Triumphs Of Faith Series

HEBREWS 11:32-34 {Leaving a Legacy Series]

TRIUMPHS (AND TRIBULATIONS) OF FAITH

In the closing section of chapter 11 the writer lets his mind’s eye roam back over people and events of history and God brings to memory name after name and event after event of heroic souls. c

Having taken us through the period of the patriarchs and the time of the conquest of the promised land, we now move through the era of the judges, the kings and the prophets to show that faith in God is the goal of Israel’s entire history. Faith can operate in the life of any person who will listen to God’s Word and dare to surrender to His will. Let’s look at some people and some achievements of faith.

I. MEN OF FAITH, 32.

II. ACHIEVEMENTS OF FAITH 33 - 34.

There were far too many heroes of faith for the writer to even touch upon them all so swiftly beginning in verse 32 he mentions the variegated accomplishments of some of them. “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,”

Our author feels “time” is not sufficient to recant in any detail the stories of even these six men of faith. The original readers had extensive knowledge of O.T. Scripture whose stories are often retold and thus the mentioning of the names would move his listeners to recall and relive the events of faith each biblical hero performed. Unfortunately, our comprehension is not so good so let’s look at each briefly. Having left off with the children of God conquering the promised land, he mentions first one of Israel’s famous judges and military leaders, “Gideon.” (Judges 6 & 7 - also called Jerubbaal). Gideon’s victory over the Midianites is another example of the sufficiency of faith in the midst of conflict. When Gideon was appointed by the Lord to deliver Israel he assumed it would be necessary to assemble a large army to defeat the enemy. “He assembled 32,000 men to fight the Midianites and the Amalekites.” To keep Israel from thinking the coming triumph was by their own power, God cut her forces down to 10,000 (all who were not afraid) and then to a mere 300. These 300 were separated out solely on the basis of how they drank water from a spring. The enemy, by contrast, were “as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as numerous as the sand on the seashore” (Judg. 7:12). Yet Gideon’s men were outfitted only with trumpets and with clay pitchers with torches inside. With even fewer men and less effort than was used to defeat Jericho, the entire heathen enemy army was routed (7:16-22). Only a fool would have attempted such a courageous approach to battle apart from God’s direction and power. From a faith perspective though, only a fool would not attempt such a thing when he has God’s direction and power (MacArthur John. Hebrews. Moody Press. Chicago.1983. p. 364).

“Barak” (or Bedan) is unknown in Scripture outside of the brief account in Judges 4-5. Under the inspiration of the prophetess Deborah, Barak assembled 10,000 young men to face the Canaanites whose commander Sisera had a large, powerful well-trained army with 900 iron chariots. Barak assembled his men on Mt. Tabor and charged Sisera as he had been commanded by God. “And the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and all his army, with the edge of the sword before Barak” (Judges 4:15). Barak and his men were involved, and probably fought valiantly, but the success of the campaign was the Lord’s. It was as if a band of under armed infantries had routed a division of tanks. Without God’s help, Israel would have easily been slaughtered. Barak was told in advance that the glory of victory would not be his. Not only did the Lord fight the battle for His people but he allowed a woman to kill Sisera, so that Barak would have even less cause for claiming credit for himself (4:9).

Barak believed God’s promise of triumph and was not the least concerned that a woman would get credit for slaying Sisera. In fact he insisted that Deborah, a woman judge, go to battle with him (v. 8). He wanted her spiritual, not her military help. She was the Lord’s special representative in those days, and Barak wanted the Lord’s person with him. The fact that he wanted her along was another indication of his trust in the Lord. As God’s prophetess, she was of greater value to him than his 10,000 men. Barak was not concerned about Sisera’s power, because he had God’s power. By such courageous faith he conquered kingdoms.

“Samson” (Judges 13-16) is not most remembered for his faith, but for his physical strength and personal gullibility. In many ways he was immature and self-centered, unable to cope with the miraculous power God had given him. Yet he was a man of faith. He never doubted that God was the source of his power, of which his hair was only a symbol.