By Faith, the Judges and monarchs of Israel
32 And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, 33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight. (Hebrews 11:32-34)
This chapter of Hebrews can go even longer, filled with hundreds of more stories of those who lived by faith, hence, the author’s somewhat hilarious statement of “And what more can I say?” The next six names grouped together were some monarchs and prophets associated during the time of Judges. First off, we have Gideon (Judges 6-8), who, by faith, followed God’s leading, taking a significantly small group of soldiers and were able to free the Israelites from the larger armies of the Midianites. Second, we have Barak (Judges 4-5), with the guidance of the Lord through the prophetess Deborah, was able to defeat Sisera and the Canaanites. Third, we have Jephthah (Judges 11-12), who was a valiant warrior that defeated the Ammonites. Fourth, we have Samson (Judges 13-16), who was filled with strength by God and defeated many Philistines. Fifth, David, the predominant writer of the Psalms and defeater of Goliath. When Israel had a king, it could be argued that David was the most outstanding representative in terms of pointing the people to God. Finally, we have Samuel found in the books of Samuel, who was a prophet that linked the time of the Judges and the monarchy.
Now, verses 33 and 34 give nine statements about the accomplishments through faith. These can be grouped in threes. First, we have “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises.” Through faith, individuals who may have been deemed weak (David vs. Goliath, Gideon’s small army, Samson vs. hundreds of Philistines with a jawbone) were able to overcome the enemies of Israel. Afterwards, the people were turned towards righteousness. Finally, through faith, these people trusted that God, and in the end, would see Him fulfill His promises.
The second group focuses on faith in a rescue, “shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging fire, escaped the edge of sword.” Daniel had faith that he would be saved from the lion’s den (Daniel 6). Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were saved from the flames of the furnace when they refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 3). Finally, David escaped the sword multiple times, one case in particular from Saul in 1 Samuel 23:19-26.
The final group focuses on the amazing achievements of those who followed God by faith, “gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.” Many examples throughout these previous mentioned Judges and monarchs can be applied to these, with Samson regaining his strength one last time to defeat more Philistines that day than his entire life. David was able to defeat many armies and cause them to flee through the power of the Lord.
As we can see, faith in God can not only change your own life, but can change entire nations. And God can use even those who can be considered weak or outcast to change the world, as long as they are willing to step out in faith. Everyday, God is speaking to us, telling us things to do. May we step out in faith and trust in Him, and we will be amazed in seeing what God can accomplish.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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