The Faith of Hero’s

Intro; When we started this study on faith we began in Hebrews 11 asking “What Is Faith?”

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith- Trust, belief, walking with Jesus, etc.. but is goes beyond that. Faith is substance [trust] that is connected to hope [Jesus] and evidence [the promises in His Word].

Now we come to the final message on faith and we’re going to look at “The Faith of Hero's”. They are mentioned in what we call as the Hall of Faith!

If you were to look at [vs. 4-30] you will see many of the patriarchs of the Old Testament who God used in a mighty way to pave the path of faith for the nation of Israel also setting up the coming of Our Lord. Their worship and walk with God becomes our standard of faith even today. But when we get to verses [32-39], we see the script of faith flipped.

In the early verses we see faith victorious, moving forward through Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses. They are the fathers of faith.

Then from [vs. 32-39] we see men and women of faith, but some with questionable actions in faith. The lives of those mentioned in this passage serve as examples for us. Though they are not perfect examples, it reminds us that God can use us too!

Text; Hebrews 11:32-40

Hebrews 11:32–40 NKJV

32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Hero- a legendary figure or warrior; a person admired for their achievements, having noble quality and great courage.

1. Legendary Figures of Faith; 32

Gideon, a judge, was known for conquering the Midianite army with only three hundred men who were armed with trumpets, jars and torches (Judges 6:11–8:35). But remember the Angel of the Lord finds Gideon as a frightened farmer hiding from the Midianites, telling God he was the least able and then putting out a fleece, twice to make sure God was picking the right person. Mighty man of valor!

• Barak was a warrior who conquered the army of General Sisera from Hazor (Judges 4:4–23). But Barack would not go into battle without Deborah, because God was speaking through her.

• Samson, another judge, was a mighty warrior against God’s enemies, the Philistines (Judges 13–16). He was a Nazarite, which meant he was dedicated to God and was never to cut his hair or drink the fruit of the vine. But we know that Samson had a weakness for women and failed to live up to his Nazarene vow, but Samson was willing to honor God in the end by giving his life to defeat the enemy. We cannot lead a double life and expect the blessings of God.

• Jephthah, the son of a harlot was rejected by his family, but was called by God and delivered Israel from the Ammonites (Judges 11:1–33). He was a mighty warrior but foolish with his words. He made a vow to God to sacrifice whatever came out of his house first as a burnt offering to the Lord if God would give him victory over Ammon. His only daughter came out first after his victory. He dedicated her to perpetual virginity.

• David, the beloved king of Israel and a great warrior, brought peace to Israel, defeating all of his enemies, starting with Goliath as a young shepherd boy. But David slept with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife and then schemed to had him murdered. Yet David is known as “a man after mine own heart, who will do all My will” [Acts 13]

• Samuel, the last judge of Israel, was a very wise leader. He also was a prophet. Samuel, along with all the prophets, served God selflessly as they conveyed God’s words to an often rebellious people.

Some of these are not the people we would pick as legends/hero's of the faith because of their faults and failures, but God uses the weak things to confound the wise!

2. Actions of Faith; 33-38

[33-34] These verses cover some of the victories God gave through “Persevering Faith”. They not only speak of those already mentioned but also of others who gained victory by faith.

They conquered kingdoms. Throughout their years in the Promised Land, the Israelites had great leaders who brought victory against their enemies. People such as Joshua, all of the judges, and King David.

They administered justice. Many of the judges, as well as leaders such as Solomon, Nehemiah administered justice to the people.

They gained what was promised. Some people actually did see the fulfillment of some of God’s promises, such as possession of the Promised Land.

They shut the mouths of lions. Daniel was saved from the mouths of lions (Daniel 6). This statement could also refer to Samson (Judges 14:6) or to David (1 Samuel 17:34–35).

They quenched the fury of the flames. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were kept from harm in the flames of a fiery furnace (Daniel 3).

They escaped the edge of the sword. Elijah (1 Kings 19:2–8) and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:19, 26) had this experience.

Their weakness was turned to strength.Gideon was weak but became strong. King Hezekiah was one who regained strength after sickness (2 Kings 20)

They became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. This refers to Joshua, many of Israel’s judges, Jonathon, and especially King David.

[35a] The women receiving back their dead is probably a reference to the work of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:17–23 [widow of Zarephath] and the work of Elisha in 2 Kings 4:18–36 [Shunammite woman]. These women trusted God and so received back their dead.

[35b] Tortured- inflicting severe pain as punishment, to beat or scourge. This was done for the purpose of making one renounce or deny what they believed. This could cover many people including Job, Paul, all the disciples, but most importantly Jesus.

[36-37] From the Old Testament Jews who trusted God, to the believers in the New Testament church, including some who were reading this letter, were punished and persecuted for their faith and were to the point of thinking it would just be easier to go back into Judaism instead of continuing to follow Christ!

Mocked—like Elisha (2 Kings 2:23–25), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 2:19; 4:1), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:12), also many New Testament believers

Scourged with whips—like Jeremiah and Jesus

Chained in dungeons—like Joseph (Genesis 40:15), Samson (Judges 16:21), Micaiah (1 Kings 22:26–27), Hanani (2 Chronicles 16:10), and Jeremiah (Jeremiah 37:16; 38:6), John Baptist, Peter, Paul and Silas

Stoned—like Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20–21); Stephen and Paul.

Sawed in two- Tradition (from the apocryphal book, The Ascension of Isaiah, chapters 1–5) says that the prophet Isaiah was sawed in half at the command of King Manasseh because Isaiah had predicted the destruction of the temple. Isaiah had at first escaped and hid in the trunk of a tree while in the hill country. Manasseh supposedly had the tree sawed in half with Isaiah in it.

Death by the sword—although some prophets did escape death by the sword, others did not (see 1 Kings 19:10) And many of the New Testament apostles and disciples died by the sword [John the Baptist]

Sheepskins/Goatskins- Many were sewn up in sheepskins and set to wander in the wilderness while others were sewn in goatskins and set on fire to light the courtyard of Roman emperor Nero.

[38] The writer of Hebrews says that the world was not worthy of the faith of these people. The world stripped them of all their dignity and confiscated all their earthly worth. But it did not shake their faith nor change God’s love and thoughts towards them.

[Tony Evans makes a statement about this] The world didn’t deserve them, but God applauded them. Whose approval are you seeking? You can’t please both the world and God. These departed believers left a faithful testimony for us. We are called to continue their work of faith as we seek to do God’s will on earth.

[The Fields of the Wood in Murphy NC, has the largest display of the Ten Commandments in the world [Church of God pastor A. J. Tomlinson]. We went there over Thanksgiving and it’s just a peaceful and beautiful setting on top of the mountain. As we walked up prayer mountain we read all the scriptures and also the monuments about the Great Reformation that started in 1517 with Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Knox to the Anabaptists, Puritans and Separatists in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the Spiritual Awakenings of John Wesley in the 18th and 19th centuries.]

1 Peter 4:12–14 NKJV

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

3. Faith of Hero’s;

[39-40] Though these who have gone before us have recieved a good testimony, and commended for their faith, they have not yet recieved the promise. God will bring that about when we all will be made perfect in Him at His Second Coming!

Close;

The author of Hebrews is not calling us to die like they did, but he is calling us to trust in the covenant Lord like they did—and if that means suffering a death like theirs, so be it. Justin Martyr, an early church father, echoed this same kind of faith. When beholding the very place where he and his congregation would be martyred, Justin said, “Remember brothers and sisters, they can kill us, but they can’t hurt us.” This is the kind of faith that marked these Old Testament saints, and it’s the kind of faith we should display in our own lives.

Do we have the Faith of Hero’s?