Chapter 11, verse 32. I spent far more time in this
verse than I suppose any other in our study of Hebrews thus
far, and I promise if I don't get done tonight, I won't come
back to it again. But I've got some things here I believe that
will be helpful to your soul, if God will be pleased to speak
through me. Paul is teaching us what faith is by example. And in this passage of scripture,
he wraps up his description of faith, his illustrations of faith,
by giving us seven remarkable examples. Remarkable in that
each of these examples are just ordinary men. Just ordinary men. Men just exactly like you and
me. Sinners saved by God's free grace. But men whom God used to preserve
and save his people for the glory of his name. Hebrews 11, 32. What shall I say more? For the
time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of
Samson, and of Jephthah, of David also, and Samuel, and of the
prophets. Let's look tonight at Barak,
Samuel. Jephthah, David, Samson, and
these prophets. Barak was a man who was fearful,
yet he believed God. And believing God, he was obedient
even in the teeth of his fear, even in the teeth of those things
that would have held him back. We have the story of Barak in
Judges chapter 4. If you want to put your bookmark
here in Hebrews 11 and turn back to the book of Judges, we'll
look at several things in the book of Judges. This man Barak
was raised up by God after Jabin the king of Canaan had horribly
oppressed the children of Israel for 20 years. Israel had departed
from God, every man doing that which was right in his own eyes,
and God sent Jabin against them. For 20 years he oppressed his
people. 20 years of darkness. 20 years
of bondage. 20 years of oppression. And then
God raised up Barak. Israel had fallen into such a
low estate that God had put a woman to rule over them. Deborah was
a judge in Israel. At least she acted as a judge.
And this woman Deborah was a judge in Israel Demonstrating clearly
what a low state they had come to. God said in Isaiah chapter
3 verse 12, that when he brings his people into judgment, he'll
give women to rule over them. Deborah, this woman Deborah was
a prophetess. Now that word prophetess is often
used in this day. I'm going to pause here and give
you something that you'll probably need sooner or later if you haven't
already. Folks all the time point back
to the Old Testament in this day of religious nonsense when
women and homosexuals and every other kind of idea can be put
in the pulpit. Folks say, well, we ought not
to judge about that. After all, God had prophetesses
in the Old Testament. Well, the word prophetess, as
it's used in the Old Testament, seldom if ever, I won't say never,
but seldom if ever, speaks of one who stands up in a pulpit
and preaches like I'm doing now. Normally, the word simply means
worshiper. are one who sings God's praise,
one who is known for worshiping God, one who gives herself to
the worship of God, just like you ladies do. Sometimes, clearly,
as in this case, a woman would speak a word to a man concerning
the things of God and give out the mind of God, but never do
we have any indication of a woman ever standing in the name of
God by the anointing of God and preaching as I'm doing now. Sometimes
the word prophetess means nothing more than the wife of the prophet.
That's all it means. Just exactly like you'd say concerning
my wife, well, the preacher's wife said. And that's exactly
how it's used in Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 3. But even if it
could be demonstrated, well, here is a woman who had the gift
of God to preach as a mighty prophet in the Old Testament,
that's got absolutely nothing to do with the function of the
local church in this day. The Holy Spirit tells us plainly,
unequivocally, tells us in terms that cannot be mistaken except
by willful ignorance, that women have no business functioning
in any way as preachers in this day. Women are to keep silent
in the churches. They are not to stand and preach.
They are not to serve as deacons. They are not to rule over and
usurp authority, but rather to serve Christ honorably as women
serving with their husbands, serving with men in the kingdom
of God, but not ruling over them. All right, I've got that off
my chest. Turn with me, if you will, to Judges chapter 4. We
have seen repeatedly that faith is always exercised in response
to God's word. There is no such thing as faith
except by divine revelation. No one can believe God apart
from the revelation of God in his word with regard to anything. People these days talk and say
keep the faith, they just believe everything will be all right.
The doctrine, now I'm using ridiculous terms here, But the doctrine
of the religion of this age is, well, if you really want that
pew right there to turn into a million dollar mansion, if
you live in it, all you have to do is believe it. That's faith.
That's foolishness. That's foolishness. That's nonsense.
That's ridiculous. Folks wouldn't act that way in
any, you know, folks outside of insane asylum wouldn't act
that way in any other circumstance except in religion. Faith is
the response of the heart. Gifted of God, the response of
the heart to God's revelation. Barak went out against the armies
that oppressed Israel, against Jabin and the king that oppressed
Israel. And he did so in response to
God's word given to him in Judges chapter four, verse six. Okay.
Deborah said, hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded Go, and
draw toward Mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men
of the children of Naphtali, and of the children of Zebulun,
and I will draw unto thee to the river Kishun, and Caesara,
the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude,
and I will deliver him into thy hand." Jabin heard God's word. He said, God's fixing to deliver
Israel out from under the hand of their bondman. And he went
out against them with 10,000 men. And God delivered them by
the hand of a woman who drove a nail through the enemy's head
and drove him fast to the ground. And thus Barak was a deliverer
by God's hand. Under his direction, Israel prevailed
over their enemies. Oh, God help us. to believe Him. And no matter how timid we may
be by nature, no matter how weak we may be physically, no matter
how weak we may be as far as our abilities and things we look
at and say, I can't do that. I can't do that. Be obedient
to God in all things and God is honored. That's what faith
is. Faith simply bows to God's revelation. to God's will, to
God's word. All right, now, look at Samson.
His story begins in chapter 13 of Judges. This man, Samson,
the more I study him, the more remarkable this man's life and
things revealed in his life are to me. I saw something preparing
this message today that I hadn't seen, and I've been studying
for this message the last couple of weeks. But I saw something
I hadn't seen about Samson. I thought I had him lined up
pretty good until this morning. First, his birth was foretold
by the angel of the Lord. And as such, of course, he is
a picture of our Redeemer whose birth as the deliverer of Israel
was foretold by the angel of the Lord. But then, if you will,
look at chapter 14. Let me show you something. Samson
went down to Timnath and found a wife there among the Philistines. a cursed people, a people who
were his most obstinate enemies, who most desired his and Israel's
destruction, a people whom he might justly desire to be utterly
slain. Look here in Judges 14 verse
1, Samson went down to Timnath and saw a woman in Timnath of
the daughters of the Philistines. And he came up and told his father
and mother and said, I found a woman in Timnath of the daughters
of the Philistines, now therefore get her for me to wife. Then
his father and mother said to him, is there never a woman among
the daughters of thy brethren or among all my people that thou
goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said
to his father, get her for me, for she pleases me well. Well,
she was such a beautiful, gorgeous woman. She just, she got his
heart, just smote him by looking at her. Oh no. Chapter 15, verse
two, she had a sister who was prettier than her. That wasn't
the issue. Samson understood what God would
have him to do. And soon his father did too.
Look at this, verse four. But his father and his mother
knew not that it was of the Lord. and that he sought an occasion
against the Philistines, for at that time the Philistines
had dominion over Israel. Samson was indeed a weak, sinful
man like us. He was indeed a man who lived
in this body of flesh like us. He had many faults like us, many
sins like us, but Samson was a deliverer, a judge appointed
of God, and these judges were in their position as deliverers
in Israel. All of them were typical of our
Lord Jesus Christ in one way or another. Samson was in many
ways. His wife was taken from those
who most deserved his wrath, just as our Lord Jesus has taken
us to be his bride. She was taken from Timnath. Timnath
means portion, allotted, given, assigned portion. And the Lord
says concerning his people, you are the portion of his inheritance. The Philistine woman here described
is one who pleased him well. She pleased him well in the sense
that this is the woman the Lord God has ordained for me to take.
And I'm pleased with her for that pleases my father. And our
Lord Jesus came here to do all things that please his father
and always did. She was taken to be his wife
by the will of God. Now, look at it. The text we
just read in chapter 14 of Judges. is because the Lord sought an
occasion against the Philistines. This woman of Timnath was taken
to be Samson's wife because God was determined in delivering
Israel, not only to bring deliverance to Israel, but also to destroy
the Philistines. And thus, by our Lord Jesus Christ
saving his people, ransoming our souls from death, hell, and
the grave, by suffering the wrath of God in our room instead, he
conquers all of hell, crushes the serpent's head, and shows
himself victorious over all things by the accomplishment of redemption
as our substitute. Samson, we're told in chapter
14 also, verses 5 and 6, rent a lion to pieces. as if it had
been a little kid, not a child kid, a kid of the goats of the
sheep. And thus Christ the Lord conquered Satan, rent him in
pieces. One day this man Samson killed
a thousand Philistines single-handedly with the jawbone of an ass. I
never will forget how shocked I was my first day in theology
class in Bible College Springfield, Missouri. I was just shocked
at the comparison the theology professor made. He said, on one
occasion, the Lord killed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone
of an ass. And he looked over this classroom
of young, would-be imaginary preachers. He said, he's still
doing it. And that's exactly so. He takes
nothing and accomplishes his will. He takes nothing, the most
unclean, the most base, and accomplishes his purpose. The Lord Jesus Christ
slew our enemies with that which was itself identified, now listen,
as being cursed and unclean and defiled. By his death upon the
tree, as that one who hung there, of whom it is said, Cursed is
everyone that hangeth on the tree. Jesus Christ accomplished
redemption and destroyed all our enemies. Samson carried the
gates of Gaza and their post with his shoulders, bar and all,
up to the hill Hebron, accomplishing victory for his people. And thus
the Lord Jesus Christ did as well. He tore us under the strongest
cords when bound by his enemies. He overturned the pillars on
which stood the great temple of Dagon, as did our Lord Jesus
Christ overturn all the powers of darkness. Samson was divinely
anointed for his work, and so the Lord Jesus Christ is that
one who is the anointed one. Samson did these things by faith,
because he believed God. You see, Samson was raised in
a home where men, a man and a woman, believed God. His mother was
particularly a woman strong in faith. She was one who instructed
her husband, particularly when the angel of the Lord did gloriously
before them. He was raised in a home where
he was taught the word of God and the worship of God in an
age when few do. Oh, what a privilege. But their
faith wasn't his faith. Manoah and his wife could not
believe God for their son. Though they devoted him to God,
though they gave him to God, though they committed him to
God, though they turned him over to God, they could not believe
for him. Samson believed God for himself.
He heard the word from his parents and he believed the word of God,
not as his parents word, but as the word of God. His last
act was indeed his greatest. Look in Judges 16. Verse 28. You know how Samson was put in
prison, blinded, and then brought out to make a sport. And in verse
28, as he holds the pillars of the city in his hands, Samson
called unto the Lord and said, O Lord God, remember me. I pray
thee, strengthen me. I pray thee, only this once,
O God, that I may at once Be avenged of the Philistines for
my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two
middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it
was borne up, of the one with his right hand and of the other
with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all
his might. Do you see yonder the Son of
God hanging on the cursed tree? with his hands holding the pillars
of the Prince of Darkness in his house. And he cries now,
let me die with the wicked, numbered with the transgressors. And he
bowed himself with all his might. Oh, what a picture of our Savior. He didn't just hang his head
and die, as one of the songs said. Oh no, he bowed to his
father. He said, it's finished. And he
said, Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit, and in reverent
omnipotence he bows. And the house fell. And thus
Samson in his death delivered God's people from their bondmen,
as Christ in his death delivered us from our bondmen. And then
Jephthah. These men are not described by
the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 11, 32 in the order in which they
live. They are, as we read it, you'd
think they were almost random in the choices that he made,
but there's nothing random at all. The Holy Spirit gives them
in the order he gives them because he would have us to see them
in the order in which he's chosen. Gideon was a farmer. Baruch was a soldier. I would
have to say apparently not much of one, but a soldier. Samson
was a religious Nazarite, one who would be an off-gowering
outcast of society, looked on sort of like folks looked on
John the Baptist, only Samson wasn't a prophet. David was the
youngest son of Jesse and despised by his brothers. Samuel was just
a boy when God called him, just a boy. He was the only one in
his childhood of whom the scriptures speak who spoke for God as a
prophet, even as a child. You see, our great God delights
to use weak, insignificant, despised instruments to accomplish his
purpose for the glory of his name so that no flesh should
glory in his presence, so that he that glories will glory in
the Lord. And this fact is never more demonstrably illustrated
than in the case of Jephthah. Jephthah, we're told in Judges
11, 1 and 2, was born in shame. He was the bastard son of a harlot.
I can't think of a tougher way for any boy to grow up. All his
life long, he bore the pain and the shame of his mother's base
bestial immorality. But that's a pretty good picture
of us. Since the fall of our father Adam, we are all as fatherless
children for we're without God by nature. As a fatherless child, Jephthah
was by law, Deuteronomy 23.2, excluded from the congregation
of Israel. He was not allowed under law
to come up to the tabernacle. He was not allowed under law
to come to the temple. He was not allowed under law
to be numbered among the children of Israel because this man was
considered unclean. Us too. We have no right to come
near God. We have no right to approach
him. We have no right to call him our father except by the
merits of another. But Jephthah was beloved of God. despised of men but beloved of
God, despised of men but chosen of God, chosen in Christ and
ordained of God to be an instrument in his hands whereby he would
save his people. Us too. Lins, I can't tell you how overwhelmed
I am that God would use such things as we are. for the calling out of his people, for the accomplishing of his
purpose. Us. Us. This man Jephthah feared God
and believed his word. He sent word to the kings who
oppressed Israel and said, God is going to deliver you into
our hands. He said, God gave us this land and God's going
to keep it. He ascribed the victory to the Lord God himself. And
this man Jephthah, he spoke to the pagan kings around him and
he said, now listen, listen, the Lord will avenge his own.
I don't have to do this. The battle is God's, not mine. And Jephthah spoke to God. I think I'm going to have to
apologize a little to Brother Jephthah. After reading the passage
in Judges more thoroughly, Jephthah didn't make a rash vow at all.
It wasn't rash at all. It was a vow made after deliberate
consideration. He did not drive a bargain with
God and say, he said, now Lord, I know you said that you will
deliver the enemy into my hand. I know you said that you will
bring Israel out of bondage by my hand. Now just in case you're
about to change your mind, if you'll do it, if you'll do it,
the first thing comes out of my house, I'll sacrifice to you.
Oh no, this is what he said. He said, God, you promised, you've
given your word that you'd take this worthless son of a harlot and you'd deliver Israel by my
hand. Now because of your grace and
goodness, first thing comes out of my house when I get home,
that's yours. He had no idea what it was. He
had no idea what would meet him when he came out of his house.
It was his only daughter. And Jephthah stood by his vow,
made with earnest consideration. He stood by his vow, made deliberately
before God. When his daughter came out, he
told her what had happened. And she said, Daddy, that's all
right. He's my God, too. And what you
said be all right with me. Let me go be well my virginity.
And thus he sacrificed her to the Lord in this sense. He kept
his only daughter a perpetual virgin throughout her days and
never, never had the privilege of having another child or grandchildren
to carry on his name. Jephthah was faithful to God. Oh, what a character Jephthah
is. He said, I've opened my mouth
to the Lord, and I can't go back. Oh, me too. Me too. Thirty-three years ago, I opened
my mouth to the Lord. I said, this one was mine. I
ain't going back. Ain't going back. Seven years ago, nearly, I opened
my mouth to the Lord. I said, I'm yours. I ain't going
back. I ain't going back. 23 years ago, I came here, opened
my mouth to God. I'm going to serve your people.
This is my people. I ain't going back. Ain't changing. How come? Because I've opened my mouth
to God. I've opened my mouth to God. I don't like the way they treat
me down there. But people don't recognize me enough down there.
They're not good enough to be there. I open my mouth to God,
who served his people, be one with his people, commit myself
to his people. That's what Jeff did. And then
David. Oh, David, what a remarkable
man. It was not Paul's purpose here
to direct our attention to all the wonders of David's remarkable
life. But rather, it seems that Paul
holds up David particularly for that for which he is held up
by God. The Lord spoke by Samuel and
said, the Lord has sought for him a man after his own heart. And when the apostle speaks in
Acts chapter 13, he says, David was a man after God's own heart,
a man to fulfill his will. And thus David is set before
us repeatedly throughout the Old Testament as a picture of
our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the anointed king. He is
anointed king sitting on his throne, speaking the praise of
God. leading the children of Israel
in righteousness, sitting on a throne and a kingdom which
is ever increasing and shall never end. In all those things,
David depicted Christ. You ever wonder what David said? There's no need for me to mention
it here. I've mentioned it many times. No need for Paul to mention
it here. No need for the Holy Spirit to mention it here. It
has been mentioned and mentioned plainly in the scriptures. David
was indeed this man after God's own heart, was a man who lived
in this world as a sinner, a sinner saved by grace, a sinner to whom
the Lord would not impute iniquity. Like you and me, David's only
righteousness was the righteousness of God imputed to him. And as
with us, the Lord God wisely and graciously overruled even
David's sins. for the accomplishing of his
purpose, the saving of his people, and the glory of his name. Did
you ever observe that Solomon was born to Bathsheba and David? And Solomon is the direct ancestor
of the Son of God in his humanity. And thus the Lord God would not
have his purpose altered. From old eternity, the Lord God
had ordained that his son come into this world through the line
of Solomon. And thus he came. Don't ever
imagine, my friends, that anything is outside God's purpose or outside
God's control. Well, that ought to have given
David some comfort. Oh, no. No, no, not with regard
to his sin. Read Psalm 32. Read Psalm 51. But David's sin was all the more
bitter to him because he had sinned against such a good God.
David's sin was all the more bitter to him because God had
been so gracious to him. And David was one who despised
his sin. Yet this man, David, was one who believed God. as he had revealed himself in
his word. You remember how the Lord said to David, I'll set
a man on your throne. I'll build your house. Your kingdom
will stand forever. And David said, well, Lord, do
what you said. Therefore, your servant found it in his heart
to pray this prayer. Do what you said you'd do. Let
me move on. Samuel. I've been looking at
Samuel's life for the past two weeks, every day trying to discover
what it was that was so remarkable about Samuel. Why does he stand
here in this catalogue of great men of faith? Finally, I gave
up and called in the preacher's wife this afternoon. I knew Shelby
had just spent a considerable amount of time teaching her Sunday
school class about Samuel. I said, what was so remarkable
about Samuel? I had a hunch what I was going
to say, but I wanted to hear what she said. And she said exactly
the same thing I did. She said, I don't know of anything
he ever did that was remarkable, except that he was obedient all
of his life. And there's not one thing spoken
against him in the book. What a remarkable word. That's
exactly right. Samuel heard God's voice and
went to Eli the prophet. Can you imagine? Can you imagine
a reverent, obedient, subservient child going to Eli in the house
of God, the high priest, and telling him, Eli, you've got
two boys who are rebels, and God's going to kill them, and
it's your fault. But he did. How come? Because he believed God. This faithful one, all his days,
declared the word of the Lord. And when the king wouldn't do
what God said for him to do, Samuel said, give me your sword
and I'll do it. He wasn't bashful. He was bold. He was courageous.
Not because he was naturally a big, strong, muscular man.
No, no, no, no. He believed God. And God must
be honored. God must be obeyed no matter
what. Samuel never ceased to pray for Israel. even when they
rebelled against him, despised him, and worked contrary to him. He said, God forbid that I should
sin against the Lord and cease to pray for you. Samuel left
this world without one word from God about anything that was found
faulty, evil, wicked, or weak in him. So will you, Bobby Estes. Not a word from God against you. Not a word to identify a blemish. Not a word to identify a weakness. And thus Samuel pictures all
God's people in Christ Jesus the Lord. Yes, he was a sinner
just like us. Saved by grace just like us.
But throughout the book there is no mention made of any evil
in this man. Thus it shall be with us. Oh, God's prophets. I know that there is not today
the existence of the prophetic office in the same sense as it
was in the Old Testament, but it's too much looked upon as
something that just doesn't exist because we don't understand what
was said. The apostle Paul, writing by divine inspiration, speaks
of the ascension gifts of Christ in Ephesians 4 and says God gave
his church prophets, apostles, pastors, teachers, and evangelists. Prophets. It wouldn't cause me
any difficulty if he had used the singular. I could have said
he was talking about John the Baptist. But he said prophets. Prophets. Evangelists. Prophets. Men who speak for God
in a generation. Isn't it remarkable, as you read
through the Old Testament, that it seems that God raised up,
He raised up many prophets, but amongst the many, He raised up
a prophet who seemed to have God's voice, God's word, God's
message for that day. And God's people heard them,
the prophets. They were men who just couldn't
quite be regulated. Somebody said they were the odd
number in a day of regimentation. That's prophets. is a man with
God's message for God's people and he's going to deliver it
no matter what no matter what and when he gets done whether
folks believe him or whether they don't whether they hear
him or whether they forbear they know one thing dead sure there's
a prophet here there's a prophet here prophet somebody who dares
speak thus saith the Lord even when it cost him dear so that
it comes, as the prophets often said, with the burden of the
word of the Lord, with the heavy, heavy, heavy load of God's word
to eternity bound men and women. A prophet, a prophet. He's a
man who will dare say to King Ahab, if it's needful, you're
the one causing the trouble. He will stand before Herod and
tell him plainly if it's needful. You're nothing but a dirty fox.
That's all. Oh, he doesn't go courting any
kind of trouble. No, sir. But where it's needful,
he dares not hold back, but rather declares, thus saith the Lord. He declares nothing but, thus
saith the Lord. He doesn't come to try to explain
the scriptures. He comes to proclaim them. He
doesn't come to make folks feel good. His purpose is to make
sinners feel bad. He doesn't come to comfort the
afflicted. He comes to afflict the comfortable.
He doesn't come to impress men. He comes to serve God and serve
the souls of men. And he does so by constantly
proclaiming, thus sayeth the word of the Lord. Preaching the
gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Proclaiming like the
last prophet, Behold yonder the Lamb of God. Prophets. They ain't good for much. They're
just not. They're an embarrassment when
they try to be anything but a prophet. Prophets are like the signposts
they had in Israel. In all the land of Israel they
had these cities of refuge and in the roadway the prophets were
like those signposts that just said, Refuge! Just wait. That's all. That's all. That's all. Prophets are men who point desperately
needed sinners to the refuge of Christ the Lord. God give
me grace to be that. And nothing but that. That's all. That's all. My only
purpose for being here, the only purpose for which God put me
on this earth, is to be like that pole on which Moses fastened
the serpent of grace. I'm just here to hold up the
serpent. That's all. Nothing else. Just hold up the
serpent. Have no other interest, no other mission, no other purpose. If God will give me grace to
do that, if God will give us collectively as a congregation
grace to do that, we will fulfill our mission in this world. And
when we leave this world, listen to me now, the world will
be better off because we're here. God's kingdom established. His
people delivered. His name honored. That's what
it is to walk with God by faith.