The Right Men for the Right Time

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: - Hebrews 11:32

    “And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets." Hebrews 11:32

    In this chapter Paul clearly demonstrated his assertion that "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (v. 1). He has shown us that "by it the elders obtained a good report" (v. 2). The Holy Spirit has set before us numerous and remarkable examples of that faith that he works in the hearts of chosen sinners.

    Many others might have been cited; but it was not needful for him to describe each example of God given faith in Old Testament history. Therefore, as he closes this great chapter, encouraging us to go on believing God, he simply names these six prominent believers (and all the prophets of God) who lived and died by faith in Christ, and gives us a brief, general description of their great acts of faith.

    Men Raised Up

    These men were raised up by God for the day in which they lived, each one raised up at precisely the right time for the work to which he had been appointed from eternity. The time was right for them and they were right for the time. They were, like the apostles of Christ, Luther, Calvin, Gill, Toplady, Whitefield, Edwards, and Spurgeon, ordinary men, raised up by God in times of extraordinary crisis, for the good of his church and kingdom and the preservation and furtherance of his gospel, for the glory of his own great name.

    This needs to be carefully borne in mind. Their calling was extraordinary. Their deeds were extraordinary. But they were ordinary men, men with the same faith God has given us, specifically raised up by God for the day in which they lived, specifically raised up by God to do the work they did for his glory.

    Who can tell?

    As Mordecai said to Esther, so I say to you, “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Est. 4:14)

    Some time ago, a friend of mine who was a bit disheartened by the things that had transpired in his life, began to find some encouragement in God’s wise and good providence, and said to me, “Maybe the Lord has something for me to do.” As I read the stories of these men, my heart dances with this thought— “Maybe the Lord has something for me to do.”

    “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”