The Book of HEBREWS
James J. Barker
Lesson 32
VARIOUS HEROES OF FAITH
INTRODUCTION:
- We started out
in the beginning of Hebrews 11 with some of the heroes from the book of Genesis
-- Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, and
Joseph.
- Then next came
Moses and his parents, from the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy.
- Then Joshua and
Rahab from the book of Joshua. By
now, the author of this epistle has made his point, and so he says, "And what
shall I more say?" (Heb. 11:32).
- But he is not
finished yet, and this brings us tonight to the book of Judges (11:32). The names of these heroes are mentioned
in verse 32, but nothing is said about their exploits.
- Then in the following verses, their exploits are
mentioned, but not their names.
I.
THE JUDGES
- Gideon is the
first judge mentioned in Hebrews 11:32.
Gideon came from an unusual background. We read in Judges 6:11 that Gideon was
threshing wheat by the winepress, in order to hide it from the
Midianites.
- It was there
that the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, "The LORD is
with thee, thou mighty man of valour" (Judges 6:12).
- At that time,
the Israelites were being oppressed by the Midianites (Judges 6:1-10). Gideon could not understand why
the LORD had hath forsaken Israel, and had delivered them into the hands of the
Midianites (6:13).
- Gideon was an
unusual choice for a judge because he said to the angel "Behold, my family is
poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house"
(6:15).
- But the LORD
assured Gideon that he would not fail. "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt
save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?"
(6:14).
- Gideon believed
God, and by faith he did deliver Israel from the hand of the Midianites. "And
the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the
Midianites as one man" (6:16; cf. Judges 7).
- Next, Barak is
mentioned. Barak actually preceded
Gideon, though he is mentioned after him here in Hebrews 11:32 (Judges 4 &
5).
- God spoke to
Barak through Deborah, who was both a prophetess and a judge (Judge
4:4-6).
- The LORD told
Barak and Deborah that He would deliver Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army (the
king of Canaan), into Barak's hand (Judges 4:7).
- The LORD used Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, to
kill Sisera (Judges 4:17-24; cf. 4:9).
- This is an unusual story, but the book of Judges is full
of unusual stories. It was a time
of declension and apostasy, but the LORD
did not give up on Israel.
- The LORD raised up judges to deliver Israel from her
enemies.
- The next judge mentioned is Samson, the most unusual
hero of them all (11:32).
Samson is the most famous and the most prominent of all
the judges.
- Samson is an enigma. He is mentioned as a man of
faith here in Hebrews 11:32, yet he is one of the most carnal men in the
Bible.
- Judges 13:24 says, The LORD blessed him, but Samson
was double-minded and unstable. James 1:8 says, A double minded man is
unstable in all his ways. This describes
Samson.
- Before men Samson was the strongest of men, but before
women he was weak and could not resist them.
- Samson was empowered by the Spirit of God, but he
constantly yielded his body to the lusts of the flesh.
- Back in 1939, Winston
Churchill described the actions of the Russians as, a riddle wrapped up in a
mystery inside an enigma. He could have been describing the life of
Samson.
- Samson was betrayed by
Delilah; he lost his great strength; and he was captured by the
Philistines. Despite his
sins and frailties, Samson had genuine faith and the LORD used him to defeat
the Philistines (cf. Judges 16:20-31).
- Jephthae (Heb. 11:32)
lived before Samson. The names are not listed here in chronological
order. He had an unusual
background also. Judges 11:1
says, "he was the son of an harlot."
He is best remembered for his rash vow, made prior to his battle with
the Ammonites (Judges 11:30-33).
- Through faith Jephthae
"subdued kingdoms" (Hebrews 11:33), i.e., the kingdoms of the Amorites, the
Ammonites, and the Ephraimites.
II.
DAVID
- David is
mentioned before Samuel, though Samuel was older.
- It was Samuel
who anointed David king (I Samuel 16:13).
- David's faith
is seen throughout Scripture. As a
young lad, he defeated Goliath, the Philistine giant. He said to King Saul, "The LORD that
delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will
deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine" (I Sam. 17:37).
- Throughout the book of Psalms, we see David saying over
and again, "O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust" (cf. Psalm 7:1).
III.
SAMUEL
- Samuel is the
last hero mentioned by name in this chapter (Heb.
11:32).
- Samuel was the
last of the judges, and he was also a prophet.
- Samuel was a great man of prayer. First Samuel 7:9 says,
"Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel; and the LORD
heard him."
- Samuel said to the people of Israel, "Moreover as for
me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right
way" (I Sam.
12:23).
CONCLUSION:
- "And of the
prophets" (11:32b). There are so
many of them -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Elijah, and Elisha -- to name
just a few.
- But none is mentioned by name.
- Tradition has
it that Isaiah was "sawn asunder" (Heb. 11: 37), but Isaiah is not
mentioned.
- Undoubtedly
many great men and women of faith have been "sawn asunder." This chapter emphasizes that it
was their great faith that enabled them to get through their trials and
troubles.
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