what the word of God says. We're talking about faithfulness. Proverbs 28 and verse 20. Look at this passage. Proverbs 28 and verse 20. Here it is.

[John Weaver] A faithful man shall abound with blessings but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. God is going to honor and reward Faithfulness. But that's not all. Look back in your Bibles to Psalm 101 and verse 6. Here's an interesting and a very beautiful promise. Psalm 101 and look at verse 6. God says it like this. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me.

[John Weaver] He that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. God pays particular and close attention to those who are faithful to Him and His Word. He said, mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land. And then he goes on to say in verse 6, and he that walketh in a perfect way, he's going to be the one that serves me. So the Lord's eye then is upon the faithful, and He has a special relationship with those who are faithful. You remember that passage in Mark 4 and verse 25, where God says, and to him that hath shall more be given. In other words, the more we receive from God, and the more we are faithful to that which He gives us, the more He gives us.

[John Weaver] If you and I fail in the small things, how in the world would God ever trust us with greater things? You might want to look at this passage, but look in Luke chapter 16 and verse 10, because our Lord spells it out very clearly. Here's this principle, Luke 16 and verse 10. Watch what he says. Luke 16 verse 10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. And he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in the much.

[John Weaver] You know, most of us have dreams of grandeur. We want to be big, we want to be important, we want to be rich. And most of us will never be. Either of those. I never will forget, I had a friend years ago, right as I started preaching, and that's been 46 years ago. His desire and his dream was to be a millionaire. And he was going to serve Christ as a millionaire, giving out of the abundance of what he possessed. Until I told him one day, If you can't be faithful in what little you have right now, you're not going to be faithful if God gave you 20 million. And that's exactly what God is saying right here. We may not be the greatest people on the earth, but we can be some of the most faithful people on the earth. And our Lord says, if you're unjust in that which is least, if you can't do the simplest things right, And the easiest things, right? What makes you think God's going to let you have greater things and bigger things?

[John Weaver] You've got to learn to be faithful in that which is least in order that God will give you that which is far greater. Now, we're talking about faithfulness. Have you ever asked yourself this question? What makes a man faithful? Why are some people faithful and others are not? Why is it there are some folks that you can always depend upon and others you never trust? Well, there are a number of answers that have been given as to what makes someone faithful. Most of these answers fall short. For instance, some have suggested that it is responsibility that makes someone fateful. So the theory is that you place a huge burden upon someone and force him to act and he will then act in a very responsible way.

[John Weaver] The only problem is it doesn't work. Look at the husbands and wives and parents that have plenty of responsibility and yet they're totally, absolutely unfaithful. There have been preachers, as well as other Christians, that have brought unsaved people into the church, gave them responsibility, let them start teaching a Sunday school or let them do something else, thinking that all of this responsibility will all of a sudden force them to come to grips with the truth and then be thankful. It will not work. And it does not work. Responsibility alone will never make anyone faithful. Now, it is true that faithful men are responsible men, but it is not responsibility that makes them faithful. There's another theory that it is accountability that makes one faithful.

[John Weaver] You have to be accountable. So the theory is that we should place someone over another person to watch his every move, require frequent reports, and force them to give an answer for each and every action that they make. And according to that theory, they're to become faithful. Well, let me say this. The problem with that theory is, again, it does not work. Bureaucracy has never made anyone faithful.

[John Weaver] And if you don't believe that, just look at Washington, D.C. and any state capital that you want to look at. The fact of the matter is, it is true that faithful men are accountable, but accountability is not that which makes them faithful. There's another theory, and that is it is stability that makes someone faithful. And so that theory says all that you need is a stable environment, stable friends, and a stable family, and one imitates what he sees and what he's around, and presto, automatically, you have a faithful man.

[John Weaver] The problem with that is this. Some of the most faithful men and women have been unfaithful. I've heard about men and women who have not only been married for a multitude of years, stayed at the same work for a multitude of years, and yet all of a sudden it's discovered that they've been living a double life. They've been unfaithful to everything. Some of those people have been embezzling from their company for years.

[John Weaver] I suppose you read just recently of this one soldier who was killed. recently in, I guess, Afghanistan or somewhere, found out he had two wives and two sets of children. Neither wife knew about it. But, I mean, he had a stable job. I guess he was stable with both of his wives and both of his families, but he was certainly unfaithful. And if you think stability is going to make you faithful, well, listen, folks, prisoners ought to be the most faithful people in the world. They've got stability. It is true that a faithful man will be a stable man, but stability does not make anyone faithful. You say, well, what does? Well, let's go back to our text. I want you to go back to Nehemiah chapter 7, and I want you to look at verses 1 and 2. I said all that about faithfulness just to show you this from the Word of God. Look in Nehemiah chapter 7, verse 1.

[John Weaver] Now it came to pass when the wall was built and I set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed that I gave my brother Hanani and Hanani the ruler of the palace charge over Jerusalem for he, singular, was a faithful man and feared God above many. Now, in the context, Nehemiah is about to return to Persia. He had to leave the work at Jerusalem in capable hands. In fact, if you look in Nehemiah chapter 2, when Nehemiah left the king so that he could go to Jerusalem and do the work, notice Nehemiah chapter 2 beginning with verse 4. Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?

[John Weaver] So I prayed to the God of heaven, and I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if my servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, and to the city of my father's sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, the queen also sitting by him, for how long shall be thy journey? And when wilt thou return? Now watch. So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time." Now watch this.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn to Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah was the Tershathah of Jerusalem. You'll see that word in Nehemiah 8 and verse 9. In fact, you'll see it several times. The word Tershathah just simply means governor. Nehemiah was the governor of Jerusalem. So look in Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse 14, the Bible says this, Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even to the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, That is, 12 years I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. So evidently, the time that Nehemiah gave to the king was 12 years. So the 12 years is basically now up. Nehemiah has labored, he's built the wall, he's helped rebuild the city, and now he's about ready to go back to Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] He certainly does not want to leave that work in the hands of an unfaithful man. Do you realize that unfaithfulness would destroy all the work that he had accomplished in 12 years. Basically, if he left that work in the hands of an unfaithful man, 12 years of his life would be wasted. Now, I want you to stop and think. I have known a multitude of parents who died and left their possessions to unfaithful children. Stop and think. of the homes, of the farms, of the plantations, of the businesses, and a multitude of other things that have been ruined and absolutely destroyed because of unfaithful children or unfaithful people who inherited it. Nehemiah said, I'm not about to leave this work that cost me twelve years in the hands of an unfaithful man. And when you look in Nehemiah 7 verse 2, Hanani is singled out as the fateful man. Now Hananiah is also mentioned, yet Hananiah is the one that is singled out as the fateful man. Obviously Hananiah was fateful also, yet not necessarily to the point of Hananiah.

[John Weaver] So let me ask this question. What stood out in Hananiah's life? What was the characteristic that made him fateful? Look in verse 2. He said, Then I gave my brother Hanani, the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem. For he, Hanani, was a fateful man and feared God above many. It was the fear of God that made him fateful.

[John Weaver] Now there were other characteristics and attributes that aided him. Yet the overriding characteristic and the overriding attribute was that he feared God.

[John Weaver] Now, before I develop this truth, I want to show you several other things about Hanani's character. First of all, I want to point out that Hanani was a very gracious man. How do we know that Hanani was gracious? Well, first of all, his name, Hanani, means gracious. Names in the Bible were given to individuals that represented their character. They were not given to individuals just simply because they were popular names are because their parents like those particular names? No. The name of a person in the Bible spoke of his character.

[John Weaver] Everybody remembers a story of Nabal and Abigail. You remember how David kept the sheep of Nabal in the wilderness? And when it came time for shearing all of those sheep, David sent some men and said, it's a good day. Send us a few sheep that we may rejoice with thee. And the Bible says in 1 Samuel 25 verse 3, don't turn there. Now the name of that man was Nabal, and the name of his wife was Abigail, and she was a woman of good understanding and of beautiful countenance, but he, the man, was churlish and evil at his doings, and he was the house of Caleb. You remember when he railed then upon David's servants.

[John Weaver] He said, there'll be many men today that break away from their masters. Who is David that I should give him some of my meat and some of my wine and some of my food. I know not, David." Well, when the men came back, David said, Gurdjieff, you're on your swords. We've kept this man's possessions in vain. And Abigail found out about it. And boy, she told her servants, you load up these camels and you load up these donkeys and I'll take this to David. And she met David as they were coming.

[John Weaver] And she said in verse 25, Let not, my Lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, listen, even Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name, and Phali is with him. But I, thine handmaid, saw not the young men of my Lord, whom thou didst sin. Phali is with him, even is his name. The name Nabal means a fool. He was a fool. And he was named Nabal. He was foolish. They did not necessarily name their children just time they were born. They observed their characters. Hanani was a gracious man.

[John Weaver] Let me show you how his graciousness is demonstrated in the Scripture. If you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah chapter 1, this may surprise you. But it was Hanani who gave this report to Nehemiah. And it was Hanani that sparked in Nehemiah a desire to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah chapter 1, and let's read the first four verses. The words of Nehemiah the son of Hakaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chislu in the twentieth year, I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren came, he and certain men of Judah, and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left in the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven."

[John Weaver] So here, Hanani is the one who comes to Nehemiah. Nehemiah asks, what's going on? How's everybody doing? And he begins to say, we're in great reproach. We're despised. The wall is broken down. The walls and the gates were exactly like the Chaldeans had left them 70 years earlier. This made the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem a very despicable condition. Put them under the abiding marks of poverty and slavery.

[John Weaver] And I might add it was exceedingly dangerous because the enemies could come in, get what they want, and leave any time they wanted to. The temple may have been built under Ezra, and a good government may have been set up, but yet the work was undone because the walls were still torn down and had no gates there. I want you to understand something. The word hineni means gracious.

[John Weaver] And notice if you would, here's an illustration of His graciousness. A gracious man is always interested and concerned with the welfare of others, and not just himself. Let me stop. Let me ask you another question. Why should you learn to be a gracious individual? And the answer is, because graciousness is an attribute of our Heavenly Father. Do you realize in Exodus 22, God was saying in verse 27, that if you loan a poor man some money, and you take his garment as a pledge or as collateral, God says you better return that to him before night falls.

[John Weaver] Because He sleeps in it. Let me read it to you. Exodus 22, verse 27. For that is His covering only. It is His raiment for His skin. Wherein shall He sleep? And it shall come to pass when He crieth unto me that I will hear Him, for I am gracious. It is the graciousness of God that moves Him to think upon we who are helpless and deprived. Let me just read this one to you as well, because Israel, you know, had sinned against God so many times. You know, the amazing thing to me is, God did not completely destroy those people a multitude of times. Yet, in 2 Kings 13 and verse 23, we read this, And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast them from His presence as yet." What? He was gracious unto them. Why? Because of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His covenant. He was gracious. Do you realize that a gracious man is always a compassionate man and a concerned man?

[John Weaver] Why in the world was Hanani at the palace in the first place? Why was he there? The answer is He had left Judah to go to the capital to try to find some help and support for His brethren who were there in Jerusalem. He knew first hand of the conditions in Jerusalem for He was from Jerusalem. He had been there. He came to seek help and protection for His brethren. He had first hand knowledge of what was going on.

[John Weaver] And his graciousness stemmed from the fact that he feared God. Graciousness is a direct result of fearing God. A gracious man, listen carefully, a gracious man is not interested in offending God or man.

[John Weaver] Now I realize that sometimes offenses come because of the gospel. I understand that. But do you know what the Apostle Paul said in Acts 24 and verse 16? Listen carefully. He said, and herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men. What did he say? I'm not going to offend God, and I'm not going to unnecessarily offend men.

[John Weaver] I'll be gracious to them. I'll be kind to them. But, when the situation merits rebuke, he does it. What did he do to Peter? He put his finger in Peter's face and said, you're wrong. Read Galatians chapter 2 and 3, you'll find out. But here's a gracious man. Men who fear God are gracious men and they're particularly concerned with obedience to God and they're concerned with that obedience in every area of their life. That's what makes them fateful men. Now listen carefully. Fateful men will do that which is right in every situation, in every circumstance, regardless of the cost. You remember the two midwives in Exodus chapter 1, and the word men here could be used generally, because here are two women. And the king said, every male child you're to kill. And the Bible says this, but the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but save the men children alive.

[John Weaver] Why did they not murder those babies? The answer is because they feared God. They feared God. They were willing to do that which was right, listen carefully, even if it meant that they faced death themselves. Because they feared God, they did not murder those babies. You know, the Bible says in the book of Job chapter 1 and verse 1, there was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright, one that feared God and one that eschewed evil. I love that word, eschewed. It's an old word, and here's what it means. It means to spit out. I took all my girls, and I gave each one of them a green persimmon. Have you ever eaten a green persimmon?

[John Weaver] You bite into it, what's the first thing you do? You spit it out. You can't stomach it. It is bitter. You say, why did you do that? I think everybody ought to have the experience of knowing what a green persimmon tastes like. You know, I really do. But Job spit it out. He could not stomach it. It was the fear of God. That's what the Bible says. There was a man who feared God. He was upright. He was perfect. And he eschewed evil. He spit it out. He could not stomach it. He could not swallow it. And you remember when Job not only lost all of his possessions, but lost all ten of his children.

[John Weaver] Seven sons and three daughters. The Bible says in all this, Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. Here is the man who was faithful. Now what made him faithful? It was the fear of God. Do you wish to know why people are unfaithful? Do you wish to know why there are so many people that you cannot depend upon? Here's the answer. They do not fear God. The Bible says in Psalm 36 and verse 1, the transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, there is no fear of God before their eyes. The Apostle Paul, when he got through listing all of the wickednesses of the wicked, in Romans 3, he said this, there is no fear of God before their eyes.

[John Weaver] I tell people I remember when I was a boy, seeing my father make multi-thousand dollar deals with other farmers and all they would do is shake hands. There were no contracts. They just shook hands. And I've also seen when a neighbor farmer died, My father and other farmers would go up to the widow and would say, I had a deal with your husband. I owe him so much money. Here it is. You know why?

[John Weaver] Because they had character and they were faithful men. In this day and time, you can get a man's word, you can get a contract, you can get it notarized, you can get 45 witnesses to it and it still doesn't do any good. they'll still find a way to beat you and to hook you and crook you. Why? Because they don't fear God. There's no fear of God before their eyes.

[John Weaver] Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 18. Watch this. Another one of my favorite passages, Luke 18, just showing you, just showing you where unfaithfulness stems. Luke 18, notice if you would please verse 1. And he that as our Lord spake a parable to them, this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint. Watch verse 2, here's what our Lord said saying, There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him saying, Avenge me, mine adversary.

[John Weaver] and he would not for a while. But though ackward, he said within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this would a troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." Note, if you would, here's a man who is a king, who is a civil ruler, who is uncompassionate, unconcerned, not interested in justice, not interested in right and wrong. Why? He feared not God.

[John Weaver] Why was this judge so corrupt? Because he did not fear God. Why was he so unfaithful as a judge? Because he did not fear God. It is impossible to be faithful without the fear of God. It is impossible, listen carefully, it is impossible to depart from evil without the fear of God. Why was Hanani a faithful man? Because he feared the Lord, listen, and he was determined to do that which was right and holy.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs. I want you to see these verses. Turn to Proverbs chapter 3, if you would please. We'll begin there, Proverbs chapter 3. Look at verse 7. Proverbs 3 and verse 7. I just made a statement. I want you to think about this. It is only the fear of the Lord that enables us to depart from evil. Proverbs 3 verse 7 it is. The Bible says, Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the Lord and depart from evil. Fear the Lord and depart from evil. Look in Proverbs 8 and verse 13. Proverbs 8 and verse 13. You want to know what the fear of the Lord is? Here it is. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil, pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate. The fear of the Lord is to hate evil. That's what the fear of the Lord is. It's wisdom, yes.

[John Weaver] I'll quote that verse in a minute, and I'm going to put it together for you. But he said, here the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Look in Proverbs 16 and verse 6. Here's a very important passage. Proverbs 16 and verse 6. In Proverbs 16 and verse 6, the Word of God says, By mercy and truth, iniquities and purge, and by the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil. By the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil.

[John Weaver] Why are you not an adulterer or fornicator? Why are you not a thief or a liar or a murderer? The answer is, because you fear God. You're not going to do those things. You're not. A man that fears God is going to depart from evil. Just stop and think. If you fear God, you will not want to do one thing that is displeasing to Him. Period. I told you this before, but it fits in right here.

[John Weaver] First time I took Tripp and Daniel out to Front Sight, we landed in Las Vegas, Nevada. And we had a hotel there for the night. I was talking to Alice on the phone. Tripp and Daniel and I were in Bass Pro. And Alice asked me, she said, where are you staying? And I kind of smiled and I said, oh, we're staying at Hooters, because they had a hotel there. And Alice laughed. Anyhow, she knew I was not staying there. And so when I got through talking to her, I looked at Tripp and Daniel.

[John Weaver] I said, now, you know, I was teasing Granny when I say that. I said, I would never, ever stay at a hotel like that because I fear the Lord. And Tripp said, Papa, if you stayed there, it's not the Lord you need to fear, it's Granny. So that's probably true. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact, Hanani was someone, the scripture says, who feared God above many. Above many. Hanani is mentioned, evidently Hanani feared God too. Evidently Hanani was faithful, but he was not as faithful and he did not fear God the way Hanani did. So the fact that the Bible says in Nehemiah 7 verse 2 that Hanani feared God above many is given to us as both the ground and the reason as to why he was faithful and why Nehemiah put such confidence and trust in Him. Nehemiah knew that the fear of God would keep Hanani from yielding to those sinful and wicked temptations with which he would likely meet while Nehemiah was away back at the palace. Nehemiah also knew that without the fear of God, a man had absolutely no defense against temptations.

[John Weaver] Stop and think about that. Without the fear of God, a man has no defense against multiplicity of temptations. It's the fear of God that makes us fateful men. When we're full of the fear of God, we're also full of wisdom and understanding.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to two passages, one of them should be in Proverbs. I want you to look in Proverbs 9, and then I want you to turn back a few pages to Job chapter 28. Okay? I want to put these two together for you. So we'll go to Proverbs 9, and then we're going to Job 28. Okay? So look if you would please, first of all, at Proverbs 9 and verse 10.

[John Weaver] Because here's a passage that most people can quote. Proverbs 9, verse 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Everybody can quote that. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the holy is understanding. The knowledge of the holy is understanding. Well, let's go back to Job 28 and look at verse 28. And look at what God says. And unto man, He said, behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding. Well, I thought the knowledge of God was understanding. Well, it was, and it is. Because if you have the knowledge of God, you're going to depart from that which is evil if you fear God. So here's the positive and the negative. The fear of the Lord is indeed wisdom. But with that wisdom comes knowledge, and with that knowledge comes a departing from that which is evil and wicked.

[John Weaver] Hanani could be trusted to oversee the work that Nehemiah had begun and possibly finished. Do you realize it is the fear of the Lord that makes us truly patriotic, as well as truly Christian, as well as truly being willing and ready to depart from that which is evil. And that which is said of Hanani is that he loved the Lord, or he feared the Lord above many. Our forefathers were right when they chose only Christian rulers. Why did Nehemiah choose Hanani? He feared the Lord above many.

[John Weaver] John Jay, who was the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States said this, Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. Why would our forefathers want Christians as rulers? Because they understood that they feared God and they would rule faithfully.

[John Weaver] A faithful man can be trusted. But the Bible says confidence in an unfaithful man is like a broken foot or a foot out of joint. You can't depend upon it and you can't depend upon him. A faithful man will not look at men, but he will look at principles. He will look at that which is right. That's why in Exodus 23 and verse 3, God said to the judges, neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. Just because a man is poor does not mean that you favor him. That's not a politically correct statement. I hope you know. Because today if you're poor, then that's an excuse to rape, rob, pillage, plunder, steal, and it's okay because you're poor. That's not true, folks. Maybe politically correct, but it's unbiblical, that is for sure. God does not demand sympathy.

[John Weaver] He demands righteousness and justice. What is it that makes us fateful? We fear God. What is it that will make us even more faithful of greater understanding and possession of the fear of God? Let me make a couple of applications and I'll try to tie it together for you. The first one is this. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say this all the time. The greatest ability is dependability. The greatest ability is dependability. When someone is dependable, he is faithful. May not be able to do much, but you can be faithful.

[John Weaver] It is faithfulness that sustains and upholds every institution. When faithfulness fails, so do institutions. Look at Washington DC. Look at Atlanta. Look at churches. Look at marriages. Society. When God entrusts us with a stewardship, He expects us to be faithful. Are you dependable? I hope you understand that you need to be faithful to the preaching of the Word of God. God always provides for His people. You need to be here to receive what He gives you.

[John Weaver] I never will forget the very first time at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, when they fed me cream beef on toast. I said, I am not eating that slop, period. I came from a farm. My mother fixed eggs and grits and biscuits and gravy. You think I'm eating that stuff? I'm not eating that stuff and I didn't. Until we got on about a five mile hike with a full field pack. Next time they served me creamed beef on toast, I asked for an extra portion.

[John Weaver] Because they dished out what they knew that we would need. And that's what God does. God dishes out in the messages that which He knows you're going to need, which will sustain you on those five mile hikes with full field bikes. The second application is this. God will always have a man for His work. You know, everybody knows about Nehemiah. Everybody knows about Ezra. But how many knew about Hanani? God does not always use Ezra's and Nehemiah's.

[John Weaver] He uses those small, insignificant people that most of us have never heard about, but who are faithful in every area of their life. A small, insignificant individual who is faithful is capable of doing the work that God entrusts to him. God will always have a worker for His harvest. Those men who fear God, listen carefully, will evidence that fear by their faithfulness. There's one passage I want to quote, and I'll close, and I want you to think about this. This has been one of the greatest blessings to me for years and years and years.

[John Weaver] I know I'm a sinner. I want to be faithful. I know that I probably have not always been faithful, but I want to be. But the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1 in verse 12, now listen carefully, he said, And I thank Christ Jesus, our Lord, who has enabled me, for that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. He counted me faithful. Not that Paul was faithful. He's probably far more faithful than most of us, that is true. But he said, He counted me faithful. Counted there means to deem, it means to account, it means to consider.

[John Weaver] Do you realize in the grace and mercy and compassion of God, even with our faults and even with our failings and all our shortcomings and our sins, God is still pleased to use us and to count us faithful. And when we are faithful, He receives all the honor, all the glory, and all the praise. For if we're fateful, He is the only one that can make us so. Because He is the only one that can give us the fear and the love of God in our hearts. A fateful man while bound with blessings. Let's be fateful. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You for Your grace and for Your mercy. We ask, Father, that you'd make us faithful and those of us who are faithful, Lord God, make us more faithful, make us more dependable. Give us, Lord, your grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

The Making of a Faithful Man

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	65nGah1Rnhs
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: The Doctrine of Election
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-11-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 081: Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom - Volume 1 — Chapter 13
Source Timed Segments	78

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Crisis of Unfaithfulness

Weaver introduces Nehemiah 7:1-2 and laments the widespread lack of faithfulness in marriages, businesses, churches, and society, citing Psalm 12:1.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 7:1-2

And we're just simply going to read verses 1 and 2. Nehemiah chapter 7, the title of the message today is "The Making of a Faithful Man." The making of a faithful man. Notice Nehemiah chapter 7. Nehemiah chapter 7, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Nehemiah chapter 7, verses 1 and 2.

Now it came to pass when the wall was built and I had set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, that I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem. For he was a faithful man and feared God above many. Faithfulness is a quality and attribute that is lacking so greatly today. I do not know if you've ever stopped or paused to think about the importance and necessity of faithfulness or not. But when I talk about faithfulness, I'm not just simply referring to faithfulness in marriage, but faithfulness in every area of life. Faithfulness in our word, faithfulness in our business, faithfulness in our church. One of the greatest evidences of the deterioration in our society is the lack of faithfulness in every area. Just stop and think of marriages that have been broken, businesses that have gone under, churches that have deteriorated and actually dissolved, governments and other institutions that have just simply been devastated by unfaithfulness.

Back during David's time, unfaithfulness was so horrible and conditions were so terrible that David, in Psalm 12 and verse 1, cried out,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 12:1

"Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men."

If you read the rest of Psalm 12, he will delineate a few of the conditions that arise there from unfaithfulness. So let me ask you several questions. Are you faithful? Would you consider yourself faithful?

The Importance of Faithfulness

God's faithfulness is essential for our existence (Lamentations 3:22-23). We desire others to be faithful to us, yet we resist the wounds of a faithful friend who rebukes us.

For in Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:22-23

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."

Have you ever stopped to think that if God ceased being faithful, we would cease to exist? Do you think it's important for God to be faithful? If it's important for God to be faithful, you would think it's important for you to be faithful as well. And according to Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 9, God is called the faithful God. In 2 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 13, the Bible says, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." Now when we stop and think about faithfulness, it's our desires, and they're expressed many times in many ways, but it is our main desire that others be faithful to us. And certainly, we would think we would want to be faithful to others as well. But do you realize that we expect and we desire that our friends are to be faithful to us and we want that in one sense of the word, now listen carefully, and in another sense of the word, we do not want our friends to be too faithful to us.

You say, what in the world are you talking about? Well, I want you to hold on to Nehemiah 7. I'm going to come back and explain this. But I do want you to turn to the book of Proverbs chapter 11. Turn over just a few books. Proverbs chapter 11. And look at verse 13. Proverbs 11 and verse 13. Here's what I mean when I say we want our friends to be faithful to us. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 11 and verse 13,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 11:13

"A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."

Now wait a minute. If you confide one of your deepest secrets to your best friend, do you want that friend to go blab everything that you've just told them? Do you want them to spread your innermost secrets and your innermost thoughts and fears to just anyone and everyone?

And the answer is absolutely no. You want your friend, if you confide in that friend, to keep everything that you said under wraps. I never will forget years ago, a fellow came to me for counseling, and he was a dear friend of mine. And so, I counseled him, and a little while later, a couple weeks later, he and his family were at our house for supper. While I was outside doing something, Alice was in the kitchen cooking and he walked in to the kitchen where Alice was and he said to her, "I suppose your husband has told you all about my problems." Alice looked at him and said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about. My husband never divulges anything to me that's told him in confidence." You know, I've often thought about that. If I had told her what he had confided in me, do you think I would have lost a friend? I certainly would have lost his trust. We do not want our friends blabbing our inmost secrets and our inmost desires. We demand faithfulness in that area. Now, I just said that we want our friends to be faithful to us in one sense of the word, and in another sense of the word, we don't want them to be too faithful. What am I talking about?

Well, turn right over to Proverbs chapter 27, and look if you would please at verse 6. Here's exactly what I mean. Look what the Bible says, Proverbs 27 and verse 6. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Now watch that. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. We do not like wounding. We do not like rebuke. We do not like reproof and reproach from a friend, even though the Word of God teaches us, if someone is truly our friend, they will indeed rebuke us.

They will not allow us to go forward in sin or forward in rebellion. They will stop us, even to the point of hurting us, hurting our feelings, hurting our relationship. They will not suffer sin upon us even if it costs the friendship. Enemies deceive. Enemies could care less. But faithful are the wounds of a friend. And a good, godly, faithful friend will indeed rebuke us and reproach us and admonish us even when we sin.

Biblical Mandate for Faithful Admonishment

Scripture commands believers to admonish one another (Romans 15:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:15, Colossians 1:28) as an expression of love and a means to maturity.

And usually they will do it privately for which we should be grateful and thankful. But you know, the Bible demands this. In Leviticus 19 and verse 17, let me just quote it. We're going to look at some other passages. But listen to Leviticus 19 and verse 17.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:17

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

So, if Ron and I are friends, and Ron does something wrong, and I totally ignore it, it's unbiblical, it's ungodly, but I just ignore it. According to the Word of God, I hate him.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:17

"Thou shalt not hate thy neighbour in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

Now the exact same truth is taught in the New Testament. Let me show you. I want you to turn first of all to the book of Romans chapter 15 and look at verse 14. Romans 15 and verse 14. There are words here I want you to underline. I want you to see three passages. One is Romans 15. And notice if you would please verse 14. Look what the Apostle Paul tells these Roman Christians. Romans 15 verse 14.

He says, "And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Now if you want to underline that little word "admonish," you're going to see it again. But now notice what he said. He said that we are able also to admonish one another. And the reason we're able is because we're full of goodness and we're filled with knowledge.

Now, turn over if you would to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and look at verse 15. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and notice if you would please verse 15. Notice what the Word of God says. Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 15. In fact, let's go to verse 14 just so that you can see the context. He said,

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

"And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

Now there's that word "admonish

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

" again. Admonish him as a brother. If you will turn back to the book of Colossians, just a few pages back. Look in Colossians 1 in verse 28. Here's the same word, it's just translated a little differently. Colossians 1 verse 28. The Apostle Paul says, "

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;

that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Now note this last phrase, "that we may present every man perfect" or mature, complete and upright in Christ Jesus. The interesting thing is this. In Romans 15 and verse 14, the word "admonish." In 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 15, the word "admonish." And in Colossians 1 and verse 28, the word "warning" are all from the same Greek word. The Greek word is "noutheteo," which literally means, "I cause to stand in your mind." In other words, it means here is a rebuke, here is a reproof, here is a warning, here is an admonishing in such a way that it is caused to stand out in our minds and we do not forget it. Now what did the Apostle Paul say? He said, "I know that you're full of goodness in all wisdom or knowledge and that you're able also to reprove and rebuke each other." Again he tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3, we're not to count each other as an enemy, but admonish, rebuke, warn each other as our brother. And I want you to look back at Colossians 1 in verse 28. Let me point this out. The Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:28

"Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

Now, here's the thing. The Apostle Paul has just told us the three things that are absolutely necessary to make someone mature and upright and complete in Christ. What are they? Preaching, warning—that is rebuking, reproof, admonishment—and teaching. And here's what God is saying. A man that is a faithful friend will do all of those three things. Why? Because he wants you to be mature and complete in Jesus Christ.

Stewardship Requires Faithfulness

Every believer is a steward of God's gifts, and 1 Corinthians 4:2 requires stewards to be found faithful. Faithfulness in small things leads to greater trust (Luke 16:10).

I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. I'm building this up just to show you something from Nehemiah chapter 7. But look in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 at the first two verses. Here's the truth. If you and I are to serve Christ, we must serve Him faithfully. Christ does not want someone up and down, off and on. You remember what He said in the book of Revelation, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

So He wants us to be faithful in whatever we do. Look in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 1, the apostle Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

Now, wait a minute. You said, "Brother Weaver, you're a steward, you're a pastor, you're a preacher." Oh yeah, I am. But so are you. You may not be a pastor, but has God not given you a life? Has God not given you breath? Has not God given you a family? Has not God given you a vocation, a calling, a work? Has not God given you His salvation? If so, you are a steward over everything that God has given you. And God says He requires that you be faithful.

It's not enough to teach the truth. It's not enough to understand the truth. We must learn to be faithful in all things. We must learn to be faithful in every area of our life. John, in 3 John 1 in verse 5, wrote unto Gaius. Let me read to you what he said.

Scripture Reading — 3 John 1:5

"Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers."

What did John say of Gaius? Doesn't matter who you're working with, you are faithful, not only to the brothers, but to the strangers as well.

Now, I want you to go back to the book of Proverbs. I want you to look in Proverbs 28 and verse 20 first. And then we're going to Psalm 101. But I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 20. And what the word of God says. We're talking about faithfulness. Proverbs 28 and verse 20. Look at this passage. Proverbs 28 and verse 20. Here it is.

"A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent." A faithful man shall abound with blessings. God is going to honor and reward faithfulness. But that's not all. Look back in your Bibles to Psalm 101 and verse 6. Here's an interesting and a very beautiful promise. Psalm 101 and look at verse 6. God says it like this. "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me:

he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me." God pays particular and close attention to those who are faithful to Him and His Word. He said, "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land." And then he goes on to say in verse 6, "and he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me." So the Lord's eye then is upon the faithful, and He has a special relationship with those who are faithful. You remember that passage in Mark 4 and verse 25, where God says, "For he that hath, to him shall be given." In other words, the more we receive from God, and the more we are faithful to that which He gives us, the more He gives us. If you and I fail in the small things, how in the world would God ever trust us with greater things? You might want to look at this passage, but look in Luke chapter 16 and verse 10, because our Lord spells it out very clearly. Here's this principle, Luke 16 and verse 10. Watch what he says. Luke 16 verse 10. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."

You know, most of us have dreams of grandeur. We want to be big, we want to be important, we want to be rich. And most of us will never be either of those. I never will forget, I had a friend years ago, right as I started preaching, and that's been 46 years ago. His desire and his dream was to be a millionaire. And he was going to serve Christ as a millionaire, giving out of the abundance of what he possessed. Until I told him one day, "If you can't be faithful in what little you have right now, you're not going to be faithful if God gave you 20 million." And that's exactly what God is saying right here. We may not be the greatest people on the earth, but we can be some of the most faithful people on the earth. And our Lord says, if you're unjust in that which is least, if you can't do the simplest things right, and the easiest things right, what makes you think God's going to let you have greater things and bigger things?

False Foundations of Faithfulness

Responsibility, accountability, and stability do not produce faithfulness. Many with these advantages remain unfaithful, proving they are not the root cause.

You've got to learn to be faithful in that which is least in order that God will give you that which is far greater. Now, we're talking about faithfulness. Have you ever asked yourself this question? What makes a man faithful? Why are some people faithful and others are not? Why is it there are some folks that you can always depend upon and others you never trust? Well, there are a number of answers that have been given as to what makes someone faithful. Most of these answers fall short. For instance, some have suggested that it is responsibility that makes someone faithful. So the theory is that you place a huge burden upon someone and force him to act and he will then act in a very responsible way.

The only problem is it doesn't work. Look at the husbands and wives and parents that have plenty of responsibility and yet they're totally, absolutely unfaithful. There have been preachers, as well as other Christians, that have brought unsaved people into the church, gave them responsibility, let them start teaching a Sunday school or let them do something else, thinking that all of this responsibility will all of a sudden force them to come to grips with the truth and then be thankful. It will not work. And it does not work. Responsibility alone will never make anyone faithful. Now, it is true that faithful men are responsible men, but it is not responsibility that makes them faithful. There's another theory that it is accountability that makes one faithful.

You have to be accountable. So the theory is that we should place someone over another person to watch his every move, require frequent reports, and force them to give an answer for each and every action that they make. And according to that theory, they're to become faithful. Well, let me say this. The problem with that theory is, again, it does not work. Bureaucracy has never made anyone faithful. And if you don't believe that, just look at Washington, D.C. and any state capital that you want to look at. The fact of the matter is, it is true that faithful men are accountable, but accountability is not that which makes them faithful. There's another theory, and that is it is stability that makes someone faithful. And so that theory says all that you need is a stable environment, stable friends, and a stable family, and one imitates what he sees and what he's around, and presto, automatically, you have a faithful man.

The problem with that is this. Some of the most faithful men and women have been unfaithful. I've heard about men and women who have not only been married for a multitude of years, stayed at the same work for a multitude of years, and yet all of a sudden it's discovered that they've been living a double life. They've been unfaithful to everything. Some of those people have been embezzling from their company for years. I suppose you read just recently of this one soldier who was killed recently in, I guess, Afghanistan or somewhere, found out he had two wives and two sets of children. Neither wife knew about it. But, I mean, he had a stable job. I guess he was stable with both of his wives and both of his families, but he was certainly unfaithful. And if you think stability is going to make you faithful, well, listen, folks, prisoners ought to be the most faithful people in the world. They've got stability. It is true that a faithful man will be a stable man, but stability does not make anyone faithful. You say, well, what does? Well, let's go back to our text. I want you to go back to Nehemiah chapter 7, and I want you to look at verses 1 and 2. I said all that about faithfulness just to show you this from the Word of God. Look in Nehemiah chapter 7, verse 1.

Hanani: A Faithful Man Who Feared God

Nehemiah entrusted Jerusalem to Hanani because he was faithful and feared God above many. His fear of God produced graciousness and concern for others.

"Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many." Now, in the context, Nehemiah is about to return to Persia. He had to leave the work at Jerusalem in capable hands. In fact, if you look in Nehemiah chapter 2, when Nehemiah left the king so that he could go to Jerusalem and do the work, notice Nehemiah chapter 2 beginning with verse 4. "Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?

So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time." Now watch this. I want you to turn to Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah was the Tirshatha of Jerusalem. You'll see that word in Nehemiah 8 and verse 9. In fact, you'll see it several times. The word Tirshatha just simply means governor. Nehemiah was the governor of Jerusalem. So look in Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse 14, the Bible says this,

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 5:14

"Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor."

So evidently, the time that Nehemiah gave to the king was 12 years. So the 12 years is basically now up. Nehemiah has labored, he's built the wall, he's helped rebuild the city, and now he's about ready to go back to Jerusalem.

He certainly does not want to leave that work in the hands of an unfaithful man. Do you realize that unfaithfulness would destroy all the work that he had accomplished in 12 years? Basically, if he left that work in the hands of an unfaithful man, 12 years of his life would be wasted. Now, I want you to stop and think. I have known a multitude of parents who died and left their possessions to unfaithful children. Stop and think of the homes, of the farms, of the plantations, of the businesses, and a multitude of other things that have been ruined and absolutely destroyed because of unfaithful children or unfaithful people who inherited it. Nehemiah said, "I'm not about to leave this work that cost me twelve years in the hands of an unfaithful man." And when you look in Nehemiah 7 verse 2, Hanani is singled out as the faithful man. Now Hananiah is also mentioned, yet Hanani is the one that is singled out as the faithful man. Obviously Hananiah was faithful also, yet not necessarily to the point of Hanani.

So let me ask this question. What stood out in Hanani's life? What was the characteristic that made him faithful? Look in verse 2. He said, "Then I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he, Hanani, was a faithful man, and feared God above many." It was the fear of God that made him faithful.

Now there were other characteristics and attributes that aided him. Yet the overriding characteristic and the overriding attribute was that he feared God. Now, before I develop this truth, I want to show you several other things about Hanani's character. First of all, I want to point out that Hanani was a very gracious man. How do we know that Hanani was gracious? Well, first of all, his name, Hanani, means gracious. Names in the Bible were given to individuals that represented their character. They were not given to individuals just simply because they were popular names or because their parents liked those particular names. No. The name of a person in the Bible spoke of his character.

Everybody remembers a story of Nabal and Abigail. You remember how David kept the sheep of Nabal in the wilderness? And when it came time for shearing all of those sheep, David sent some men and said, "It's a good day. Send us a few sheep that we may rejoice with thee." And the Bible says in 1 Samuel 25 verse 3, don't turn there. "Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb." You remember when he railed then upon David's servants. He said, "There be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?" Well, when the men came back, David said, "Gird ye on every man his sword." We've kept this man's possessions in vain. And Abigail found out about it. And boy, she told her servants, "You load up these camels and you load up these donkeys and I'll take this to David." And she met David as they were coming.

And she said in verse 25, "Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send." Folly is with him, even as his name. The name Nabal means a fool. He was a fool. And he was named Nabal. He was foolish. They did not necessarily name their children just at the time they were born. They observed their characters. Hanani was a gracious man.

Let me show you how his graciousness is demonstrated in the Scripture. If you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah chapter 1, this may surprise you. But it was Hanani who gave this report to Nehemiah. And it was Hanani that sparked in Nehemiah a desire to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah chapter 1, and let's read the first four verses.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 1:1-4

"The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."

So here, Hanani is the one who comes to Nehemiah. Nehemiah asks, "What's going on? How's everybody doing?" And he begins to say, "We're in great reproach. We're despised. The wall is broken down." The walls and the gates were exactly like the Chaldeans had left them 70 years earlier. This made the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem a very despicable condition. Put them under the abiding marks of poverty and slavery.

And I might add it was exceedingly dangerous because the enemies could come in, get what they want, and leave any time they wanted to. The temple may have been built under Ezra, and a good government may have been set up, but yet the work was undone because the walls were still torn down and had no gates there. I want you to understand something. The word Hanani means gracious. And notice if you would, here's an illustration of his graciousness. A gracious man is always interested and concerned with the welfare of others, and not just himself. Let me stop. Let me ask you another question. Why should you learn to be a gracious individual? And the answer is, because graciousness is an attribute of our Heavenly Father. Do you realize in Exodus 22, God was saying in verse 27, that if you loan a poor man some money, and you take his garment as a pledge or as collateral, God says you better return that to him before night falls.

Because he sleeps in it. Let me read it to you. Exodus 22, verse 27.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:27

"For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious."

It is the graciousness of God that moves Him to think upon we who are helpless and deprived. Let me just read this one to you as well, because Israel, you know, had sinned against God so many times. You know, the amazing thing to me is, God did not completely destroy those people a multitude of times. Yet, in 2 Kings 13 and verse 23, we read this, "And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet." What? He was gracious unto them. Why? Because of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His covenant. He was gracious. Do you realize that a gracious man is always a compassionate man and a concerned man?

Why in the world was Hanani at the palace in the first place? Why was he there? The answer is he had left Judah to go to the capital to try to find some help and support for his brethren who were there in Jerusalem. He knew first hand of the conditions in Jerusalem for he was from Jerusalem. He had been there. He came to seek help and protection for his brethren. He had first hand knowledge of what was going on.

And his graciousness stemmed from the fact that he feared God. Graciousness is a direct result of fearing God. A gracious man, listen carefully, a gracious man is not interested in offending God or man. Now I realize that sometimes offenses come because of the gospel. I understand that. But do you know what the Apostle Paul said in Acts 24 and verse 16? Listen carefully. He said, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." What did he say? I'm not going to offend God, and I'm not going to unnecessarily offend men.

The Fear of God as the Source of Faithfulness

The fear of the Lord causes one to hate evil and depart from it (Proverbs 3:7; 8:13; 16:6). Without the fear of God, there is no defense against temptation.

I'll be gracious to them. I'll be kind to them. But, when the situation merits rebuke, he does it. What did he do to Peter? He put his finger in Peter's face and said, "You're wrong." Read Galatians chapter 2 and 3, you'll find out. But here's a gracious man. Men who fear God are gracious men and they're particularly concerned with obedience to God and they're concerned with that obedience in every area of their life. That's what makes them faithful men. Now listen carefully. Faithful men will do that which is right in every situation, in every circumstance, regardless of the cost. You remember the two midwives in Exodus chapter 1, and the word "men" here could be used generally, because here are two women. And the king said, "Every male child you're to kill." And the Bible says this, "But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive."

Why did they not murder those babies? The answer is because they feared God. They feared God. They were willing to do that which was right, listen carefully, even if it meant that they faced death themselves. Because they feared God, they did not murder those babies. You know, the Bible says in the book of Job chapter 1 and verse 1, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." I love that word, "eschewed." It's an old word, and here's what it means. It means to spit out. I took all my girls, and I gave each one of them a green persimmon. Have you ever eaten a green persimmon?

You bite into it, what's the first thing you do? You spit it out. You can't stomach it. It is bitter. You say, "Why did you do that?" I think everybody ought to have the experience of knowing what a green persimmon tastes like. You know, I really do. But Job spit it out. He could not stomach it. It was the fear of God. That's what the Bible says. There was a man who feared God. He was upright. He was perfect. And he eschewed evil. He spit it out. He could not stomach it. He could not swallow it. And you remember when Job not only lost all of his possessions, but lost all ten of his children.

Seven sons and three daughters. The Bible says, "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." Here is the man who was faithful. Now what made him faithful? It was the fear of God. Do you wish to know why people are unfaithful? Do you wish to know why there are so many people that you cannot depend upon? Here's the answer. They do not fear God. The Bible says in Psalm 36 and verse 1, "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." The Apostle Paul, when he got through listing all of the wickednesses of the wicked, in Romans 3, he said this, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

I tell people I remember when I was a boy, seeing my father make multi-thousand dollar deals with other farmers and all they would do is shake hands. There were no contracts. They just shook hands. And I've also seen when a neighbor farmer died, my father and other farmers would go up to the widow and would say, "I had a deal with your husband. I owe him so much money. Here it is." You know why? Because they had character and they were faithful men. In this day and time, you can get a man's word, you can get a contract, you can get it notarized, you can get 45 witnesses to it and it still doesn't do any good. They'll still find a way to beat you and to hook you and crook you. Why? Because they don't fear God. There's no fear of God before their eyes.

Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 18. Watch this. Another one of my favorite passages, Luke 18, just showing you, just showing you where unfaithfulness stems. Luke 18, notice if you would please verse 1. "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" Watch verse 2, here's what our Lord said, "Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." Note, if you would, here's a man who is a judge, who is a civil ruler, who is uncompassionate, unconcerned, not interested in justice, not interested in right and wrong. Why? He feared not God.

Why was this judge so corrupt? Because he did not fear God. Why was he so unfaithful as a judge? Because he did not fear God. It is impossible to be faithful without the fear of God. It is impossible, listen carefully, it is impossible to depart from evil without the fear of God. Why was Hanani a faithful man? Because he feared the Lord, listen, and he was determined to do that which was right and holy.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs. I want you to see these verses. Turn to Proverbs chapter 3, if you would please. We'll begin there, Proverbs chapter 3. Look at verse 7. Proverbs 3 and verse 7. I just made a statement. I want you to think about this. It is only the fear of the Lord that enables us to depart from evil. Proverbs 3 verse 7 it is. The Bible says, "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." Fear the LORD and depart from evil. Look in Proverbs 8 and verse 13. Proverbs 8 and verse 13. You want to know what the fear of the Lord is? Here it is. "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. That's what the fear of the LORD is. It's wisdom, yes.

I'll quote that verse in a minute, and I'm going to put it together for you. But he said, here the fear of the LORD is to hate evil. Look in Proverbs 16 and verse 6. Here's a very important passage. Proverbs 16 and verse 6. In Proverbs 16 and verse 6, the Word of God says, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Why are you not an adulterer or fornicator? Why are you not a thief or a liar or a murderer? The answer is, because you fear God. You're not going to do those things. You're not. A man that fears God is going to depart from evil. Just stop and think. If you fear God, you will not want to do one thing that is displeasing to Him. Period. I told you this before, but it fits in right here.

First time I took Tripp and Daniel out to Front Sight, we landed in Las Vegas, Nevada. And we had a hotel there for the night. I was talking to Alice on the phone. Tripp and Daniel and I were in Bass Pro. And Alice asked me, she said, "Where are you staying?" And I kind of smiled and I said, "Oh, we're staying at Hooters," because they had a hotel there. And Alice laughed. Anyhow, she knew I was not staying there. And so when I got through talking to her, I looked at Tripp and Daniel.

I said, "Now, you know, I was teasing Granny when I say that." I said, "I would never, ever stay at a hotel like that because I fear the Lord." And Tripp said, "Papa, if you stayed there, it's not the Lord you need to fear, it's Granny." So that's probably true. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact, Hanani was someone, the scripture says, who feared God above many. Above many. Hananiah is mentioned, evidently Hananiah feared God too. Evidently Hananiah was faithful, but he was not as faithful and he did not fear God the way Hanani did. So the fact that the Bible says in Nehemiah 7 verse 2 that Hanani feared God above many is given to us as both the ground and the reason as to why he was faithful and why Nehemiah put such confidence and trust in him. Nehemiah knew that the fear of God would keep Hanani from yielding to those sinful and wicked temptations with which he would likely meet while Nehemiah was away back at the palace. Nehemiah also knew that without the fear of God, a man had absolutely no defense against temptations.

Stop and think about that. Without the fear of God, a man has no defense against multiplicity of temptations. It's the fear of God that makes us faithful men. When we're full of the fear of God, we're also full of wisdom and understanding.

Wisdom and Understanding Through the Fear of God

Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 link the fear of the Lord with wisdom and understanding, which lead to departing from evil.

Now, I want you to turn to two passages, one of them should be in Proverbs. I want you to look in Proverbs 9, and then I want you to turn back a few pages to Job chapter 28. Okay? I want to put these two together for you. So we'll go to Proverbs 9, and then we're going to Job 28. Okay? So look if you would please, first of all, at Proverbs 9 and verse 10.

Because here's a passage that most people can quote. Proverbs 9, verse 10. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Everybody can quote that. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the holy is understanding. The knowledge of the holy is understanding. Well, let's go back to Job 28 and look at verse 28. And look at what God says. "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Well, I thought the knowledge of God was understanding. Well, it was, and it is. Because if you have the knowledge of God, you're going to depart from that which is evil if you fear God. So here's the positive and the negative. The fear of the Lord is indeed wisdom. But with that wisdom comes knowledge, and with that knowledge comes a departing from that which is evil and wicked.

Hanani could be trusted to oversee the work that Nehemiah had begun and possibly finished. Do you realize it is the fear of the Lord that makes us truly patriotic, as well as truly Christian, as well as truly being willing and ready to depart from that which is evil. And that which is said of Hanani is that he loved the Lord, or he feared the Lord above many. Our forefathers were right when they chose only Christian rulers. Why did Nehemiah choose Hanani? He feared the Lord above many.

Applications: Dependability and God's Use of the Faithful

The greatest ability is dependability. God uses faithful, often unknown individuals. Even with our failings, God counts us faithful by His grace (1 Timothy 1:12).

He demands righteousness and justice. What is it that makes us faithful? We fear God. What is it that will make us even more faithful of greater understanding and possession of the fear of God? Let me make a couple of applications and I'll try to tie it together for you. The first one is this. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say this all the time. "The greatest ability is dependability." The greatest ability is dependability. When someone is dependable, he is faithful. May not be able to do much, but you can be faithful.

It is faithfulness that sustains and upholds every institution. When faithfulness fails, so do institutions. Look at Washington DC. Look at Atlanta. Look at churches. Look at marriages. Society. When God entrusts us with a stewardship, He expects us to be faithful. Are you dependable? I hope you understand that you need to be faithful to the preaching of the Word of God. God always provides for His people. You need to be here to receive what He gives you.

I never will forget the very first time at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, when they fed me creamed beef on toast. I said, "I am not eating that slop, period." I came from a farm. My mother fixed eggs and grits and biscuits and gravy. You think I'm eating that stuff? I'm not eating that stuff and I didn't. Until we got on about a five mile hike with a full field pack. Next time they served me creamed beef on toast, I asked for an extra portion.

Because they dished out what they knew that we would need. And that's what God does. God dishes out in the messages that which He knows you're going to need, which will sustain you on those five mile hikes with full field packs. The second application is this. God will always have a man for His work. You know, everybody knows about Nehemiah. Everybody knows about Ezra. But how many knew about Hanani? God does not always use Ezra's and Nehemiah's.

He uses those small, insignificant people that most of us have never heard about, but who are faithful in every area of their life. A small, insignificant individual who is faithful is capable of doing the work that God entrusts to him. God will always have a worker for His harvest. Those men who fear God, listen carefully, will evidence that fear by their faithfulness. There's one passage I want to quote, and I'll close, and I want you to think about this. This has been one of the greatest blessings to me for years and years and years. I know I'm a sinner. I want to be faithful. I know that I probably have not always been faithful, but I want to be. But the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1 in verse 12, now listen carefully, he said, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." He counted me faithful. Not that Paul was faithful. He's probably far more faithful than most of us, that is true. But he said, "He counted me faithful." Counted there means to deem, it means to account, it means to consider.

Do you realize in the grace and mercy and compassion of God, even with our faults and even with our failings and all our shortcomings and our sins, God is still pleased to use us and to count us faithful. And when we are faithful, He receives all the honor, all the glory, and all the praise. For if we're faithful, He is the only one that can make us so. Because He is the only one that can give us the fear and the love of God in our hearts. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. Let's be faithful. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You for Your grace and for Your mercy. We ask, Father, that You'd make us faithful and those of us who are faithful, Lord God, make us more faithful, make us more dependable. Give us, Lord, Your grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

The Fear of God as the Foundation of Faithfulness

Summary: Faithfulness is not produced by external pressures but by an internal reverence for God that causes one to hate evil and obey Him regardless of cost.

Evidence: Nehemiah 7:2 states Hanani was faithful because he feared God above many. Proverbs 16:6 says by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

The Pervasive Lack of Faithfulness in Society

Summary: Unfaithfulness is a mark of societal decay, affecting marriages, businesses, churches, and governments, as lamented in Psalm 12:1.

Evidence: Weaver cites broken marriages, failed businesses, and dissolved churches as evidence of unfaithfulness, and quotes Psalm 12:1.

Faithful Admonishment as a Mark of True Friendship

Summary: A faithful friend will wound with rebuke when necessary, in contrast to an enemy's deceitful kisses. Scripture commands believers to admonish one another.

Evidence: Proverbs 27:6; Leviticus 19:17; Romans 15:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; Colossians 1:28.

Stewardship and Faithfulness in Small Things

Summary: God requires stewards to be faithful, and faithfulness in little things is the prerequisite for being entrusted with greater things.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Luke 16:10.

The Insufficiency of Worldly Substitutes for Faithfulness

Summary: Responsibility, accountability, and stability do not inherently produce faithfulness; only the fear of God does.

Evidence: Weaver argues that many with responsibility, accountability, and stability remain unfaithful, using examples from government and personal life.

Graciousness as a Fruit of Fearing God

Summary: Hanani's name means gracious, and his concern for Jerusalem's welfare demonstrates that those who fear God are compassionate and concerned for others.

Evidence: Nehemiah 1:1-4 shows Hanani reporting Jerusalem's distress; Exodus 22:27 and 2 Kings 13:23 show God's graciousness.

God's Grace in Counting Us Faithful

Summary: Even with our shortcomings, God in His mercy counts us faithful and uses us for His work, as Paul testified in 1 Timothy 1:12.

Evidence: 1 Timothy 1:12; Weaver emphasizes that God enables and considers us faithful despite our failings.

Key Arguments

Faithfulness is rooted in the fear of God, not external factors.

Summary: Responsibility, accountability, and stability do not make a person faithful; only the fear of God produces genuine, consistent faithfulness.

Evidence: Weaver refutes each theory with counterexamples and points to Nehemiah 7:2 where Hanani's faithfulness is directly linked to his fear of God.

The fear of God causes one to depart from evil.

Summary: Proverbs 3:7, 8:13, and 16:6 teach that fearing the Lord leads to hating and turning away from evil, which is the essence of faithfulness.

Evidence: Weaver cites these Proverbs and the example of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 who feared God and disobeyed Pharaoh.

Faithfulness is required of every steward.

Summary: All believers are stewards of God's gifts, and 1 Corinthians 4:2 demands faithfulness. Faithfulness in small matters leads to greater responsibilities.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Luke 16:10; Weaver's personal anecdote about a friend who wanted to be a millionaire.

A faithful friend will administer loving rebuke.

Summary: True friendship involves wounding when necessary to prevent sin, as commanded in Leviticus 19:17 and exemplified in the New Testament admonitions.

Evidence: Proverbs 27:6; Leviticus 19:17; Romans 15:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; Colossians 1:28.

God's faithfulness is the model and sustainer of our faithfulness.

Summary: God's unfailing faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23) is the reason we exist, and His character calls us to imitate His faithfulness.

Evidence: Lamentations 3:22-23; Deuteronomy 7:9; 2 Timothy 2:13.

The fear of God produces wisdom and understanding.

Summary: Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 connect the fear of the Lord with wisdom and understanding, which are manifested in departing from evil.

Evidence: Weaver compares Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 to show that knowledge of the holy and departing from evil are two sides of the same coin.

Scripture References

Nehemiah 7:1-2

Context: The primary text; Hanani is appointed over Jerusalem because he was a faithful man who feared God above many.

Psalm 12:1

Context: David's cry that the godly and faithful have disappeared, illustrating the crisis of unfaithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23

Context: God's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness, which sustains our existence.

Deuteronomy 7:9

Context: God is called the faithful God.

2 Timothy 2:13

Context: If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

Proverbs 11:13

Context: A talebearer reveals secrets, but a faithful spirit conceals a matter.

Proverbs 27:6

Context: Faithful are the wounds of a friend; the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Leviticus 19:17

Context: You shall not hate your brother; you shall rebuke your neighbor and not suffer sin upon him.

Romans 15:14

Context: Believers are able to admonish one another because they are full of goodness and knowledge.

2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

Context: Do not count a disobedient brother as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.

Colossians 1:28

Context: Paul warns and teaches every man to present everyone mature in Christ; warning is the same Greek word as admonish.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2

Context: Stewards of the mysteries of God are required to be found faithful.

3 John 1:5

Context: Gaius acted faithfully in whatever he did for the brethren and strangers.

Proverbs 28:20

Context: A faithful man will abound with blessings.

Psalm 101:6

Context: God's eyes are on the faithful of the land; they will dwell with Him and serve Him.

Luke 16:10

Context: He who is faithful in little is faithful also in much; unjust in little is unjust in much.

Nehemiah 2:4-6

Context: Nehemiah requests leave from the king to rebuild Jerusalem and sets a time for his return.

Nehemiah 5:14

Context: Nehemiah was governor for twelve years, indicating the duration of his work before returning to Persia.

Nehemiah 1:1-4

Context: Hanani brings news of Jerusalem's distress to Nehemiah, sparking his mission to rebuild.

Exodus 22:27

Context: God is gracious, hearing the cry of the poor whose garment is taken as pledge.

Historical References

John Jay, first Supreme Court Justice

Context: Quoted as saying Providence has given people the choice of rulers, and it is the duty of a Christian nation to select Christians for rulers.

Dr. Bob Jones Sr.

Context: Frequently said, 'The greatest ability is dependability.'

Important Quotes

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men.

Significance: Illustrates the crisis of unfaithfulness in David's time, paralleling modern society.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

Significance: Highlights God's essential faithfulness as the foundation of our existence.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Significance: Defines true friendship as including loving rebuke, not just affirmation.

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Significance: Commands believers to confront sin in others as an act of love.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Significance: Establishes faithfulness as the primary requirement for stewards of God's gifts.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Significance: Teaches that character is revealed in small matters and determines capacity for greater trust.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Significance: Defines the fear of the Lord as a moral hatred of evil, which produces faithfulness.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

Significance: Shows that God's grace counts believers faithful despite their imperfections, enabling service.

Discussion Questions

In what areas of life do you find it most difficult to be faithful, and how does the fear of God address those struggles?

Context: Weaver emphasizes that faithfulness is rooted in fearing God, not external pressures.

How do you respond when a faithful friend wounds you with a rebuke? What does your response reveal about your fear of God?

Context: Proverbs 27:6 and the discussion on faithful wounds versus enemy kisses.

Why do responsibility, accountability, and stability fail to produce genuine faithfulness?

Context: Weaver argues these are insufficient substitutes for the fear of God.

How does Hanani's graciousness demonstrate his fear of God, and how can we cultivate similar graciousness?

Context: Hanani's name means gracious, and his concern for Jerusalem reflects God's character.

In what 'small things' is God calling you to be faithful right now, and how might that prepare you for greater stewardship?

Context: Luke 16:10 and the principle of faithfulness in little things.

How does the fear of the Lord function as a defense against temptation in your daily life?

Context: Weaver states that without the fear of God, a man has no defense against temptation.

What does it mean that God 'counts' us faithful, and how should that truth affect our service?

Context: 1 Timothy 1:12 and the closing application on God's grace.

Applications

Cultivate the fear of God as the foundation of faithfulness.

Summary: Recognize that true faithfulness flows from a reverent fear of God, not from external pressures or self-effort.

Evidence: Nehemiah 7:2; Proverbs 16:6; Weaver's argument that the fear of God is the only source of genuine faithfulness.

Be faithful in small things to be entrusted with greater things.

Summary: Demonstrate dependability in everyday responsibilities, knowing that God tests faithfulness in little before granting more.

Evidence: Luke 16:10; Weaver's anecdote about the friend who wanted to be a millionaire but wasn't faithful with little.

Embrace and give faithful rebuke as an act of love.

Summary: Be willing to receive correction from godly friends and to lovingly admonish others when they are in sin.

Evidence: Proverbs 27:6; Leviticus 19:17; Romans 15:14; Colossians 1:28.

Exhibit graciousness as a fruit of fearing God.

Summary: Show genuine concern for the welfare of others, reflecting God's gracious character in practical compassion.

Evidence: Hanani's report to Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:1-4); Exodus 22:27; 2 Kings 13:23.

Depend on God's grace to be counted faithful.

Summary: Acknowledge personal shortcomings but trust that God in His mercy counts us faithful and enables our service.

Evidence: 1 Timothy 1:12; Weaver's closing prayer and emphasis on God's enabling grace.

Prioritize faithfulness in all stewardships.

Summary: View every area of life—family, work, church—as a stewardship from God requiring faithful management.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Weaver's application that all believers are stewards.

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:46:07Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:05:01Z

Clean Transcript

The Making of a Faithful Man

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

And we're just simply going to read verses 1 and 2. Nehemiah chapter 7, the title of the message today is "The Making of a Faithful Man." The making of a faithful man. Notice Nehemiah chapter 7. Nehemiah chapter 7, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Nehemiah chapter 7, verses 1 and 2.
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Now it came to pass when the wall was built and I had set up the doors and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, that I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem. For he was a faithful man and feared God above many. Faithfulness is a quality and attribute that is lacking so greatly today. I do not know if you've ever stopped or paused to think about the importance and necessity of faithfulness or not. But when I talk about faithfulness, I'm not just simply referring to faithfulness in marriage, but faithfulness in every area of life. Faithfulness in our word, faithfulness in our business, faithfulness in our church. One of the greatest evidences of the deterioration in our society is the lack of faithfulness in every area. Just stop and think of marriages that have been broken, businesses that have gone under, churches that have deteriorated and actually dissolved, governments and other institutions that have just simply been devastated by unfaithfulness.
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Back during David's time, unfaithfulness was so horrible and conditions were so terrible that David, in Psalm 12 and verse 1, cried out, "Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men." If you read the rest of Psalm 12, he will delineate a few of the conditions that arise there from unfaithfulness. So let me ask you several questions. Are you faithful? Would you consider yourself faithful?
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Do you have any idea concerning the essence of faithfulness? Are you a faithful friend? A faithful steward? A faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you learned to value faithfulness? If so, here's my question. Have you made it a priority in your life? Let me show you how important faithfulness is. I quote this scripture often. You've heard me quote it hundreds of times. And if the Lord allows me to live, you'll hear me quote it hundreds of more times. But it's one of my favorite passages, and it demonstrates the absolute importance and necessity of faithfulness.
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For in Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Have you ever stopped to think that if God ceased being faithful, we would cease to exist? Do you think it's important for God to be faithful? If it's important for God to be faithful, you would think it's important for you to be faithful as well. And according to Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse 9, God is called the faithful God. In 2 Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 13, the Bible says, "If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: He cannot deny Himself." Now when we stop and think about faithfulness, it's our desires, and they're expressed many times in many ways, but it is our main desire that others be faithful to us. And certainly, we would think we would want to be faithful to others as well. But do you realize that we expect and we desire that our friends are to be faithful to us and we want that in one sense of the word, now listen carefully, and in another sense of the word, we do not want our friends to be too faithful to us.
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You say, what in the world are you talking about? Well, I want you to hold on to Nehemiah 7. I'm going to come back and explain this. But I do want you to turn to the book of Proverbs chapter 11. Turn over just a few books. Proverbs chapter 11. And look at verse 13. Proverbs 11 and verse 13. Here's what I mean when I say we want our friends to be faithful to us. The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 11 and verse 13, "A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter." Now wait a minute. If you confide one of your deepest secrets to your best friend, do you want that friend to go blab everything that you've just told them? Do you want them to spread your innermost secrets and your innermost thoughts and fears to just anyone and everyone?
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And the answer is absolutely no. You want your friend, if you confide in that friend, to keep everything that you said under wraps. I never will forget years ago, a fellow came to me for counseling, and he was a dear friend of mine. And so, I counseled him, and a little while later, a couple weeks later, he and his family were at our house for supper. While I was outside doing something, Alice was in the kitchen cooking and he walked in to the kitchen where Alice was and he said to her, "I suppose your husband has told you all about my problems." Alice looked at him and said, "I'm sorry.
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I don't know what you're talking about. My husband never divulges anything to me that's told him in confidence." You know, I've often thought about that. If I had told her what he had confided in me, do you think I would have lost a friend? I certainly would have lost his trust. We do not want our friends blabbing our inmost secrets and our inmost desires. We demand faithfulness in that area. Now, I just said that we want our friends to be faithful to us in one sense of the word, and in another sense of the word, we don't want them to be too faithful. What am I talking about?
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Well, turn right over to Proverbs chapter 27, and look if you would please at verse 6. Here's exactly what I mean. Look what the Bible says, Proverbs 27 and verse 6. The Bible says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." Now watch that. Faithful are the wounds of a friend. We do not like wounding. We do not like rebuke. We do not like reproof and reproach from a friend, even though the Word of God teaches us, if someone is truly our friend, they will indeed rebuke us.
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They will not allow us to go forward in sin or forward in rebellion. They will stop us, even to the point of hurting us, hurting our feelings, hurting our relationship. They will not suffer sin upon us even if it costs the friendship. Enemies deceive. Enemies could care less. But faithful are the wounds of a friend. And a good, godly, faithful friend will indeed rebuke us and reproach us and admonish us even when we sin.
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And usually they will do it privately for which we should be grateful and thankful. But you know, the Bible demands this. In Leviticus 19 and verse 17, let me just quote it. We're going to look at some other passages. But listen to Leviticus 19 and verse 17. "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." So, if Ron and I are friends, and Ron does something wrong, and I totally ignore it, it's unbiblical, it's ungodly, but I just ignore it. According to the Word of God, I hate him. "Thou shalt not hate thy neighbour in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."
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Now the exact same truth is taught in the New Testament. Let me show you. I want you to turn first of all to the book of Romans chapter 15 and look at verse 14. Romans 15 and verse 14. There are words here I want you to underline. I want you to see three passages. One is Romans 15. And notice if you would please verse 14. Look what the Apostle Paul tells these Roman Christians. Romans 15 verse 14.
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He says, "And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."
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Now if you want to underline that little word "admonish," you're going to see it again. But now notice what he said. He said that we are able also to admonish one another. And the reason we're able is because we're full of goodness and we're filled with knowledge.
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Now, turn over if you would to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and look at verse 15. 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 and notice if you would please verse 15. Notice what the Word of God says. Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse 15. In fact, let's go to verse 14 just so that you can see the context. He said, "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
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Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." Now there's that word "admonish" again. Admonish him as a brother. If you will turn back to the book of Colossians, just a few pages back. Look in Colossians 1 in verse 28. Here's the same word, it's just translated a little differently. Colossians 1 verse 28. The Apostle Paul says, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;
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that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Now note this last phrase, "that we may present every man perfect" or mature, complete and upright in Christ Jesus. The interesting thing is this. In Romans 15 and verse 14, the word "admonish." In 2 Thessalonians 3 and verse 15, the word "admonish." And in Colossians 1 and verse 28, the word "warning" are all from the same Greek word. The Greek word is "noutheteo," which literally means, "I cause to stand in your mind." In other words, it means here is a rebuke, here is a reproof, here is a warning, here is an admonishing in such a way that it is caused to stand out in our minds and we do not forget it.
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Now what did the Apostle Paul say? He said, "I know that you're full of goodness in all wisdom or knowledge and that you're able also to reprove and rebuke each other." Again he tells us in 2 Thessalonians 3, we're not to count each other as an enemy, but admonish, rebuke, warn each other as our brother. And I want you to look back at Colossians 1 in verse 28.
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Let me point this out. The Apostle Paul says, "Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." Now, here's the thing. The Apostle Paul has just told us the three things that are absolutely necessary to make someone mature and upright and complete in Christ. What are they? Preaching, warning—that is rebuking, reproof, admonishment—and teaching. And here's what God is saying. A man that is a faithful friend will do all of those three things. Why? Because he wants you to be mature and complete in Jesus Christ.
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I want you to turn back in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 4. I'm building this up just to show you something from Nehemiah chapter 7. But look in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 at the first two verses. Here's the truth. If you and I are to serve Christ, we must serve Him faithfully. Christ does not want someone up and down, off and on. You remember what He said in the book of Revelation, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
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So He wants us to be faithful in whatever we do. Look in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 1, the apostle Paul writes, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." Now, wait a minute. You said, "Brother Weaver, you're a steward, you're a pastor, you're a preacher." Oh yeah, I am. But so are you. You may not be a pastor, but has God not given you a life? Has God not given you breath? Has not God given you a family? Has not God given you a vocation, a calling, a work? Has not God given you His salvation? If so, you are a steward over everything that God has given you. And God says He requires that you be faithful.
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It's not enough to teach the truth. It's not enough to understand the truth. We must learn to be faithful in all things. We must learn to be faithful in every area of our life. John, in 3 John 1 in verse 5, wrote unto Gaius. Let me read to you what he said. "Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers." What did John say of Gaius? Doesn't matter who you're working with, you are faithful, not only to the brothers, but to the strangers as well.
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Now, I want you to go back to the book of Proverbs. I want you to look in Proverbs 28 and verse 20 first. And then we're going to Psalm 101. But I want you to look in Proverbs chapter 28 and verse 20. And what the word of God says. We're talking about faithfulness. Proverbs 28 and verse 20. Look at this passage. Proverbs 28 and verse 20. Here it is.
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"A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent." A faithful man shall abound with blessings. God is going to honor and reward faithfulness. But that's not all. Look back in your Bibles to Psalm 101 and verse 6. Here's an interesting and a very beautiful promise. Psalm 101 and look at verse 6. God says it like this. "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me:
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he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me." God pays particular and close attention to those who are faithful to Him and His Word. He said, "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land." And then he goes on to say in verse 6, "and he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me." So the Lord's eye then is upon the faithful, and He has a special relationship with those who are faithful. You remember that passage in Mark 4 and verse 25, where God says, "For he that hath, to him shall be given." In other words, the more we receive from God, and the more we are faithful to that which He gives us, the more He gives us.
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If you and I fail in the small things, how in the world would God ever trust us with greater things? You might want to look at this passage, but look in Luke chapter 16 and verse 10, because our Lord spells it out very clearly. Here's this principle, Luke 16 and verse 10. Watch what he says. Luke 16 verse 10. "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."
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You know, most of us have dreams of grandeur. We want to be big, we want to be important, we want to be rich. And most of us will never be either of those. I never will forget, I had a friend years ago, right as I started preaching, and that's been 46 years ago. His desire and his dream was to be a millionaire. And he was going to serve Christ as a millionaire, giving out of the abundance of what he possessed. Until I told him one day, "If you can't be faithful in what little you have right now, you're not going to be faithful if God gave you 20 million." And that's exactly what God is saying right here. We may not be the greatest people on the earth, but we can be some of the most faithful people on the earth. And our Lord says, if you're unjust in that which is least, if you can't do the simplest things right, and the easiest things right, what makes you think God's going to let you have greater things and bigger things?
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You've got to learn to be faithful in that which is least in order that God will give you that which is far greater. Now, we're talking about faithfulness. Have you ever asked yourself this question? What makes a man faithful? Why are some people faithful and others are not? Why is it there are some folks that you can always depend upon and others you never trust? Well, there are a number of answers that have been given as to what makes someone faithful. Most of these answers fall short. For instance, some have suggested that it is responsibility that makes someone faithful. So the theory is that you place a huge burden upon someone and force him to act and he will then act in a very responsible way.
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The only problem is it doesn't work. Look at the husbands and wives and parents that have plenty of responsibility and yet they're totally, absolutely unfaithful. There have been preachers, as well as other Christians, that have brought unsaved people into the church, gave them responsibility, let them start teaching a Sunday school or let them do something else, thinking that all of this responsibility will all of a sudden force them to come to grips with the truth and then be thankful. It will not work. And it does not work. Responsibility alone will never make anyone faithful. Now, it is true that faithful men are responsible men, but it is not responsibility that makes them faithful. There's another theory that it is accountability that makes one faithful.
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You have to be accountable. So the theory is that we should place someone over another person to watch his every move, require frequent reports, and force them to give an answer for each and every action that they make. And according to that theory, they're to become faithful. Well, let me say this. The problem with that theory is, again, it does not work. Bureaucracy has never made anyone faithful.
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And if you don't believe that, just look at Washington, D.C. and any state capital that you want to look at. The fact of the matter is, it is true that faithful men are accountable, but accountability is not that which makes them faithful. There's another theory, and that is it is stability that makes someone faithful. And so that theory says all that you need is a stable environment, stable friends, and a stable family, and one imitates what he sees and what he's around, and presto, automatically, you have a faithful man.
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The problem with that is this. Some of the most faithful men and women have been unfaithful. I've heard about men and women who have not only been married for a multitude of years, stayed at the same work for a multitude of years, and yet all of a sudden it's discovered that they've been living a double life. They've been unfaithful to everything. Some of those people have been embezzling from their company for years.
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I suppose you read just recently of this one soldier who was killed recently in, I guess, Afghanistan or somewhere, found out he had two wives and two sets of children. Neither wife knew about it. But, I mean, he had a stable job. I guess he was stable with both of his wives and both of his families, but he was certainly unfaithful. And if you think stability is going to make you faithful, well, listen, folks, prisoners ought to be the most faithful people in the world. They've got stability. It is true that a faithful man will be a stable man, but stability does not make anyone faithful. You say, well, what does? Well, let's go back to our text. I want you to go back to Nehemiah chapter 7, and I want you to look at verses 1 and 2. I said all that about faithfulness just to show you this from the Word of God. Look in Nehemiah chapter 7, verse 1.
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"Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many." Now, in the context, Nehemiah is about to return to Persia. He had to leave the work at Jerusalem in capable hands. In fact, if you look in Nehemiah chapter 2, when Nehemiah left the king so that he could go to Jerusalem and do the work, notice Nehemiah chapter 2 beginning with verse 4. "Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?
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So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time." Now watch this.
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I want you to turn to Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah chapter 5. Nehemiah was the Tirshatha of Jerusalem. You'll see that word in Nehemiah 8 and verse 9. In fact, you'll see it several times. The word Tirshatha just simply means governor. Nehemiah was the governor of Jerusalem. So look in Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse 14, the Bible says this, "Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor." So evidently, the time that Nehemiah gave to the king was 12 years. So the 12 years is basically now up. Nehemiah has labored, he's built the wall, he's helped rebuild the city, and now he's about ready to go back to Jerusalem.
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He certainly does not want to leave that work in the hands of an unfaithful man. Do you realize that unfaithfulness would destroy all the work that he had accomplished in 12 years? Basically, if he left that work in the hands of an unfaithful man, 12 years of his life would be wasted. Now, I want you to stop and think. I have known a multitude of parents who died and left their possessions to unfaithful children. Stop and think of the homes, of the farms, of the plantations, of the businesses, and a multitude of other things that have been ruined and absolutely destroyed because of unfaithful children or unfaithful people who inherited it. Nehemiah said, "I'm not about to leave this work that cost me twelve years in the hands of an unfaithful man." And when you look in Nehemiah 7 verse 2, Hanani is singled out as the faithful man. Now Hananiah is also mentioned, yet Hanani is the one that is singled out as the faithful man. Obviously Hananiah was faithful also, yet not necessarily to the point of Hanani.
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So let me ask this question. What stood out in Hanani's life? What was the characteristic that made him faithful? Look in verse 2. He said, "Then I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he, Hanani, was a faithful man, and feared God above many." It was the fear of God that made him faithful.
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Now there were other characteristics and attributes that aided him. Yet the overriding characteristic and the overriding attribute was that he feared God.
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Now, before I develop this truth, I want to show you several other things about Hanani's character. First of all, I want to point out that Hanani was a very gracious man. How do we know that Hanani was gracious? Well, first of all, his name, Hanani, means gracious. Names in the Bible were given to individuals that represented their character. They were not given to individuals just simply because they were popular names or because their parents liked those particular names. No. The name of a person in the Bible spoke of his character.
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Everybody remembers a story of Nabal and Abigail. You remember how David kept the sheep of Nabal in the wilderness? And when it came time for shearing all of those sheep, David sent some men and said, "It's a good day. Send us a few sheep that we may rejoice with thee." And the Bible says in 1 Samuel 25 verse 3, don't turn there. "Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb." You remember when he railed then upon David's servants.
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He said, "There be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?" Well, when the men came back, David said, "Gird ye on every man his sword." We've kept this man's possessions in vain. And Abigail found out about it. And boy, she told her servants, "You load up these camels and you load up these donkeys and I'll take this to David." And she met David as they were coming.
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And she said in verse 25, "Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send." Folly is with him, even as his name. The name Nabal means a fool. He was a fool. And he was named Nabal. He was foolish. They did not necessarily name their children just at the time they were born. They observed their characters. Hanani was a gracious man.
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Let me show you how his graciousness is demonstrated in the Scripture. If you would turn back in your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah chapter 1, this may surprise you. But it was Hanani who gave this report to Nehemiah. And it was Hanani that sparked in Nehemiah a desire to rebuild the walls. Nehemiah chapter 1, and let's read the first four verses. "The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."
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So here, Hanani is the one who comes to Nehemiah. Nehemiah asks, "What's going on? How's everybody doing?" And he begins to say, "We're in great reproach. We're despised. The wall is broken down." The walls and the gates were exactly like the Chaldeans had left them 70 years earlier. This made the condition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem a very despicable condition. Put them under the abiding marks of poverty and slavery.
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And I might add it was exceedingly dangerous because the enemies could come in, get what they want, and leave any time they wanted to. The temple may have been built under Ezra, and a good government may have been set up, but yet the work was undone because the walls were still torn down and had no gates there. I want you to understand something. The word Hanani means gracious.
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And notice if you would, here's an illustration of his graciousness. A gracious man is always interested and concerned with the welfare of others, and not just himself. Let me stop. Let me ask you another question. Why should you learn to be a gracious individual? And the answer is, because graciousness is an attribute of our Heavenly Father. Do you realize in Exodus 22, God was saying in verse 27, that if you loan a poor man some money, and you take his garment as a pledge or as collateral, God says you better return that to him before night falls.
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Because he sleeps in it. Let me read it to you. Exodus 22, verse 27. "For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious." It is the graciousness of God that moves Him to think upon we who are helpless and deprived. Let me just read this one to you as well, because Israel, you know, had sinned against God so many times. You know, the amazing thing to me is, God did not completely destroy those people a multitude of times. Yet, in 2 Kings 13 and verse 23, we read this, "And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet." What? He was gracious unto them. Why? Because of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and His covenant. He was gracious. Do you realize that a gracious man is always a compassionate man and a concerned man?
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Why in the world was Hanani at the palace in the first place? Why was he there? The answer is he had left Judah to go to the capital to try to find some help and support for his brethren who were there in Jerusalem. He knew first hand of the conditions in Jerusalem for he was from Jerusalem. He had been there. He came to seek help and protection for his brethren. He had first hand knowledge of what was going on.
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And his graciousness stemmed from the fact that he feared God. Graciousness is a direct result of fearing God. A gracious man, listen carefully, a gracious man is not interested in offending God or man.
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Now I realize that sometimes offenses come because of the gospel. I understand that. But do you know what the Apostle Paul said in Acts 24 and verse 16? Listen carefully. He said, "And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men." What did he say? I'm not going to offend God, and I'm not going to unnecessarily offend men.
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I'll be gracious to them. I'll be kind to them. But, when the situation merits rebuke, he does it. What did he do to Peter? He put his finger in Peter's face and said, "You're wrong." Read Galatians chapter 2 and 3, you'll find out. But here's a gracious man. Men who fear God are gracious men and they're particularly concerned with obedience to God and they're concerned with that obedience in every area of their life. That's what makes them faithful men. Now listen carefully. Faithful men will do that which is right in every situation, in every circumstance, regardless of the cost. You remember the two midwives in Exodus chapter 1, and the word "men" here could be used generally, because here are two women. And the king said, "Every male child you're to kill." And the Bible says this, "But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive."
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Why did they not murder those babies? The answer is because they feared God. They feared God. They were willing to do that which was right, listen carefully, even if it meant that they faced death themselves. Because they feared God, they did not murder those babies. You know, the Bible says in the book of Job chapter 1 and verse 1, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil." I love that word, "eschewed." It's an old word, and here's what it means. It means to spit out. I took all my girls, and I gave each one of them a green persimmon. Have you ever eaten a green persimmon?
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You bite into it, what's the first thing you do? You spit it out. You can't stomach it. It is bitter. You say, "Why did you do that?" I think everybody ought to have the experience of knowing what a green persimmon tastes like. You know, I really do. But Job spit it out. He could not stomach it. It was the fear of God. That's what the Bible says. There was a man who feared God. He was upright. He was perfect. And he eschewed evil. He spit it out. He could not stomach it. He could not swallow it. And you remember when Job not only lost all of his possessions, but lost all ten of his children.
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Seven sons and three daughters. The Bible says, "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." Here is the man who was faithful. Now what made him faithful? It was the fear of God. Do you wish to know why people are unfaithful? Do you wish to know why there are so many people that you cannot depend upon? Here's the answer. They do not fear God. The Bible says in Psalm 36 and verse 1, "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." The Apostle Paul, when he got through listing all of the wickednesses of the wicked, in Romans 3, he said this, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."
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I tell people I remember when I was a boy, seeing my father make multi-thousand dollar deals with other farmers and all they would do is shake hands. There were no contracts. They just shook hands. And I've also seen when a neighbor farmer died, my father and other farmers would go up to the widow and would say, "I had a deal with your husband. I owe him so much money. Here it is." You know why?
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Because they had character and they were faithful men. In this day and time, you can get a man's word, you can get a contract, you can get it notarized, you can get 45 witnesses to it and it still doesn't do any good. They'll still find a way to beat you and to hook you and crook you. Why? Because they don't fear God. There's no fear of God before their eyes.
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Look in your Bibles very quickly to Luke 18. Watch this. Another one of my favorite passages, Luke 18, just showing you, just showing you where unfaithfulness stems. Luke 18, notice if you would please verse 1. "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" Watch verse 2, here's what our Lord said, "Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
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And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." Note, if you would, here's a man who is a judge, who is a civil ruler, who is uncompassionate, unconcerned, not interested in justice, not interested in right and wrong. Why? He feared not God.
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Why was this judge so corrupt? Because he did not fear God. Why was he so unfaithful as a judge? Because he did not fear God. It is impossible to be faithful without the fear of God. It is impossible, listen carefully, it is impossible to depart from evil without the fear of God. Why was Hanani a faithful man? Because he feared the Lord, listen, and he was determined to do that which was right and holy.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to the book of Proverbs. I want you to see these verses. Turn to Proverbs chapter 3, if you would please. We'll begin there, Proverbs chapter 3. Look at verse 7. Proverbs 3 and verse 7. I just made a statement. I want you to think about this. It is only the fear of the Lord that enables us to depart from evil. Proverbs 3 verse 7 it is. The Bible says, "Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." Fear the LORD and depart from evil. Look in Proverbs 8 and verse 13. Proverbs 8 and verse 13. You want to know what the fear of the Lord is? Here it is. "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. That's what the fear of the LORD is. It's wisdom, yes.
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I'll quote that verse in a minute, and I'm going to put it together for you. But he said, here the fear of the LORD is to hate evil. Look in Proverbs 16 and verse 6. Here's a very important passage. Proverbs 16 and verse 6. In Proverbs 16 and verse 6, the Word of God says, "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil." By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
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Why are you not an adulterer or fornicator? Why are you not a thief or a liar or a murderer? The answer is, because you fear God. You're not going to do those things. You're not. A man that fears God is going to depart from evil. Just stop and think. If you fear God, you will not want to do one thing that is displeasing to Him. Period. I told you this before, but it fits in right here.
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First time I took Tripp and Daniel out to Front Sight, we landed in Las Vegas, Nevada. And we had a hotel there for the night. I was talking to Alice on the phone. Tripp and Daniel and I were in Bass Pro. And Alice asked me, she said, "Where are you staying?" And I kind of smiled and I said, "Oh, we're staying at Hooters," because they had a hotel there. And Alice laughed. Anyhow, she knew I was not staying there. And so when I got through talking to her, I looked at Tripp and Daniel.
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I said, "Now, you know, I was teasing Granny when I say that." I said, "I would never, ever stay at a hotel like that because I fear the Lord." And Tripp said, "Papa, if you stayed there, it's not the Lord you need to fear, it's Granny." So that's probably true. But I'm just simply pointing out the fact, Hanani was someone, the scripture says, who feared God above many. Above many. Hananiah is mentioned, evidently Hananiah feared God too. Evidently Hananiah was faithful, but he was not as faithful and he did not fear God the way Hanani did. So the fact that the Bible says in Nehemiah 7 verse 2 that Hanani feared God above many is given to us as both the ground and the reason as to why he was faithful and why Nehemiah put such confidence and trust in him. Nehemiah knew that the fear of God would keep Hanani from yielding to those sinful and wicked temptations with which he would likely meet while Nehemiah was away back at the palace. Nehemiah also knew that without the fear of God, a man had absolutely no defense against temptations.
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Stop and think about that. Without the fear of God, a man has no defense against multiplicity of temptations. It's the fear of God that makes us faithful men. When we're full of the fear of God, we're also full of wisdom and understanding.
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Now, I want you to turn to two passages, one of them should be in Proverbs. I want you to look in Proverbs 9, and then I want you to turn back a few pages to Job chapter 28. Okay? I want to put these two together for you. So we'll go to Proverbs 9, and then we're going to Job 28. Okay? So look if you would please, first of all, at Proverbs 9 and verse 10.
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Because here's a passage that most people can quote. Proverbs 9, verse 10. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." Everybody can quote that. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. And the knowledge of the holy is understanding. The knowledge of the holy is understanding. Well, let's go back to Job 28 and look at verse 28. And look at what God says. "And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." Well, I thought the knowledge of God was understanding. Well, it was, and it is. Because if you have the knowledge of God, you're going to depart from that which is evil if you fear God. So here's the positive and the negative. The fear of the Lord is indeed wisdom. But with that wisdom comes knowledge, and with that knowledge comes a departing from that which is evil and wicked.
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Hanani could be trusted to oversee the work that Nehemiah had begun and possibly finished. Do you realize it is the fear of the Lord that makes us truly patriotic, as well as truly Christian, as well as truly being willing and ready to depart from that which is evil. And that which is said of Hanani is that he loved the Lord, or he feared the Lord above many. Our forefathers were right when they chose only Christian rulers. Why did Nehemiah choose Hanani? He feared the Lord above many.
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John Jay, who was the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States said this, "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers." Why would our forefathers want Christians as rulers? Because they understood that they feared God and they would rule faithfully.
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A faithful man can be trusted. But the Bible says confidence in an unfaithful man is like a broken foot or a foot out of joint. You can't depend upon it and you can't depend upon him. A faithful man will not look at men, but he will look at principles. He will look at that which is right. That's why in Exodus 23 and verse 3, God said to the judges, "Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause." Just because a man is poor does not mean that you favor him. That's not a politically correct statement. I hope you know. Because today if you're poor, then that's an excuse to rape, rob, pillage, plunder, steal, and it's okay because you're poor. That's not true, folks. Maybe politically correct, but it's unbiblical, that is for sure. God does not demand sympathy.
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He demands righteousness and justice. What is it that makes us faithful? We fear God. What is it that will make us even more faithful of greater understanding and possession of the fear of God? Let me make a couple of applications and I'll try to tie it together for you. The first one is this. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to say this all the time. "The greatest ability is dependability." The greatest ability is dependability. When someone is dependable, he is faithful. May not be able to do much, but you can be faithful.
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It is faithfulness that sustains and upholds every institution. When faithfulness fails, so do institutions. Look at Washington DC. Look at Atlanta. Look at churches. Look at marriages. Society. When God entrusts us with a stewardship, He expects us to be faithful. Are you dependable? I hope you understand that you need to be faithful to the preaching of the Word of God. God always provides for His people. You need to be here to receive what He gives you.
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I never will forget the very first time at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, when they fed me creamed beef on toast. I said, "I am not eating that slop, period." I came from a farm. My mother fixed eggs and grits and biscuits and gravy. You think I'm eating that stuff? I'm not eating that stuff and I didn't. Until we got on about a five mile hike with a full field pack. Next time they served me creamed beef on toast, I asked for an extra portion.
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Because they dished out what they knew that we would need. And that's what God does. God dishes out in the messages that which He knows you're going to need, which will sustain you on those five mile hikes with full field packs. The second application is this. God will always have a man for His work. You know, everybody knows about Nehemiah. Everybody knows about Ezra. But how many knew about Hanani? God does not always use Ezra's and Nehemiah's.
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He uses those small, insignificant people that most of us have never heard about, but who are faithful in every area of their life. A small, insignificant individual who is faithful is capable of doing the work that God entrusts to him. God will always have a worker for His harvest. Those men who fear God, listen carefully, will evidence that fear by their faithfulness. There's one passage I want to quote, and I'll close, and I want you to think about this. This has been one of the greatest blessings to me for years and years and years.
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I know I'm a sinner. I want to be faithful. I know that I probably have not always been faithful, but I want to be. But the Apostle Paul said in 1 Timothy 1 in verse 12, now listen carefully, he said, "And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry." He counted me faithful. Not that Paul was faithful. He's probably far more faithful than most of us, that is true. But he said, "He counted me faithful." Counted there means to deem, it means to account, it means to consider.
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Do you realize in the grace and mercy and compassion of God, even with our faults and even with our failings and all our shortcomings and our sins, God is still pleased to use us and to count us faithful. And when we are faithful, He receives all the honor, all the glory, and all the praise. For if we're faithful, He is the only one that can make us so. Because He is the only one that can give us the fear and the love of God in our hearts. A faithful man shall abound with blessings. Let's be faithful. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask You for Your grace and for Your mercy. We ask, Father, that You'd make us faithful and those of us who are faithful, Lord God, make us more faithful, make us more dependable. Give us, Lord, Your grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, we ask and pray. Amen. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:46:07Z

The Making of a Faithful Man

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver examines Nehemiah 7:1-2 to show that faithfulness is rooted in the fear of God. He contrasts true faithfulness with worldly substitutes like responsibility, accountability, and stability, and demonstrates from Hanani's example that a man who fears God will be gracious, dependable, and depart from evil. The sermon calls believers to cultivate the fear of the Lord as the foundation for faithfulness in every area of life.

Introduction: The Crisis of Unfaithfulness

Weaver introduces Nehemiah 7:1-2 and laments the widespread lack of faithfulness in marriages, businesses, churches, and society, citing Psalm 12:1.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 7:1-2

And we're just simply going to read verses 1 and 2. Nehemiah chapter 7, the title of the message today is "The Making of a Faithful Man." The making of a faithful man. Notice Nehemiah chapter 7. Nehemiah chapter 7, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Nehemiah chapter 7, verses 1 and 2.

Back during David's time, unfaithfulness was so horrible and conditions were so terrible that David, in Psalm 12 and verse 1, cried out,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 12:1

"Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men."

The Importance of Faithfulness

God's faithfulness is essential for our existence (Lamentations 3:22-23). We desire others to be faithful to us, yet we resist the wounds of a faithful friend who rebukes us.

For in Lamentations 3, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Lamentations 3:22-23

"It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 11:13

"A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter."

Well, turn right over to Proverbs chapter 27, and look if you would please at verse 6. Here's exactly what I mean. Look what the Bible says, Proverbs 27 and verse 6. The Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Proverbs 27:6

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful."

Biblical Mandate for Faithful Admonishment

Scripture commands believers to admonish one another (Romans 15:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:15, Colossians 1:28) as an expression of love and a means to maturity.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:17

"Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

So, if Ron and I are friends, and Ron does something wrong, and I totally ignore it, it's unbiblical, it's ungodly, but I just ignore it. According to the Word of God, I hate him.

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:17

"Thou shalt not hate thy neighbour in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him."

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

"And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

Now there's that word "admonish

Scripture Reading — 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15

" again. Admonish him as a brother. If you will turn back to the book of Colossians, just a few pages back. Look in Colossians 1 in verse 28. Here's the same word, it's just translated a little differently. Colossians 1 verse 28. The Apostle Paul says, "

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom;

Scripture Reading — Colossians 1:28

"Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

Stewardship Requires Faithfulness

Every believer is a steward of God's gifts, and 1 Corinthians 4:2 requires stewards to be found faithful. Faithfulness in small things leads to greater trust (Luke 16:10).

So He wants us to be faithful in whatever we do. Look in 1 Corinthians 4 verse 1, the apostle Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 4:1-2

"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful."

Scripture Reading — 3 John 1:5

"Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers."

What did John say of Gaius? Doesn't matter who you're working with, you are faithful, not only to the brothers, but to the strangers as well.

False Foundations of Faithfulness

Responsibility, accountability, and stability do not produce faithfulness. Many with these advantages remain unfaithful, proving they are not the root cause.

Hanani: A Faithful Man Who Feared God

Nehemiah entrusted Jerusalem to Hanani because he was faithful and feared God above many. His fear of God produced graciousness and concern for others.

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 5:14

"Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor."

Scripture Reading — Nehemiah 1:1-4

"The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."

Because he sleeps in it. Let me read it to you. Exodus 22, verse 27.

Scripture Reading — Exodus 22:27

"For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious."

The Fear of God as the Source of Faithfulness

The fear of the Lord causes one to hate evil and depart from it (Proverbs 3:7; 8:13; 16:6). Without the fear of God, there is no defense against temptation.

Wisdom and Understanding Through the Fear of God

Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 link the fear of the Lord with wisdom and understanding, which lead to departing from evil.

Applications: Dependability and God's Use of the Faithful

The greatest ability is dependability. God uses faithful, often unknown individuals. Even with our failings, God counts us faithful by His grace (1 Timothy 1:12).

The Making of a Faithful Man

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	65nGah1Rnhs
Subject	Old Testament Studies
Course	Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom: The Doctrine of Election
Genre	Sermon
Date	2012-11-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 081: Proverbs: The Fear of the Lord and Wisdom - Volume 1 — Chapter 13
Source Timed Segments	78

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Crisis of Unfaithfulness: Weaver introduces Nehemiah 7:1-2 and laments the widespread lack of faithfulness in marriages, businesses, churches, and society, citing Psalm 12:1.
The Importance of Faithfulness: God's faithfulness is essential for our existence (Lamentations 3:22-23). We desire others to be faithful to us, yet we resist the wounds of a faithful friend who rebukes us.
Biblical Mandate for Faithful Admonishment: Scripture commands believers to admonish one another (Romans 15:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:15, Colossians 1:28) as an expression of love and a means to maturity.
Stewardship Requires Faithfulness: Every believer is a steward of God's gifts, and 1 Corinthians 4:2 requires stewards to be found faithful. Faithfulness in small things leads to greater trust (Luke 16:10).
False Foundations of Faithfulness: Responsibility, accountability, and stability do not produce faithfulness. Many with these advantages remain unfaithful, proving they are not the root cause.
Hanani: A Faithful Man Who Feared God: Nehemiah entrusted Jerusalem to Hanani because he was faithful and feared God above many. His fear of God produced graciousness and concern for others.
The Fear of God as the Source of Faithfulness: The fear of the Lord causes one to hate evil and depart from it (Proverbs 3:7; 8:13; 16:6). Without the fear of God, there is no defense against temptation.
Wisdom and Understanding Through the Fear of God: Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 link the fear of the Lord with wisdom and understanding, which lead to departing from evil.
Applications: Dependability and God's Use of the Faithful: The greatest ability is dependability. God uses faithful, often unknown individuals. Even with our failings, God counts us faithful by His grace (1 Timothy 1:12).

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Faithfulness is rooted in the fear of God, not external factors.

Responsibility, accountability, and stability do not make a person faithful; only the fear of God produces genuine, consistent faithfulness.

Weaver refutes each theory with counterexamples and points to Nehemiah 7:2 where Hanani's faithfulness is directly linked to his fear of God.

The fear of God causes one to depart from evil.

Proverbs 3:7, 8:13, and 16:6 teach that fearing the Lord leads to hating and turning away from evil, which is the essence of faithfulness.

Weaver cites these Proverbs and the example of the Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 who feared God and disobeyed Pharaoh.

Faithfulness is required of every steward.

All believers are stewards of God's gifts, and 1 Corinthians 4:2 demands faithfulness. Faithfulness in small matters leads to greater responsibilities.

1 Corinthians 4:1-2; Luke 16:10; Weaver's personal anecdote about a friend who wanted to be a millionaire.

A faithful friend will administer loving rebuke.

True friendship involves wounding when necessary to prevent sin, as commanded in Leviticus 19:17 and exemplified in the New Testament admonitions.

Proverbs 27:6; Leviticus 19:17; Romans 15:14; 2 Thessalonians 3:15; Colossians 1:28.

God's faithfulness is the model and sustainer of our faithfulness.

God's unfailing faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23) is the reason we exist, and His character calls us to imitate His faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23; Deuteronomy 7:9; 2 Timothy 2:13.

The fear of God produces wisdom and understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 connect the fear of the Lord with wisdom and understanding, which are manifested in departing from evil.

Weaver compares Proverbs 9:10 and Job 28:28 to show that knowledge of the holy and departing from evil are two sides of the same coin.

Scripture References

Nehemiah 7:1-2: The primary text; Hanani is appointed over Jerusalem because he was a faithful man who feared God above many.
Psalm 12:1: David's cry that the godly and faithful have disappeared, illustrating the crisis of unfaithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23: God's mercies are new every morning; great is His faithfulness, which sustains our existence.
Deuteronomy 7:9: God is called the faithful God.
2 Timothy 2:13: If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.
Proverbs 11:13: A talebearer reveals secrets, but a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
Proverbs 27:6: Faithful are the wounds of a friend; the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Leviticus 19:17: You shall not hate your brother; you shall rebuke your neighbor and not suffer sin upon him.
Romans 15:14: Believers are able to admonish one another because they are full of goodness and knowledge.
2 Thessalonians 3:14-15: Do not count a disobedient brother as an enemy but admonish him as a brother.
Colossians 1:28: Paul warns and teaches every man to present everyone mature in Christ; warning is the same Greek word as admonish.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2: Stewards of the mysteries of God are required to be found faithful.
3 John 1:5: Gaius acted faithfully in whatever he did for the brethren and strangers.
Proverbs 28:20: A faithful man will abound with blessings.
Psalm 101:6: God's eyes are on the faithful of the land; they will dwell with Him and serve Him.
Luke 16:10: He who is faithful in little is faithful also in much; unjust in little is unjust in much.
Nehemiah 2:4-6: Nehemiah requests leave from the king to rebuild Jerusalem and sets a time for his return.
Nehemiah 5:14: Nehemiah was governor for twelve years, indicating the duration of his work before returning to Persia.
Nehemiah 1:1-4: Hanani brings news of Jerusalem's distress to Nehemiah, sparking his mission to rebuild.
Exodus 22:27: God is gracious, hearing the cry of the poor whose garment is taken as pledge.

Historical References

John Jay, first Supreme Court Justice: Quoted as saying Providence has given people the choice of rulers, and it is the duty of a Christian nation to select Christians for rulers.
Dr. Bob Jones Sr.: Frequently said, 'The greatest ability is dependability.'

Important Quotes

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, and the faithful fail from among the children of men.

Illustrates the crisis of unfaithfulness in David's time, paralleling modern society.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness.

Highlights God's essential faithfulness as the foundation of our existence.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Defines true friendship as including loving rebuke, not just affirmation.

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Commands believers to confront sin in others as an act of love.

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Establishes faithfulness as the primary requirement for stewards of God's gifts.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

Teaches that character is revealed in small matters and determines capacity for greater trust.

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Defines the fear of the Lord as a moral hatred of evil, which produces faithfulness.

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

Shows that God's grace counts believers faithful despite their imperfections, enabling service.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what areas of life do you find it most difficult to be faithful, and how does the fear of God address those struggles?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes that faithfulness is rooted in fearing God, not external pressures.

[Question]

How do you respond when a faithful friend wounds you with a rebuke? What does your response reveal about your fear of God?

[Context]

Proverbs 27:6 and the discussion on faithful wounds versus enemy kisses.

[Question]

Why do responsibility, accountability, and stability fail to produce genuine faithfulness?

[Context]

Weaver argues these are insufficient substitutes for the fear of God.

[Question]

How does Hanani's graciousness demonstrate his fear of God, and how can we cultivate similar graciousness?

[Context]

Hanani's name means gracious, and his concern for Jerusalem reflects God's character.

[Question]

In what 'small things' is God calling you to be faithful right now, and how might that prepare you for greater stewardship?

[Context]

Luke 16:10 and the principle of faithfulness in little things.

[Question]

How does the fear of the Lord function as a defense against temptation in your daily life?

[Context]

Weaver states that without the fear of God, a man has no defense against temptation.

[Question]

What does it mean that God 'counts' us faithful, and how should that truth affect our service?

[Context]

1 Timothy 1:12 and the closing application on God's grace.

Applications

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