Hall of Faith: Gideon, Barak, Samson & Jephthah

Intro

Hall of Faith -

Faith is for the preservation of our souls

Faith is assurance - because it is based on the word of God

Faith leads to God’s commendation!

We have been making our way through many examples of believers expressing faith down through salvation history.

Many of these examples are not what you would expect, perhaps you expect stories like mother Theresa, William Carey or Jim Elliot, yet these stories of faith are much more earthy than we would tend to hold up as examples of faith.

We need to get our heads around the fact that in some circumstances going to war and killing people is an act of faith.

Hebrews 11:32–34 ESV

And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

4 Judges, 4 deeply flawed men.

Judges is a book of darkening spirals.

People who are doing whatever seems right to them.

Cycles of repentance then rebellion and God raises up leaders to rescue them.

These 4 heroes of the faith are 4 of those rescuers and they reflect the nature of the book - the good & the bad.

Yet interestingly here their flaws fall into the background as they are lauded for their deeds of faith.

Let’s review each fellow in turn.

Gideon

Used by God to

Cut down the idols/altar of his people

Used 300 men to defeat the Midianites.

Yet he was deeply flawed,

Cowardice - took several atempts to get him to obey God. Questioning angel, requesting signs Fleece

Gave way to pride. - For the Lord… & Gideon? I won’t be your King, but I’ll collect tribute, make this golden ephod, a harem...

Barak

Used by God to

Overthrow the Canaanites

Took on an army with cahriots (like tanks)

Sisera died at Jael’s hand

Yet he was deeply flawed,

Cowardice - Refused to obey without conditions, including that Deborah would acompanny

Samson

Specially annointed by God

Killed a lion

Killed 30 enemies (philisitines) to fulfill a bet.

Used 300 foxes to destroy the crops of the Philistines as retribution for remarrying his wife.

Killed 1000 philistines with a donkey’s jawbone

Carried off the gates of a city

Killed 3000 philistines in a suicidal act that detroyed a building by pushing out the pillars.

Yet he was deeply flawed,

He was Insolent - he did not follow the law of God, he did not listen to the wisdom of his parents, or honour them, he thought only for himself. This paired with his other great falw lead to terrible problems

Lust - he wanted a woman who was off limits to him, but instead of obeying God, he let himself be driven by his lust. Then after loosing that relationship he is found in Philistia again, cavorting with a prostitute, then he hooks up with a chick named delilah who is his downfall.

Jephthah

Illegitimate child, kicked out of home

Gathered a crew of fighters in the wilderness.

Asked to come help when Israel grew desperate.

Defeated the Amonites

Yet he was deeply flawed,

Rash promises without thinking it through, ends up killing his own daughter.

fighting brothers - Instead of seeking peace, he ends up participating in a civil war that leads to the death of some 42,000 men.

So What?

When we examine ourselves we find that we are deeply flawed.

Yet, like these might men of faith, we may yet have a different story to tell.

Jesus takes deeply flawed people and changes them

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 ESV

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

How does Jesus changes us?

Jesus comes as the Conqueror of Sin & Death - dies for us, in our place. Rescues us from the power of the Enemy.

Draws us to himself a gives us faith.

Jesus gives us the HS and commissions us to be his representatives in this world - to conquer in the name of Jesus.

Go forth powered by the spirit of GOd

Act in faith, not on whims and vibes, but act to live out a faith that is founded on the promises.

Don’t thing of deeds of faith as lofty spiritual ideals - go forth and live as if Jesus is on the throne, and as if this world belongs to him.

The Judges had every right to destroy their respective enemies because they were usurping God’s authority, they were illegitimate powers, taking what they had no right to.

We live in a world where there are people all over the place taking and doing what they have no right to do. We have every right to walk into the public square and say “Thus says the Lord” becuase it belongs to him. We may be ridiculed, but we are going toe-to-toe with the evil spiritual forces:

Ephesians 6:12–13 ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.