How Faith Actually Changes Our Circumstances (In Search Of Truth, Hebrews 11:32-33)

(Hebrews 11:32-33, 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,

We've been looking at a list of names the author of Hebrews assembled to exemplify faith in the lives of well-known believers. With each name on the list we looked back at their stories in the Tanakh ("Old Testament") and tried to make some observations about what made their faith a good example for us today.

At the end of the list the author simple refers to "the prophets", which would have referred to numerous believers in ancient times who served Yahweh and spoke for him to the people of Israel. This would include Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve prophets who wrote the smaller books of the Old Testament. Trying to zoom in and look at each of these lives in detail is a great rabbit trail, but one we're not going to take right now. Instead we'll continue on to verse 33 and start hearing from the author of Hebrews himself regarding what faith looked like and what it made possible.

The author says that through faith, believers have conquered kingdoms. This would at least include Joshua and a few others whom God called on to lead Israel in battle against nations who threatened or attacked them. The violence itself is not being glorified here, but rather the fact that God's power caused far superior enemies to be defeated by Israel's small and meager forces. Still, if you have trouble reconciling a loving God with the violence of the Old Testament, I'd again recommend the book "Is God A Moral Monster" by Dr. Paul Copan, which sheds some really useful historical, cultural and grammatical light on this broadly misunderstood topic.

It's also said here that through faith believers "enforced justice". This probably refers to the series of "Judges" that led Israel before they had kings. Any police officer or court judge will probably tell you that they see a lot of the nasty, broken side of humanity. I have to imagine that enforcing and upholding justice can be ugly and discouraging work at times. But the trust that Israel's judges placed in Yahweh made it possible for them to be both faithful and effective in their work.

Through faith believers also "obtained promises", which could refer to them gaining what God promised, or that they were promised some future blessing from God. Either idea could fit the stories of numerous believers in ancient times. And since Hebrew thought and language often allowed and intended multiple, non-contradictory meanings in a single word or phrase, both ideas may be in mind here.

By trusting in God through our day to day moments, we can experience blessings promised by God long ago. As we trust him we are blessed with wisdom and insight about life, we avoid self-destructive choices, and we are able to participate in what God is doing in the lives of others.

Trusting in God can also result in a deeper understanding and assurance of the promises he tells us now regarding our future rewards, eternal fulfillment and ultimate rescue from evil.

Daniel is most well known for "stopping the mouths of lions", as faith is said to make possible at the end of verse 33. That story can be found in Daniel 6:17-22. Benaiah also killed a lion in a pit (1 Chronicles 11:22) and Samson was empowered to kill a lion as well (Judges 14:5-6). It's likely that far more believers have been killed by lions in the Roman Coliseum than have been rescued from them miraculously. So faith does not guarantee our safety or victory. But God does respond to the trust his people place in him and is known to do so in astounding, dramatic ways.


SO WHAT'S IN THIS FOR GEEKS?

You and I may not be surrounded by overwhelming numbers of people who want to kill us. But we're often surrounded by people who don't understand us and may even dislike us or become antagonistic toward us. And our trust in God's ultimate control over those situations can move God to respond by bringing defeat to the hard-hearted or graciously disarming our enemies and turning them into friends.

We may not be responsible for administering justice in our communities. But now and then we're also faced with the choice of having a difficult conversation with someone about sin. And if you're like a lot of geeks, smoothly executed conversations are often not among our strengths. But in these times we'll experience more of God's blessing on the situation if we trust him and his word to teach us how to interact with others more successfully and lead us through uncomfortable conversations.

Many geeks can also be given over to depression or frequent discouragement. But by choosing to trust in the character and promises of God, we can see the ways he is blessing us now, how his blessings increase as we trust him, and how he promises to ultimately and permanently rescue us when this broken and mercifully brief life is over.

We're hopefully not in the position of needing protection from lions. But some of us are facing life-threatening or at least debilitating health problems. But our trust in Jesus proportionately gives contentment, a view of our purpose, and hopeful expectation of victory or rescue in the middle of our pain and difficulty.

The Apostle Paul experienced repeated suffering. He was beaten countless times, often near death, was dealt 41 lashes on 5 occasions, was stoned, shipwrecked three times, adrift at sea, lived under constant threat from both people and the wilderness as he traveled, went hungry and sleepless and suffered chronic anxiety. (2 Corinthians 11:21-29) God also gave him a physical affliction to keep him humble amidst all the blessings and revelation he received. He repeatedly pleaded for God to remove it, but God did not, saying

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect (or "complete") in weakness.”(2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV) 

Paul's response was to say,

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, ESV)

His faith in God's promises changed his entire outlook on death as well.

(Philippians 1:21-24, ESV) For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

Faith is not a simple feel-good, think happy thoughts, warm fuzzy we try to hold on to. Faith like that isn't biblical faith, and has no potential to bring real and tangible transformation to our day to day lives.

Faith is trusting in God and in his accurate description of reality, despite our naturally distorted view of life. Faith results in a natural improvement in our outlook, and also relationally expresses our love to God, giving him the opportunity to respond with real, tangible blessing, both now and in eternity.