By Faith Gideon-Barak-Samson-Jephthah-David-Samuel-the Prophets
February 19, 2023
Recap. Faith can operate in the life of any person who’s willing to listen to God’s Word and dare to surrender to His will.
Hebrews 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
The author feels “time” is not sufficient to give in any detail the stories of these six men of faith. The first 4 are from Judges. He mentions first one of Israel’s famous judges and military leaders “Gideon”. (Judges 6-8) Gideon’s victory over the Midianites/Amalekites.
Judges 6:12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon is threshing his wheat in a winepress.
Gideon Tests God: Fleece wet, ground dry—fleece dry, ground wet
Gideon assembled 32,000 men to fight the Midianites/Amalekites.” God tells Gideon to send any who are afraid 22K leave, 10K Left. Still too many.
Got on their knees to drink 9700—-Cupped with their hands 300….300 OK
Judges 7:12 The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.
Judges 7:10-11 If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah 11 and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.”
Weapons-Judges 7:16 Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.
Outcome- Judges 7:22 “..the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords.” The entire heathen enemy army was routed.
“Barak” (Judges 4) 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. (4:3)
Barak assembled his men on Mt. Tabor and charged Sisera as he had been commanded by God.
Judges 4:15 At Barak’s advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot.
Did Barak have some Doubt/Fear?
Judges 4:8-9 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.”
Judges 4:21 But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted. She drove the peg through his temple into the ground, and he died.
“Samson” (Judges 13-16) Called to defeat the Philistines who ruled over the Israelites is not remembered most for his faith, but for his physical strength. In many ways, he was immature and self-centered, unable to cope with the great strength God had given him. Yet here he is mentioned in the hall of faith.
Samson’s strength was legendary, unlike anything that was seen before or since. He singlehandedly struck down 1,000 Philistines using only the jawbone of a donkey, by the power of God’s Spirit he tore a lion to pieces, and he uprooted the gate of the town of Gaza and carried it away.
All of this was done in opposition to the Philistines, with whom he had a bitter, long-standing rivalry. The Philistines were always trying to understand Samson’s strength and find a way to defeat him. They were always unsuccessful—Samson was just too strong—until they teamed with Delilah. This woman was eventually Samson’s downfall.
Delilah finally gets Sampson to reveal the secret of his strength-His hair. He falls asleep she cuts his hair and his strength is gone. The Philistines capture him gouged out his eyes and made him a grain grinder in prison.
Judges 16:28-30 Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” 29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. 30 Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
We are inclined to judge Samson by his weaknesses, God here commends him for his faith.
“Jephthah” (Judges 11&12) He was an illegitimate outcast (because of the relations his father Gilead had with a prostitute) who came back from exile to lead Israel to a tremendous victory over the Ammonites.
How? Judges 11:29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah.
Jephthah’s foolish vow: Judges 11:30-31 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the Lord’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.” Daughter
Though well-intentioned, this was a foolish vow. Vows are our attempt to manipulate God or put Him under obligation to ourselves. It is far more important to be on God’s side than to try and persuade Him to be on our side.
Even a Spirit-filled man can do foolish things. The Holy Spirit does not overwhelm and control us, He comforts, convicts, and guides us – and that guidance can be at any time resisted or ignored.
Jephthah was empowered by the Spirit of the Lord and despite his foolish vow and his mistakes, God honored him for his faith in undertaking a seemingly impossible task of deliverance.
“David” stands out as one of the great men of the Old Testament. His trust in the Lord began when he was a boy, tending sheep, killing a lion, and a bear, and then taking on the giant Goliath with a slingshot. David faced Goliath in absolute confidence that the Lord would give him the power to defeat this giant.
While the rest of Israel, including the King and David’s own brothers, were cowering in fear, David calmly walked up to Goliath and said, I Sam. 17:46 “This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you”.
Like other heroes of faith, David was not perfect, but God said: “a man after My heart, who will do all My will” (1 Samuel 13:14)(Acts 13:22).
“Samuel” is added to this list of warriors. Though he was not a soldier, he fought battles equal to any that soldiers faced. He stood alone in his generation to fight the great foes of idolatry and immorality. Samuel had to stand up in the middle of a polluted society and fearlessly speak God’s truth.
It often takes more courage to stand up against our neighbors than against our enemies. In the courage of faith, he ruled as a Priest, Prophet, and Judge.
“The Prophets”
These are men and women who believed/spoke God and were willing to courageously and confidently accepted God-given tasks which in human terms were impossible. They weren’t afraid to stand alone and face immense odds for the sake of their loyalty to God. The honor roll of history is of men and women who chose to stand with God’s minority rather than with the world’s majority.
Hebrews 11:32-34 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.
The characteristic that binds these achievements together is the statement “THROUGH FAITH.” Faith in God and His Word enabled them to do what they could not have otherwise done. Daniel-Shadrach
What we see as disadvantages in our own lives can be turned into advantages, and our apparent weaknesses can be transformed by faith into strengths.
Is weakness holding you down? Is it fear, doubt, anxiety, shyness, or a physical limitation? Ask God to turn it into a strength and to use it for His glory.
Inadequate but mighty– how strange, yet so true! Weak people filled with God’s power, are those the Father calls to do His work. In truly understanding our limited potential that then accents and accesses God’s limitless power.
In CLOSING
The power to accomplish these things was from God and the power was received by faith in Him.
When storms threaten, faith lifts a sail. When a “can’t do” attitude tries to rule, faith creates a “can do” coup.
These witnesses of faith are telling us that we too can be part of this glorious heritage. We too by faith can do great things for God.
Will we step out in faith and attempt to do things for God also is the question God now places before us.
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