Men of Faith

Heb 11:32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets,

Just to remind you of some of the more obscure characters, Gideon had sort of a "doubting Thomas" faith. Yet nonetheless is mentioned here. He wanted forensic evidence to confirm that God had spoken. God does provide forensic evidence. He doesn't expect us to have blind faith. But he may only go so far before requests for evidence are reckoned unbelieving cynicism. In comparison to someone like David, Gideon was rather timid in applying his faith. So these lists are not to be taken as people of equal degree of faith, but that they did exercise faith to some degree.

Barak is another example of a timid - even cowardly, effeminate man. In fact such was the culture of Israel at the time that God shamed them by assigning a woman prophetess to speak to him. Yet even she recognized that it was shameful for a woman to take the lead, and it was shameful for him to depend on a woman. Barak said to her, "If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go." "Very well," Deborah said, "I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman." Jud 4:8,9 It's dishonorable for men to depend on women to defend them, especially in a military sense. But today we likewise live in a feminist society where men have largely been marginalized. Yet Barak's cowardly faith was nonetheless worthy of mention here.

Jephthah is another many are not familiar with. "Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute." Jud 11:1 He was despised by his own family. His step brothers drove him out, taking his inheritance. But he formed a gang. And the elders of Gilead called on him to be their military commander. Much as is the Arab/Israeli conflict today, the dispute with the enemy was over territory. Jephthah pointed out that God had given them the territory. However in going to war he made a stupid vow.  Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: "If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 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." Jude 11:30,31 Perhaps he assumed his dog (or perhaps his wife or his mother in law) would come out to greet him. But it was his daughter. He carried out his vow reluctantly, as a literally requirement of the Law, "If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin." De 23:21 Jephthah was careless, but faithful, and so mentioned here.'

The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources