Unlikely Heroes: Hebrews 11:32

Hebrews 11:32 (NKJV)

32And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah…

Hebrews 11 is the great “faith chapter” of the Bible. We begin reading it, and we see figures we’d expect: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and his parents, and Rahab. Each of these certainly showed marvelous faith, even though they combatted moments of doubt.

Then, we reach verse 32…and pause. Did we really read those names? Gideon–Barak–Samson–Jephthah? It seems to go from bad to worse! Gideon had such weak faith that he asked for numerous signs in order to go to battle against the Midianites. Barak refused to fight unless Deborah–a woman–accompanied him. Worse yet, Samson relied on his own strength instead of God’s (see a previous article I wrote about him here: https://the-alabaster-jar.com/2022/02/28/like-samson-2/) And perhaps the worst–Jephthah lacked faith to the extent that in order to try to “persuade” God to give him victory, he made a rash oath and ended up sacrificing his only daughter!

And even if you look at the heroes mentioned earlier in the chapter–Abraham doubted the Lord’s word by taking Hagar as his wife, Sarah laughed at God’s promise…and I could go on! So what should we glean from this?

The first thing that strikes me is pure encouragement! Realizing that these heroes of the faith are counted as such should encourage us immensely, for we see our own doubts mirrored in theirs. Doesn’t it reassure you to see these amazing, yet sinful, doubtful people in the “Hall of Faith”? Doesn’t it give you hope that God forgives our doubts and shortcomings and rewards what little faith we have, faith like a mustard seed?

There is a line in a song I love that always causes me to think: “Faith just like a seed, the only way it grows.” We may have faith as small as a mustard seed. But the good news is, if it is planted on fertile soil, it will surely grow mightily!

If Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah made it into the Hall of Faith, surely God sees and rewards our faith too, weak though it may be. Let us be encouraged by these unlikely heroes, learn from their mistakes, and let Jesus explode our faith in growth! There is no grain of faith too small for Him to use!

Luke 17:6 (NKJV)
So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.