“And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 AMP).

After Samson foolishly shared the secret of his physical strength with a woman who deceived him, his Philistine enemies subsequently captured him. Samson’s captors mercilessly gouged out his eyes, imprisoned him, and set him to work at the grinding mill. Yet even though Samson was guilty of making some less-than-exemplary choices, the final act of his life served to demonstrate his faith…

“Now the rulers of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god and to celebrate, saying, ‘Our god has delivered Samson, our enemy, into our hands.’ When the people saw him, they praised their god, saying, ‘Our god has delivered our enemy into our hands, the one who laid waste our land and multiplied our slain.’

While they were in high spirits, they shouted, ‘Bring out Samson to entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them. When they stood him among the pillars, Samson said to the servant who held his hand, ‘Put me where I can feel the pillars that support the temple, so that I may lean against them.’

Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform. Then Samson prayed to the LORD, ‘O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.’

Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’ Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived” (Judges 16:23-30 NIV).

So despite his judgmental errors, Samson turned to God in faith in his final moments. Thus, he secured a place among these other members of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

Nevertheless, some critics may have difficulty reconciling this act of faith with the horrific deaths of three thousand human beings. In addressing this objection, we should note that those who perished had “…assembled to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god.” If they had not taken part in that idolatrous celebration, they would not have lost their lives. It also fails to recognize the fact that our Creator may require our lives at any moment. Therefore, we should carefully consider the state of our lives and the message of Corinthians 6:2…

“I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (NIV).

“Well, how much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah and David and Samuel and all the other prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 TLB).

Our next member of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” is Samson, a man whose life story begins in Judges chapter thirteen. Unlike some of the other individuals mentioned in Hebrews chapter eleven, Samson is a name that is probably familiar to most, even those who are unfamiliar with the Biblical Scriptures.

While many are undoubtedly aware of Samson’s great physical strength, a closer look at his life tells us that he demonstrated that strength in a variety of ways. For example, Samson once defeated a thousand enemy fighters with nothing more than a jawbone (Judges 15:15). Samson also killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:5-6), and could easily split ropes that were used to tie him (Judges 16:12). In light of these feats, it’s not surprising to learn that Samson served as Israel’s leader for twenty years (Judges 15:20).

Unfortunately, Samson entered into some personal relationships that were very bad for him. We can find the best-known example of that tendency in Judges 16:4-21. That portion of Scripture relates the account of a woman named Delilah, and how she convinced Samson to share the secret of his strength. Once she persuaded Samson to reveal his secret, she immediately betrayed him to his enemies.

Following Delilah’s betrayal, the Scriptures tell us that Samson’s enemies captured him, dug out his eyes, tied him up with bronze chains, imprisoned him, and set him to work milling grain. So how could someone like Samson, a man who was set apart by God and served as Israel’s national leader for twenty years, end up in that state?

Well, the unfortunate truth is Samson made several bad choices that ultimately led to disastrous consequences. Thus, he serves as a living embodiment of the cautionary message given to us in Galatians 6:7: “Do not deceive yourselves; no one makes a fool of God. You will reap exactly what you plant” (GNT).

Nevertheless, Samson’s experience finds an unlikely parallel in the life of Gideon, another member of the “Faith Hall Of Fame.” Much like Gideon, Samson’s example reminds us that it is not necessarily how we start, but how we finish that counts. After a life of recklessness and imprudence that ultimately led to imprisonment at the hands of his enemies, Samson turned to God in faith. We’ll examine that portion of Samson’s life next.

“And what shall I more say? for the time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 RV).

Judges 4:8 records Barak’s response to the prophetess Deborah and God’s call to rescue the people of Israel from the Canaanites: “‘I’m not going unless you go!’ Barak told her” (CEV). In light of that response, we may question how Barak ended up among these other members of the “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

The following passage from the Biblical book of Judges provides us with the answer….

“Then Deborah said to Barak, ‘Go! The Lord is leading you! Today he has given you victory over Sisera.’ So Barak went down from Mount Tabor with his ten thousand men. When Barak attacked with his army, the Lord threw Sisera into confusion together with all his chariots and men. Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot” (Judges 4:14-15 GNT). 

So despite his initial hesitation, Barak faithfully acted on God’s command as given through His prophet. Consider the sequence of events that took place after Deborah and Barak departed to engage Sisera’s army…

• Deborah told Barak, “The Lord says go.”
• Barak moved forward on God’s directive.
• We’re then told, “At Barak’s advance, the LORD routed Sisera…” (Judges 4:15 NIV).

Once Barak demonstrated his faith by acting upon God’s call, God subsequently fulfilled His promise to deliver the people of Israel. In one respect, this account is reminiscent of Joshua’s experience with the city of Jericho. Like Joshua, Barak followed God’s directive and witnessed the fulfillment of His promise as a result. That expression of faith thus led to his recognition here in Hebrews 11.

As for Sisera, Judges chapter four records the gruesome account of his demise…

“Meanwhile, Sisera had fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite, because there was peace between Hazor’s King Jabin and the family of Heber the Kenite… Then he said to her, ‘Stand at the entrance to the tent. That way, if someone comes and asks you, ‘Is there a man here?’ you can say, ‘No.’”

But Jael, Heber’s wife, picked up a tent stake and a hammer. While Sisera was sound asleep from exhaustion, she tiptoed to him. She drove the stake through his head and down into the ground, and he died. Just then, Barak arrived after chasing Sisera. Jael went out to meet him and said, ‘Come and I’ll show you the man you’re after.’ 

So he went in with her, and there was Sisera, lying dead, with the stake through his head. So on that day God brought down Canaan’s King Jabin before the Israelites. And the power of the Israelites grew greater and greater over Canaan’s King Jabin until they defeated him completely” (Judges 4:17, 20-24 CEB).

“How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NLT).

So far, our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” has stopped to look at some familiar Biblical personalities (such as Moses and Noah) as well as some lesser-known figures (such as Enoch and Rahab). In this study, we will turn our attention to one of the more obscure individuals in this chapter, a man named Barak.

Barak was an Israelite who lived during the period that is recorded for us in the Biblical book of Judges. The Israelites of that era had suffered for decades under the oppressive rule of a man named Jabin (Judges 4:3). Jabin held a leadership position among the Canaanites, a people group who formerly possessed the land that Israel conquered following their departure from Egypt.

God had earlier decided to remove the Canaanites and several other tribal societies from that area due to their sinful misconduct. However, many remained there despite God’s call to eradicate them (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). Not surprisingly, this led to a great deal of conflict between the Israelites and the Canaanites throughout the ensuing years.

In Barak’s time, Jabin enforced his rule over Israel through a military leader named Sisera. Sisera led an army that included nine hundred iron chariots (Judges 4:3), an impressive display of force that helped the Canaanites maintain control over that region. Unfortunately for Jabin and Sisera, they would soon learn an important lesson concerning the error of trusting in military strength alone…

“Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. She would sit under the Palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. 

One day she sent for Barak son of Abinoam, who lived in Kedesh in the land of Naphtali. She said to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, commands you: Call out 10,000 warriors from the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun at Mount Tabor. And I will call out Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army, along with his chariots and warriors, to the Kishon River. There I will give you victory over him.’

Barak told her, ‘I will go, but only if you go with me.’ ‘Very well,’ she replied, ‘I will go with you. But you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord’s victory over Sisera will be at the hands of a woman.’ So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh” (Judges 4:4-9).

This less-than-auspicious start will lead to a more favorable conclusion next.

“What more can I say, then? I’ve run out of time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets” Hebrews 11:32 NTE).

After Gideon received some of the gold that the men of Israel plundered in their victory over the Midianites, Judges 8:27 tells us what he did with it: “Gideon made a sacred ephod from the gold and put it in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all the Israelites prostituted themselves by worshiping it, and it became a trap for Gideon and his family” (NLT).

It is difficult to find fault with Gideon’s initial request for financial recognition. However, it’s clear that Gideon used those assets inappropriately. Remember that Gideon was a farmer and military leader who received God’s call to deliver Israel from the Midianites. But in creating an ephod (a symbol of spiritual leadership), Gideon clearly moved outside God’s call upon his life. Not surprisingly, the results were disastrous.

Paul the Apostle’s message to the Corinthian church is instructive at this point…

“We will not boast about things done outside our area of authority. We will boast only about what has happened within the boundaries of the work God has given us, which includes our working with you” (2 Corinthians 10:13 NLT).

Unlike Paul the Apostle. Gideon did not observe the God-ordained boundaries of his work when he chose to create this ephod. He also demonstrated an alarming lack of discernment in creating this image, especially when we consider Israel’s long-standing bias towards idolatry. In light of this, 2 Corinthians 10:13 (along with Gideon’s example) reminds us of the need to “stay in our lanes,” lest we venture outside God’s agenda for our lives.

To be clear, this does not mean we cannot move forward in a venture of faith when a need or opportunity exists. However, there is no benefit to stepping outside our “comfort zones” if we seek to enter an arena where we do not belong. While it is true that we sometimes learn the boundaries of God’s calling when we experience failure in an area of work or ministry, that was not the case with Gideon, for he was clearly not called to a position of priestly leadership.

This ill-advised decision hurt Gideon, his family, and many others because he took it upon himself to do something that God had not called him to do. Thus, we can avoid causing spiritual injury to ourselves and others if we seek to “…stay within the limits of the work which God has set for us” (2 Corinthians 10:13 GNT).

“And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NIV).

Unfortunately, Gideon’s account does not end with the Biblical record of his victory over the Midianites. You see, the Old Testament book of Judges continues with a subsequent portion of Gideon’s life…

“The Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us—you, your son and your grandson—because you have saved us from the hand of Midian.’ But Gideon told them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you'” (Judges 8:22-23 NIV).

When the people of Israel offered to serve as Gideon’s royal subjects, Gideon countered with the proper response: “…’I’m not the one who will rule over you, and my son won’t rule over you either. The Lord rules over you'” (CEB). If Gideon had only stopped there, things might not have taken a turn for the worse…

“And he said, ‘I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.’ (It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to wear gold earrings.) They answered, ‘We’ll be glad to give them.’ So they spread out a garment, and each man threw a ring from his plunder onto it.

The weight of the gold rings he asked for came to seventeen hundred shekels, not counting the ornaments, the pendants and the purple garments worn by the kings of Midian or the chains that were on their camels’ necks. Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family” (Judges 8:24-27 NIV).

So the interval following Gideon’s great victory over the Midianites turned into a period where he fell into a grave spiritual error. In like manner, we should also be alert to the tests and temptations that follow a significant victory in our lives. If we fail to remain spiritually vigilant, we may find ourselves in a similar situation.

Seventeen hundred shekels of gold represented about fifty pounds (23.7 kg) in weight. If that amount of gold was to find its way to a modern-day currency exchange, the resulting value would equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars. We’re then told that Gideon used that reward to create an ephod that he subsequently erected in his hometown.

An ephod was a garment that was typically worn by a priest. As mentioned earlier in our look at Hebrews, one of the primary responsibilities of a priest involved the act of representing others before God. A priest was also responsible for presenting the sacrificial offerings that were necessary to atone for the sins of the people. So why did Gideon choose to create this symbol of spiritual leadership? Therein lies an important spiritual lesson that we’ll consider next.

“And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 NET).

We continue with the account of Gideon’s attack upon a group of enemy soldiers as chronicled in the Biblical book of Judges…

“[Gideon] divided the three hundred men into three units and equipped every man with a trumpet and an empty jar, with a torch inside each jar. ‘Now watch me,’ he ordered them, ‘and do what I do. When I get to the outpost of the camp, do just what I do. When I blow the trumpet, along with all who are with me, then you blow the trumpets, all of you surrounding the whole camp. And then shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’

Gideon and one hundred of his men moved to the outpost of the camp at the middle watch of the night, when they had just changed the guards. Then they blew the trumpets and smashed the jars that were in their hands. So the three units blew their trumpets and broke their jars, holding the torches with their left hands and blowing the trumpets in their right hands. And they called out, ‘A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’

Each man stood fast in his position around the camp, and the entire camp took off running, shouting, and fleeing. When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord turned the swords of fellow soldiers against each other throughout the whole camp. The camp fled as far as Beth-shittah toward Zererah, to the border of Abel-meholah, beside Tabbath” (Judges 7:16-22 CEB).

So this narrative reminds us that it is not how we start, but how we finish that counts. You see, Gideon may have begun as a frightened and insecure individual, but God transformed him into a person of leadership and courage. Gideon responded to God’s call with honesty, humility, and respect, and the Lord responded by enabling him to overcome his initial reluctance. Thus, God empowered Gideon to fulfill his calling.

The good news is that this is just as true for us as it was for Gideon. If God could help a person like Gideon overcome His fearfulness, then He can certainly do the same for us as well. God has the ability to write Gideon’s story in each of our lives- and if He could do this for Gideon, He can do so for us.

Unfortunately, Gideon’s account did not end there, and we will examine a far less encouraging episode from Gideon’s life next.

“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 KJV).

After God invited Gideon to approach the enemy encampment of the Midianites, the Biblical book of Judges records what happened next…

“…So Gideon took Purah and went down to the edge of the enemy camp. The armies of Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east had settled in the valley like a swarm of locusts. Their camels were like grains of sand on the seashore—too many to count! Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream.

The man said, ‘I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over, and knocked it flat!’ His companion answered, ‘Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over Midian and all its allies!’

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, ‘Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!'” (Judges 7:11-15 NLT).

This portion of Scripture illustrates God’s grace and patience as He encouraged Gideon to face the seemingly insurmountable odds that lay before him. It also demonstrates how the Lord continued to support and reassure Gideon in the midst of his uncertainty. Those efforts helped transform Gideon from a frightened, reluctant farmer to a bold, confident man of God.

In fact, the Old Testament book of Psalms describes many similar attributes of God that serve to comfort and encourage us as we face the challenges of life. For instance…

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth” (Psalm 86:15).

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8).

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy” (Psalm 145:8).

Thus, we have the Biblical encouragement to emulate these characteristics within our lives…

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others” (Colossians 3:12-13 NLT).

“And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 HCSB).

After instructing Gideon to redeploy his troops to an area where they could obtain drinking water, God proceeded to separate the members of Gideon’s army in an unusual manner…

“‘…the Lord told him, ‘Watch how each man gets a drink of water. Then divide them into two groups—those who lap the water like a dog and those who kneel down to drink. Three hundred men scooped up water in their hands and lapped it, and the rest knelt to get a drink.

”The Lord said, ‘Gideon, your army will be made up of everyone who lapped the water from their hands. Send the others home. I’m going to rescue Israel by helping you and your army of 300 defeat the Midianites'” (Judges 7:5-7 CEV).

So why would God make this kind of selection? One answer was given to us earlier within the Biblical text: “The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many warriors with you. If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength'” (Judges 7:2 NLT). However, there may have been another contributing factor.

You see, a soldier who drinks while kneeling down to face a water source is at a disadvantage. For instance, an enemy combatant might sneak up from behind, push that soldier’s face into the water, and hold it there until he drowned. However, the soldiers who brought water to their mouths maintained their situational awareness and avoided that danger. So even though they were fewer in number, these soldiers may have been better prepared to fulfill their mission objective…

“So Gideon sent the rest of the Israelites home but kept the three hundred, who took over the provisions and trumpets of the others. Now the camp of Midian lay below him in the valley.

During that night the Lord said to Gideon, ‘Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.’ So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp.

The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore. Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream…” (Judges 7:8-13 NIV).

We’ll look at this dream (and its interpretation by Israel’s enemies) next.

“What more should I say? I don’t have enough time to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 GW).

Even though Gideon is a member of the Faith Hall Of Fame, it’s clear that he was someone who felt the need to confirm God’s direction more than once…

“Then Gideon said to God, ‘If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.’ And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water.

Then Gideon said to God, ‘Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.’ And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew” (Judges 6:36-40 ESV).

Gideon’s example should thus encourage us whenever we feel unsure of God’s direction. His response tells us we can ask God to confirm His will for our lives if we do so with a similar attitude of respect.

With that, let’s continue with the account of Gideon’s life from Judges chapter seven…

“Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops with him got up early and camped above En Harod. Midian’s camp was north of him at the hill of Moreh in the valley. The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men with you for me to hand Midian over to you. Israel might brag and say, ‘We saved ourselves.’ Announce to the troops, ‘Whoever is scared or frightened should leave Mount Gilead and go back home.’ ” So 22,000 men went back home, and 10,000 were left.

The Lord said to Gideon, ‘There are still too many men. Bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there. If I say to you, ‘This one will go with you,’ he must go with you. And if I say to you, ‘This one won’t go with you,’ he must not go.”

So Gideon took the men down to the water. The Lord said to him, ‘Separate those who lap water with their tongues like dogs from those who kneel down to drink.’ Three hundred men lapped water with their hands to their mouths. All the rest of the men knelt down to drink water” (Judges 7:1-6 GNT).

We’ll consider a theory that may explain why God separated Gideon’s infantry in this manner next.

“Should I go on? There isn’t enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 GNB).

In addition to Gideon’s example from Judges chapter six, let’s consider the men whom Jesus chose to be His disciples. Among those individuals were four fishermen (James, John, Peter, and Andrew), a tax collector (Matthew, also known as Levi), a skeptic (Thomas), a political extremist (Simon the Zealot), and four nobodies (everyone else).

It’s probably safe to say that most people would not have chosen these candidates if they were in Jesus’ position. Nevertheless, these were the men Jesus chose. Therefore, we should be thankful that God follows a different protocol with regard to His work in our lives. As it has often been said, “God does not necessarily call those who are qualified; instead, He qualifies those whom He has called.”

We can illustrate this truth when we consider the various aspects of God’s message to Gideon…

• “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12 NIV).
• “‘Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!'” (Judges 6:14 NLT).
• “‘You can do it because I will help you. You will crush the Midianites as easily as if they were only one man'” (Judges 6:16 GNT).

How could the Lord make these statements to a man who was hiding from the people he was called to defeat? We find the answer in Judges 6:16: “The LORD answered, ‘I will be with you…'” (NIV). If God is with us, we can accomplish anything He calls us to do. Of course, this is not only true for Old Testament personalities like Gideon; we can find similar examples in the New Testament as well…

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13 NIV).

These examples tell us that God doesn’t necessarily use those who seemingly have the most to offer. This explains how a frightened and uncertain man like Gideon ended up as a successful military leader- and it wasn’t long before Gideon was given his first opportunity to engage the enemy…

“Soon afterward the armies of Midian, Amalek, and other neighboring nations united in one vast alliance against Israel. They crossed the Jordan and camped in the valley of Jezreel. Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet as a call to arms, and the men of Abiezer came to him. He also sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali, summoning their fighting forces, and all of them responded” (Judges 6: 33-35 TLB).

Nevertheless, we’ll soon see that Gideon will require some additional persuasion before entering into battle.

“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” (Hebrews 11:32 ESV).

Our review of Gideon’s life from the Biblical book of Judges continues with the record of his interaction with the angel of the Lord…

“But again Gideon said to him, ‘With all due respect, my Lord, how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I’m the youngest in my household.’ The Lord replied, ‘Because I’m with you, you’ll defeat the Midianites as if they were just one person.’

Then Gideon said to him, ‘If I’ve gained your approval, please show me a sign that it’s really you speaking with me. Don’t leave here until I return, bring out my offering, and set it in front of you.’ The Lord replied, ‘I’ll stay until you return.’ So Gideon went and prepared a young goat and used an ephah of flour for unleavened bread. He put the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot and brought them out to him under the oak and presented them.

Then God’s messenger said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened bread and set them on this rock, then pour out the broth.’ And he did so. The Lord’s messenger reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire came up from the rock and devoured the meat and the unleavened bread; and the Lord’s messenger vanished before his eyes.

Then Gideon realized that it had been the Lord’s messenger. Gideon exclaimed, ‘Oh no, Lord God! I have seen the Lord’s messenger face-to-face!’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Don’t be afraid! You won’t die.’ So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it ‘The Lord makes peace.’ It still stands today in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 6:15-24 CEB).

Now that we’ve met Gideon, what kind of person did he seem to be? Was he a heroic man? Did he project an image of confidence? Was he a person of bravery, courage, and fearlessness? Not at all. Gideon was clearly someone who was frightened, confused, and unsure of himself. However, Gideon was not the only Biblical personality to exhibit these characteristics in response to God’s calling.

For instance, let’s reconsider Moses’ example from earlier in this chapter. When God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Exodus 4:13 records his response: “My Lord, I beg you to send someone else, not me” (ERV). We also have the example of the great prophet Jeremiah. When God called Jeremiah to be His spokesperson, Jeremiah responded by saying, “‘O Sovereign Lord… I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!'” (Jeremiah 1:6 NLT).

We’ll consider twelve similar examples from the New Testament next.

“What else can I say? There isn’t enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets” (Hebrews 11:32 CEV).

The Old Testament book of Judges contains the following admonition from the Lord to the people of Israel: “I told you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you must not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.’ But you have not obeyed me” (Judges 6:10 CEV). This passage is worthy of our attention, for we may leave ourselves open to a similar admonition whenever we choose to neglect our relationship with God.

This recalls the cautionary message given to us earlier in Hebrews 2:1: “We ought, therefore, to pay the greatest attention to the truth that we have heard and not allow ourselves to drift away from it” (Phillips). If we drift from our relationship with Christ in such a manner, it may only be a matter of time before we begin to make bad decisions that lead to painful repercussions. The nation of Israel repeatedly engaged in that type of behavior throughout the Biblical book of Judges and suffered the consequences as a result.

One way to avoid that negative example involves a few simple practices that are given to us in the New Testament book of Acts. You see, Acts 2:42 identifies four important spiritual disciplines observed by the early church: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (NIV).

We can understand this to mean that the early church focused on four specific areas: prayer, Bible study (the apostles’ teaching), communion (breaking of bread), and regular church attendance (the fellowship). These four spiritual disciplines can help us maintain the priority relationship with God that He deserves and avoid the circumstances that led to Gideon’s introduction in Judges chapter six…

“The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.’

‘Pardon me, my lord,’ Gideon replied, ‘but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.’

The Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?'” (Judges 6:11-14 NIV).

We’ll continue with a look at Gideon’s response next.

“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” (Hebrews 11:32).

Although the author of Hebrews could have added to names given to us here in chapter eleven, the constraints of time limited him from continuing with a list of other heroes of the faith who were equally worthy of recognition. As one source wryly observes, “He has not run out of examples, but only out of time.” ₍₁₎

Thus, the final stops on our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame” takes us to visit with six well-known (and not so well-known) examples of genuine Biblical faith. The first four individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11:32 (Gideon, Barak, Samson, and Jephthah) all lived during the Old Testament period chronicled in the Biblical book of Judges. Samuel and David also lived near the end of that period and shortly thereafter.

While some of these names may be more recognizable than others, each of these individuals can tell us something important about what it means to live a life that honors God in faith. That becomes especially clear when we look at the first person mentioned in Hebrews 11:32, a man named Gideon.

We find Gideon’s account beginning in the sixth chapter of the book of Judges. But before we get to Gideon, we’ll begin with some important background information from the opening verses of Judges chapter six…

“Then once again the Israelites started disobeying the Lord, so he let the nation of Midian control Israel for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that many Israelites ran to the mountains and hid in caves.

Every time the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites invaded Israel together with the Amalekites and other eastern nations. They rode in on their camels, set up their tents, and then let their livestock eat the crops as far as the town of Gaza. The Midianites stole food, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. Like a swarm of locusts, they could not be counted, and they ruined the land wherever they went.

The Midianites took almost everything that belonged to the Israelites, and the Israelites begged the Lord for help. Then the Lord sent a prophet to them with this message:

I am the Lord God of Israel, so listen to what I say. You were slaves in Egypt, but I set you free and led you out of Egypt into this land. And when nations here made life miserable for you, I rescued you and helped you get rid of them and take their land. I am your God, and I told you not to worship Amorite gods, even though you are living in the land of the Amorites. But you refused to listen” (Judges 6:1-10 CEV).

This sets the stage for Gideon’s entry into our narrative next.

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2200].

“By faith Rahab the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed” (Hebrews 11:31 HCSB).

As we close our look at Rahab’s place in the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” one question remains: “Why has Rahab received this honor in view of her character?”

The immediate answer to that question involves the agreement Rahab made with the members of the Israelite reconnaissance team. In return for hiding them from Jericho’s police force, Rahab secured their promise to protect her household when the people of Israel conquered the city. The spies agreed to those terms on two conditions…

1. Rahab had to place a scarlet cord in her window.
2. Everyone remained within her home during the invasion (see Joshua 2:12-24).

Rahab fulfilled those terms and thus entered this portion of Scripture on the basis of her faith, not on her former life as a prostitute.

Another question regarding Rahab is this: “How could God commend Rahab when she lied to protect the spies who entered Jericho?” To address that question, we should first consider the fact that Rahab was a not an Israelite. She had heard of Israel’s God and was aware of His power and ability, but she did not know Him.

Although we can say that Rahab’s conscience should have told her it was wrong to lie, it is also true that she did not have access to that prohibition in the Mosaic Law. Rahab also did not have access to the other standards of right and wrong that God established for the people of Israel.

We should also recognize that Rahab may have faced an insurmountable problem. You see, it may not have been possible to hide the spies and tell the truth to Jericho’s police force at the same time.

In addition, it’s important to note that Rahab risked her life in choosing to hide the Israelite spies. If Rahab was found to be harboring those men as criminal fugitives, she undoubtedly would have paid with her life. These things do not excuse Rahab for lying (which was wrong) but it did save the Israelite spies from death (which represented a greater wrong).

So, even though Rahab lied to protect the spies, the act of giving them up to Jericho’s authorities would have promoted something worse. We find other examples of lying to prevent a greater wrong in Exodus 1:15-21 and Jeremiah 38:24-27. Again, this does not excuse lying (which is wrong), but it is also clear that the Bible allows for the consideration of extenuating circumstances if they exist.

Finally, we should remember that the Bible does not say that Rahab was honored for lying. On the contrary, Rahab demonstrated her faith in the one true God. She believed God was going to give Jericho to the people of Israel and acted on that belief by hiding the spies. So Rahab wasn’t praised for lying, but she was honored for her faith.

“By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace” (Hebrews 11:31 NET).

So how did Rahab the prostitute enter the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame”? Well, Rahab entered this portion of Scripture by virtue of her authentic, God-honoring faith. For instance, Rahab’s faith was clearly aligned with the definition of faith given to us earlier in Hebrews 11:1: “…faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see” (ESV).

Next, we can say that Rahab clearly believed in God’s existence. That belief led her to risk her life in hiding the members of the Israelite reconnaissance team who entered the city of Jericho. Thus, Rahab expressed the kind of faith we read about earlier in Hebrews 11:6…

“You can never please God without faith, without depending on him. Anyone who wants to come to God must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely look for him” (TLB).

Rahab also demonstrated the fact that she took God and His word seriously. She believed God could save her from the coming destruction of the city. She also trusted Him to ensure that the people of Israel followed through on their commitment to spare her life when they conquered the city. Thus, Rahab’s example reveals a great deal about genuine Biblical faith and how that faith should influence our actions.

Because of this, God has chosen to honor Rahab with a place in the Biblical Faith Hall Of Fame. This has also led one commentator to the following conclusion…

“[This] is a tremendous revelation of the fact that God did not arbitrarily destroy the city of Jericho. You see, for forty years word had been filtering into Jericho about a people who crossed the Red Sea. In other words, Rahab said, ‘It was forty years ago when we heard about that. And I for one believed. Others believed the facts, but they did not believe in God. They never trusted the living God.’

Later on, they heard how God was leading Israel and that He had given them victory on the other side of the Jordan against the Amorites. Jericho should have profited from that information. Finally Israel miraculously crossed the Jordan River and parked right outside the door of Jericho. What had God been doing? He had been giving the city an opportunity to believe in Him, to trust Him, and to turn to Him.” ₍₁₎

(1) J. Vernon McGee, Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee, “Hebrews 11:31 The Faith Of Rahab” Copyright 1981 by J. Vernon McGee

“By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies” (Hebrews 11:31 ESV).

We continue with Rahab’s account from Joshua chapter two as she explained her rationale for hiding the Israelite spies who had been conducting a reconnaissance mission within her city…

“Before the spies settled down for the night, Rahab went up on the roof and said to them, ‘I know that the Lord has given you this land. Everyone in the country is terrified of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan. We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you.

The Lord your God is God in heaven above and here on earth. Now swear by him that you will treat my family as kindly as I have treated you, and give me some sign that I can trust you. Promise me that you will save my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families! Don’t let us be killed!’

The men said to her, ‘May God take our lives if we don’t do as we say! If you do not tell anyone what we have been doing, we promise you that when the Lord gives us this land, we will treat you well.’

Rahab lived in a house built into the city wall, so she let the men down from the window by a rope. ‘Go into the hill country,’ she said, ‘or the king’s men will find you. Hide there for three days until they come back. After that, you can go on your way.’

The men said to her, ‘We will keep the promise that you have made us give. This is what you must do. When we invade your land, tie this red cord to the window you let us down from. Get your father and mother, your brothers, and all your father’s family together in your house. If anyone goes out of the house, his death will be his own fault, and we will not be responsible; but if anyone in the house with you is harmed, then we will be responsible. However, if you tell anyone what we have been doing, then we will not have to keep our promise which you have made us give you.”

She agreed and sent them away. When they had gone, she tied the red cord to the window” (Joshua 2:1-21 GW).

Once again, it’s important to note that the residents of Jericho were aware of God’s presence and power, even going back decades earlier to His parting of the Red Sea. But only one of the city’s inhabitants -Rahab- proved willing to act on that knowledge by faith.

While Hebrews 11:30 describes the faith displayed by those who conquered the ancient city of Jericho, there was one group of residents who were spared from death when the walls of that great metropolis went down. The Old Testament book of Joshua provides us with that account…

“Joshua spoke to the two men who had scouted out the land. ‘Go to the prostitute’s house. Bring out the woman from there, along with everyone related to her, exactly as you pledged to her'” (Joshua 6:22 CEB).

Hebrews chapter eleven references that portion of Israel’s history, along with an emphasis on the faith displayed by this prostitute named Rahab…

“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (Hebrews 11:31).

So how did Rahab the harlot find a place among these members of the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame”? To answer that question, we must return to the period when Joshua dispatched a two-man reconnaissance team to explore the city of Jericho along with its surrounding areas. We find that account in Joshua chapter two…

“Joshua chose two men as spies and sent them from their camp at Acacia with these instructions: ‘Go across the river and find out as much as you can about the whole region, especially about the town of Jericho.’ The two spies left the Israelite camp at Acacia and went to Jericho, where they decided to spend the night at the house of a prostitute named Rahab.

But someone found out about them and told the king of Jericho, ‘Some Israelite men came here tonight, and they are spies.’ So the king sent soldiers to Rahab’s house to arrest the spies. Meanwhile, Rahab had taken the men up to the flat roof of her house and had hidden them under some piles of flax plants that she had put there to dry.

The soldiers came to her door and demanded, ‘Let us have the men who are staying at your house. They are spies.’ She answered, ‘Some men did come to my house, but I didn’t know where they had come from. They left about sunset, just before it was time to close the town gate. I don’t know where they were going, but if you hurry, maybe you can catch them” (Joshua 2:1-7 CEV).

We’ll continue our look at this passage and examine Rahab’s justification for this taking this action next.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30 ESV).

Although Jericho was the first city the people of Israel encountered upon their entrance into the Promised Land, it appears their reputation preceded their arrival in that area.

You see, Joshua 2:9-10 tells us that the residents of Jericho knew God had parted the Red Sea for the Israelites decades earlier. They were also aware of Israel’s successful military engagements with the nation-states they encountered prior to their arrival in that area. These reports made the people of Jericho very concerned about Israel- so much so that Joshua 6:1 tells us that the city was locked up tight in an effort to keep them out.

With that, let’s look at God’s plan to conquer this seemingly indestructible fortress…

“The Lord said to Joshua, I am about to hand Jericho, its king, and its warriors over to you. All the soldiers will march around the city once a day for six days. Seven priests will carry rams’ horns ahead of the ark. But on the seventh day you must march around the city seven times while the priests blow their horns. When you hear a long blast on the horn, all the troops must shout very loudly. The wall around the city will collapse. Then the troops must charge straight ahead into the city” (Joshua 6:2-5 GW).

We can derive several important lessons regarding faith from this passage. For instance, no credible military strategist would ever endorse an invasion plan that involved marching around a metropolitan area for a week. Yet, that was the tactical plan God issued to the people of Israel. Thus, faith recognizes that God may choose to fulfill His purposes in unusual ways.

We can also say that faith sometimes requires patience. Remember that the walls of Jericho didn’t fall immediately; and the people of Israel had to exercise patience in order to see the result God intended for them.

Joshua 6:20 identifies something else we can learn from this example: faith acts on what God has promised…

“So the troops shouted very loudly when they heard the blast of the rams’ horns, and the wall collapsed. The troops charged straight ahead and captured the city” (GW).

So the people of Israel acted upon God’s directive first. Then they saw Him fulfill His promises on their behalf. This is a characteristic of faith that is often repeated throughout Hebrews chapter eleven.

So the walls of Jericho came down, but not everyone perished in the city’s destruction…

“Joshua said to the two men who had scouted the land, ‘Go to the prostitute’s house and bring the woman out of there, and all who are with her, just as you swore to her'” (Joshua 6:22 CSB).

That portion of Scripture will lead us into our look at the next hero of the faith from Hebrews chapter eleven.

The next stop on our tour through the Hebrews chapter eleven “Faith Hall Of Fame” takes us to another notable event- the fall of Jericho…

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days” (Hebrews 11:30).

Many have undoubtedly heard the account of Jericho’s demise after the people of Israel followed God’s directive to march around the city for seven days. While the record of Jericho’s fall may be familiar, there are some important things we can learn about faith when we stop to examine what took place there.

For example, the account of Jericho’s downfall began long before the Israelites ever reached the city…

“After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ‘Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them– to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses'” (Joshua 1:1 NIV).

The person God chose to replace Moses was a man named Joshua, Moses’ former assistant (Numbers 27:15-23). Following Moses’ death, the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, “I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses” (Joshua 1:3 NIV). Since Jericho was the first city Israel encountered after they entered the Promised Land, it thus represented Joshua’s first opportunity to act upon God’s promise by faith. That brings us to our first observation from this passage: the leaders changed, but their faith in God remained the same.

Although Jericho was a residential community, it seems as if it was built more like a high-security military installation than a city. From what we know of the city today, it appears that Jericho was more than a quarter-mile wide in diameter (about .50 km). It was also built on an elevated location -a definite advantage against those who might seek to conquer the city.

It also appears that there were three different walls that surrounded the city to protect it from intruders. The first wall circled the exterior border and was 15 feet (5 m) high, and six feet (2 m) thick. Behind this perimeter wall was a second wall that was 25 feet (8 m) high, and six feet (2 m) thick. Finally, a third 25-foot (8 m) tall, six-foot (2 m) thick wall was situated behind the outer walls. These features combined to make Jericho extremely difficult to invade.

It’s also clear that Joshua and his army were dealing with a city that was filled with people who were highly motivated to keep them out. We’ll see why next.

“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned” (Hebrews 11:29).

Genesis 15:13-14 records a scene from the life of the Biblical patriarch Abraham that relates to our text from Hebrews 11:29…

“The Lord said to [Abraham], ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land; they will be slaves there and will be treated cruelly for four hundred years. But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and when they leave that foreign land, they will take great wealth with them…” (GNT).

That prophetic message was fulfilled upon Israel’s departure from Egypt…

“The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them to do. They had gone to their Egyptian neighbors and asked for gold and silver and for clothes. The Lord had made the Egyptians friendly toward the people of Israel, and they gave them whatever they asked for. In this way they carried away the wealth of the Egyptians when they left Egypt” (Exodus 12:35-36 CEV).

This led to one of the greatest miraculous events in Biblical history- the parting of the Red Sea…

“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, ‘What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.’ So he got his chariot ready and took his troops with him… The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen, and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea…

But Moses said to the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.’

…Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. The Egyptians set out in pursuit… and went into the sea after them…

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth… The water came back and covered the chariots and horsemen, plus the entire army of Pharaoh that had gone after them into the sea. Not even one of them survived” (Exodus 14:5-6, 9, 13, 21-23, 26-28 CSB).

Thus, as one author concludes, “The difference between the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and the Egyptians who followed them was not courage, but faith. The Egyptians had as much (or more) courage than the Israelites, but not the same faith – and they each had different fates.” ₍₁₎

(1) David Guzik Hebrews 11 – Examples Of Faith To Help The Discouraged © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/

“It was faith that made [Moses] establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites” (Hebrews 11:28 GNT).

The seventh to twelfth chapters of the Biblical book of Exodus detail a series of disastrous plagues that were imposed upon the nation of Egypt. Those afflictions culminated in the most devastating plague of all: the death of every firstborn son who was outside a dwelling under God’s protection.

One source offers a valuable synopsis of that final event and its relationship to our text from Hebrews 11:28…

“Moses was warned in detail about the fatal tenth plague, and he prepared the Hebrew people so they could protect themselves from it. At midnight, the Lord would sweep over Egypt, killing the firstborn of every living thing, man and beast, except for those who were protected. That protection was afforded by the sacrifice of a spotless lamb. Each family was to sacrifice such a lamb and to sprinkle its blood on the doorposts. The blood, symbol of God’s protective power, would cause the angel of death to pass over.

Thus was instituted what is still one of the most holy Jewish holidays, the Passover. When Jesus Christ came, his followers realized the further significance of the Passover rites: they foreshadow the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the true Passover Lamb. His blood shed on the cross is the true blood of atonement and protection, and God’s judgment on sin ‘passes over’ those who have been protected by that blood.

Pharaoh heard the cry of grief and mourning throughout his land. His household, too, had been affected: his firstborn son was dead, and now he was ready to give up the fight. The God of Israel was too powerful for him. Relenting from his stubbornness, he summoned Moses and Aaron and permitted them to lead the people, with all their possessions, out from the land of Goshen in Egypt and to their God in the wilderness. Not until after the last one did Pharaoh finally agree to let the people leave Egypt.” ₍₁₎

As another commentator observes, “It took faith to believe that the blood of a lamb on the doorpost would save a household from the terror of the angel of death; but Moses had that faith, and led the nation in observance of Passover.” ₍₂₎ These insights should lead us to a greater appreciation for this historical narrative and its appearance here within the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame.”

(1) McDowell, J. (1997). Josh McDowell’s Handbook On Apologetics (electronic ed.). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson. Page 29.

(2) David Guzik Hebrews 11 – Examples Of Faith To Help The Discouraged © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/

“It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons” (Hebrews 11:28 NLT).

When Moses approached Pharaoh to request a national three day leave-of-absence to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the Egyptian monarch responded just as God predicted: ”’Who is the Lord?’ the king demanded. ‘Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord; and I will not let Israel go'” (Exodus 5:2 GNT). Although Pharaoh did not realize it, this represented the beginning of the end of Israel’s servitude in Egypt…

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. He will be so ready for them to leave that he will force them to go'” (Exodus 6:1 ERV).

That led to a series of ten judgments that were designed to compel Pharaoh into obedience. Those judgments took the form of the following plagues…

• All the waters of Egypt, including the beloved Nile River, turned to blood.
• Frogs overran the land.
• Gnats (or lice) infested the land of Egypt to the point where they “…covered everyone, people and animals alike” Exodus 8:18 NLT). This brought Pharaoh’s occultic advisors to the following conclusion: “…’This is something only God could do!'”(Exodus 8:19 CEB).
• Swarms of flies descended upon the homes of the Egyptians, including Pharaoh’s residence. But no flies entered the region of Goshen where the people of Israel dwelled.
• A severe pestilence decimated the nation’s livestock, including their cattle, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep.
• Boils and sores broke out on the people and the remaining animals.
• Hailstones destroyed Egypt’s agricultural production, along with whatever replacement livestock the Egyptians had been able to procure. Nevertheless, God graciously offered the following counsel in advance: “‘Tomorrow at this time I’ll cause the heaviest hail to fall on Egypt that has ever fallen from the day Egypt was founded until now. So bring under shelter your livestock and all that belongs to you that is out in the open. Every person or animal that is out in the open field and isn’t brought inside will die when the hail rains down on them.’ Some of Pharaoh’s officials who took the Lord’s word seriously rushed to bring their servants and livestock inside for shelter. Others who didn’t take the Lord’s word to heart left their servants and livestock out in the open field” (Exodus 9:18-21 CEB).
• Any plant that wasn’t completely annihilated by the hail was subsequently devoured by locusts.
• Thick darkness then covered the land for three days.

The final plague -the deaths of all firstborn- was directly associated with the Passover referenced here in Hebrews 11:28 and facilitated Israel’s subsequent departure from Egypt.

“By faith [Moses] forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:27-28).

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, was viewed as a god among the people of his kingdom. As such, he was the single most powerful figure within Egyptian society during the period of Israel’s captivity. In theory, Pharaoh could have executed Moses without repercussion if he desired. Yet Moses was not alarmed by that possibility, for his faith in the One who is unseen enabled him to overcome any potential fear of the king’s wrath.

Moses expressed that same faith in keeping the Passover as well. The Feast of Passover was (and is) a commemorative event that memorializes Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus chapter twelve). This annual observance commemorates the time when God “passed over” every home that carried an identifying mark of lamb’s blood on its exterior door frame. The firstborn in every other home was put to death…

“I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13 CSB).

Although the Passover is widely celebrated among the members of the Jewish community today, the events that led up to that first Passover may be less familiar. A look at the Biblical record reveals that the Passover referenced here in Hebrews 11:28 was the culmination of a series of events involving Pharaoh and others under his leadership. Those events are known today as the Ten Plagues of Egypt.

However, we can trace the Passover’s origin even further back to Moses’ first interaction with God. At the time of their initial meeting, the Lord issued the following directive to Moses: “…you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God'” (Exodus 3:18 NIV).

God then followed with a piece of divine foresight: “I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless he is forced to do so. But I will use my power and will punish Egypt by doing terrifying things there. After that he will let you go” (Exodus 3:19-20 GNT). Thus, it was Pharaoh who initiated the chain of events that ultimately led to the establishment of the Passover.

“esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:26).

A cursory look at Hebrews 11:26 should prompt an immediate question: “How could Moses regard ‘disgrace for the sake of Christ to be of greater value than all the riches in Egypt’ when Jesus had not yet been born?”

We can address this question when we consider the passage that precedes this verse: “[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25 NIV). When we take these verses together, we find that Moses elected to exchange the temporary mistreatment he experienced during his earthly life for something better in the future.

That mistreatment represented “abuse suffered on behalf of the Messiah” (CJB) in the following sense: whenever someone is mistreated for a decision to follow God in faith, he or she follows the ultimate example set by Christ. For Moses, that meant looking forward to Jesus’ example. For us, it means looking back.

For example, consider the following excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount…

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

While contemporary audiences can benefit from this principle, the heart of Jesus’ message is also reflected in the lives of Old Testament saints like Moses, as well as many of the other individuals we meet in Hebrews chapter eleven. They were often reviled, mistreated, and persecuted, along with other notable Old Testament personalities such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel, among others.

One Biblical scholar expands on this idea with the following insight…

“This is a text that shows that Moses himself was conscious of the coming of the Messiah and of the Messiah’s own ‘reproach,’ with which Moses was willing to identify in an anticipatory manner. It may be that Moses to some degree saw his suffering and the suffering of his people… as a typological foreshadowing of the ultimate suffering of God’s Son who also would come out of Egypt (Matt. 2:15, quoting Hos. 11:1).” ₍₁₎

Finally, it is significant to note that Moses (along with Elijah) spoke with Jesus at the time of His transfiguration in Mark 9:2-10. Just as Moses suffered “…disgrace for the sake of Christ” (NIV), so also was he honored with the privilege of an audience with the Messiah during His glorious transfiguration.

(1) R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2217.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25 HCSB).

Moses’ decision to leave the security and privilege of Egyptian royalty led to several consequences. For instance, the Biblical account of Moses’ life reveals that he was a man who suffered a great deal. In Moses, we also find someone who was clearly apprehensive about following God’s direction at one point in his life.

In addition, Moses repeatedly faced large groups of unappreciative people who turned against his leadership. Even after Moses stood against Pharaoh, the most powerful political authority of his day and worked to lead the people out of Egyptian servitude, many of them responded in the following manner…

“They also complained to Moses, ‘Wasn’t there enough room in Egypt to bury us? Is that why you brought us out here to die in the desert? Why did you bring us out of Egypt anyway? While we were there, didn’t we tell you to leave us alone? We’d rather be slaves in Egypt than die in this desert!'” (Exodus 14:11-12 CEV, see also Exodus 16:1-3, Exodus 17:1-2, Numbers 14:1-4, Numbers 16:1-3, Numbers 16:41, Numbers 20:1-5, and Numbers 21:4-5).

Nevertheless, Hebrews 11:24-25 tells us that Moses faithfully accepted mistreatment along with the people of God and renounced the fleeting pleasure that sin might bring for a while. Moses could have taken an easier road, but he chose to follow God by faith instead. Because of this, God has honored Moses with a place among the other heroes of the faith mentioned here in Hebrews chapter eleven.

This has led one source to make the following observation…

“In his adult years [Moses] made his choice; he would not hide his true nationality to win a few short years of earthly fame. The result? Instead of occupying a line or two of hieroglyphics on some obscure tomb, he is memorialized in God’s eternal Book. Instead of being found in a museum as an Egyptian mummy, he is famous as a man of God.” ₍₁₎

We will complete our look at this passage by starting where we began this portion of our study. From a human perspective, none of these events from Moses’ life would have occurred if his birth mother had not made the faithful decision to trust God for his protection when she set him afloat in the Nile River as an infant. That decision led to a series of positive consequences that continue to this day.

Moses’ birth mother saw him as someone worth saving. Thus, her example should prompt us to prayerfully consider what God might do with the investments we make in others today.

(1) William Macdonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary Edited by Arthur Farstad, Thomas Nelson Publishers [pg. 2199].

“By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 NET).

In an effort to save her newborn son from Pharaoh’s murderous decree, Moses’ birth mother placed him in a waterproof basket and set it afloat on the Nile River. That basket was eventually found by Pharaoh’s daughter, who opened it to find Moses inside. The Egyptian princess felt sorry for the helpless infant and granted temporary custody of the child to a Hebrew woman (who was actually Moses’ birth mother) who nursed him for a period of time.

Exodus 2:10 continues our narrative from that point…

“When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, ‘I drew him out of the water'” (NIV).

So Exodus 2:1-10 presents us with an account that concludes with a positive ending (at least for the moment). However, it may be difficult to identify the act of faith that justifies the appearance of this narrative here in the “Faith Hall Of Fame.” We can address that difficulty if we stop to consider some important aspects of this passage.

First, Moses’ mother demonstrated faith in God through the act of placing him in a basket and setting it afloat on the Nile River. Instead of following Pharaoh’s unjust edict, she chose to follow a more righteous path. Her example thus reminds us that it takes faith to trust God and do what is right when others direct us to do what is wrong.

Next, we should remember that Moses’ birth mother could do nothing else for him once he drifted away into the Nile River. Instead, she had to place her trust in God for his protection. In a similar manner, it takes faith to trust in God to provide for others when we are no longer do so ourselves.

The following verse of Hebrews chapter eleven continues with another lesson in faith from Moses’ life…

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25).

Moses faithfully aligned himself with the people of God instead of taking the easy road of earthly status and luxury. As a member of the Egyptian royal family, Moses could have enjoyed a position of wealth and privilege if that’s what he desired. Instead, he chose to abandon those things to follow God’s path for his life.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23 ESV).

To eliminate the perceived threat posed by Israel’s growing population, the Biblical book of Exodus tells us that Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, authorized the murder of every male infant born to a Hebrew mother. However, there was an unanticipated obstacle in Pharaoh’s plan…

“But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. ‘Why have you done this?’ he demanded. ‘Why have you allowed the boys to live?’

‘The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,’ the midwives replied. ‘They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.’ So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful” (Exodus 1:17-20 NLT).

Nevertheless, Pharaoh was undeterred by this setback…

“Then Pharaoh gave an order to all his people: ‘Throw every baby boy born to the Hebrews into the Nile River, but you can let all the girls live'” (Exodus 1:22 CEB).

Since Pharaoh could not depend upon these midwives to execute his plan, he simply enlisted the aid of every Egyptian citizen. That was the political environment that surrounded Moses at the time of his birth…

“About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him.

Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrew children,’ she said.

Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. ‘Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?’ she asked. ‘Yes, do!’ the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. ‘Take this baby and nurse him for me,’ the princess told the baby’s mother. ‘I will pay you for your help.’ So the woman took her baby home and nursed him” (Exodus 2:1-9 NLT).

We’ll continue with our look at this portion of Moses’ life next.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command” (Hebrews 11:23).

As we continue our tour through the Hebrews 11 “Faith Hall Of Fame,” we now stop to look at a person who is surely one of the most important and influential individuals within the Biblical record. That person is Moses. While the miraculous events of Moses’ life often draw the most attention, it’s important to note that Moses’ life and ministry grew out of events that transpired long before he was born.

In previous studies, we briefly examined the life of Joseph from the Biblical book of Genesis. We saw how Joseph rose to a prominent position of leadership within the ancient Egyptian government and how he resettled his family in Egypt to save them from the effects of a devastating famine. Unfortunately, things changed over time, and a new leader arose who did not hold the same respect for Joseph, or the people of Israel…

“And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.’

Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses” (Exodus 1:6-11).

However, that plan failed to produce the desired result…

“But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel” (Exodus 1:12).

Since Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, was not in the habit of giving up easily (as he would demonstrate later), he came up with a scheme that was even more ruthless…

“Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, ‘When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live'” (Exodus 1:15-16).

So Pharaoh’s solution was to eliminate the source of this “problem” by simply murdering every male child born to a Hebrew mother. This may have seemed like the perfect solution to Pharaoh, but as we’ll see, there was one critical detail he overlooked.

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel and gave instructions about his burial” (Hebrews 11:22 NET).

Some four thousand years ago, a dying man made his final request. That request (and the reason behind it) serves as a kind of beacon from the distant past, quietly transmitting the coordinates that guide the way back for those who have journeyed far from home…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, ‘When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you'” (Genesis 50:24-25 NLT).

Perhaps we may awake one day to find that our lives no longer have any meaning, relevance, purpose, or direction. We might find that we have gained everything we ever wanted and come to the realization that it isn’t enough. Maybe we have sacrificed our lives to support an organization, only to find that the organization never regarded us as anything more than just a number.

Perhaps we will see the wreckage that resulted from a friend or family member’s unprincipled decision. Or maybe our lives have been negatively impacted by the decisions and mistakes of others, or events that were out of our control. If we ever reach those points in our lives, we would do well to listen to the message that has been quietly broadcasting through the words of Genesis 50:24-25. That message is simple: return home.

You see, Joseph was a long way from where he started. He was far from the place where God had spoken to his ancestors. He had been immersed in a culture that had no use for the God of the Scriptures. But Joseph never forgot where he came from, and his last request expressed a desire to return home.

If the journey of life takes us far from Christ, it would serve us well to remember where we came from. Maybe we’ve traveled to a place where we shouldn’t have gone. Perhaps our life story has not unfolded as we thought it would. We may be far from the place where we first met God; but like Joseph, we can go home again. Joseph knew where he ultimately belonged- his place was among the people who believed in, and followed, the one true God. That is where we belong as well.

“By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22 ESV).

Even though God enabled Joseph to save his family from starvation by relocating them to the nation of Egypt, Joseph also knew that Egypt was not their permanent home. You see, Joseph was aware of the promises God made to his father Jacob, his grandfather Isaac, and his great-grandfather Abraham regarding a homeland for their descendants. Because of this, Joseph knew they would eventually return to the place where he was born- the land his father left to join him in Egypt.

When the time arrived for that future generation to return to their ancestral homeland, Joseph wanted to ensure that he was a part of that journey. This explains why “…Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan” (Genesis 50:25 TLB).

Thus, Joseph’s example provides us with some important considerations today. Even though Joseph lived for decades among the highest ranking members of Egyptian society, he never lost sight of where he began. And even though Joseph’s travels had taken him far away to a foreign land, he always knew where he really belonged.

What does this example mean for contemporary readers of Hebrews 11:22? Well, let’s consider that question in light of the problems and difficulties we often encounter. For instance, there are some who struggle to trust God and patiently endure through the challenges of life as Joseph did. Some may be reluctant to stand against the mockery of professors, co-workers, business associates, authority figures, or others who learn of their belief in the God of the Scriptures.

Then there are those who seek the comfort of conformity to a culture that finds Jesus irrelevant. Others may be negatively influenced through relationships with men and women who don’t have a spiritual foundation in Christ. Finally, there are those who may be pressured to leave their convictions and abandon the supposedly primitive idea of faith in God.

A person who succumbs to these various influences may eventually move so far away from genuine Christianity that there is little or nothing left to distinguish him or her from anyone else. Should that time arrive in our lives, the message behind Joseph’s final act of faith will point the way back home for those who have wandered away. We’ll consider that “message behind the message” next.

“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones” (Hebrews 11:22).

The Old Testament account of Joseph is fairly well-known, even to many who are unfamiliar with the Scriptures. For instance, some may know about the injustice that was inflicted upon Joseph when he was sold into slavery. Others may be acquainted with the account of Joseph’s ascendance to a prominent position within the Egyptian government. Perhaps some may be familiar with Joseph’s coat of many colors, or how he was determined to honor God despite the seductive advances of his employer’s wife, a decision that eventually sent him to prison on false charges.

Despite these well-known aspects of Joseph’s life, his final act of faith may be less familiar. That account is easy to find because it is the very last thing we read in the Biblical book of Genesis…

“‘Soon I will die,’ Joseph told his brothers, ‘but God will surely come and get you, and bring you out of this land of Egypt and take you back to the land he promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Then Joseph made his brothers promise with an oath that they would take his body back with them when they returned to Canaan. So Joseph died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:24-26 TLB).

This portion of Scripture tells us that Joseph never received a final burial following his death in Egypt. Instead, his coffin remained there for approximately four hundred years until the nation of Israel carried it out with them when they departed from that area…

“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, ‘God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place'” (Exodus 13:19 NIV).

So how did Joseph know this exodus would occur? Well, the answer is given to us here in Hebrews 11:22: Joseph believed the words God had spoken to his great grandfather Abraham by faith…

“Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions… In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here…” (Genesis 15:13-14, 16 NIV).

“By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21 ESV).

In blessing Joseph’s sons, Genesis 48:13-14 tells us that Jacob set aside the common practice of blessing the eldest son at his right hand in favor of Joseph’s younger son Ephraim. Of course, this was not the first time something like that had occurred, as Jacob himself was well aware.

Although God had given Joseph a gift that enabled him to discern the meaning of dreams and their interpretations, he failed to recognize the spiritual significance behind his father’s decision to bless his younger son Ephraim instead of his older son Manasseh….

“When Joseph saw his father placing his right hand on Ephraim’s head he was displeased; so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to him, ‘No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.’

But his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great. Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his descendants will become a group of nations.’

He blessed them that day and said, ‘In your name will Israel pronounce this blessing: ‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.’ So he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh” (Genesis 48:17-20 NIV).

Despite his father’s apparent mistake (at least from Joseph’s perspective), Jacob’s words eventually came to pass. According to one source, “This was fulfilled in Israel’s history. Both tribes were blessed, but Ephraim was greater as a tribe, even to the point where the name ‘Ephraim’ was used to refer to the whole northern nation of Israel.” ₍₁₎

However, there is another perspective to consider regarding Ephraim and Manasseh. You see, it is important to remember that this meeting between Jacob and Joseph took place while they were living in Egypt, the greatest nation on earth during that period. Joseph was also the second most powerful government official in Egypt at that time.

In light of this, Ephraim and Manasseh could have chosen to remain in Egypt and taken advantage of the benefits and social amenities that were available to them as sons of a high-ranking government official. Instead, they willingly chose to accept their grandfather’s adoption and join with their uncles to form what would become the nation of Israel. Therefore, we can say that each of Joseph’s sons also acted in faith, for they willingly gave up the privileges of Egypt to follow God’s destiny for their lives.

(1) Guzik, David, Genesis 48 – Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Sons https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/genesis-48/

“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff” (Hebrews 11:21).

A substantial amount of time has passed in Jacob’s life between the events referenced in Hebrews 11:20 and the one mentioned here in Hebrews 11:21. Jacob was now approaching the end of his life when his son Joseph (accompanied by his sons Ephraim and Manasseh) met with him for the last time. It was during that final meeting that Jacob declared by faith that Ephraim and Manasseh would numbered among the national tribes of Israel.

Genesis chapter forty-eight provides us with that account…

“Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine” (Genesis 48:5).

Reuben and Simeon were the first sons born to Jacob. So in making this statement, Jacob essentially said to Joseph, “Your two sons will receive the same recognition that my first two sons receive.” In doing so, Jacob “adopted” Ephraim and Manasseh and assigned them a portion of his inheritance along with the rest of his biological sons. This included a share in the covenantal blessings that Jacob received from his father Isaac, who inherited them from Jacob’s grandfather Abraham, who received them from God.

Jacob’s twelve sons (along with Ephraim and Manasseh) eventually became the progenitors of the people groups known as “the twelve tribes of Israel.” However, Jacob’s adoption of Ephraim and Manasseh explains why those twelve tribes are often listed in different combinations. While the addition of Ephraim and Manasseh creates fourteen people groups, they are always collectively identified as “twelve tribes” within the Scriptures.

Before we leave Hebrews 11:21, we should also take note of something unusual that occurred as Jacob was preparing to bless Ephraim and Manasseh…

“And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel’s left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn” (Genesis 48:13-14 NIV).

The Biblical Scriptures employ the imagery of the “right hand” as a symbolic representation of power, authority, or favor. The eldest son generally received the blessing associated with that position at his father’s right hand. However, Jacob reversed that process in this instance. While Jacob’s physical body may have been frail and weak with age, we’ll soon see that his spiritual insight was undiminished.

“By faith Isaac also blessed Jacob and Esau concerning their future” (Hebrews 11:20 CEB).

As we conclude our look at Genesis chapter 27 in the context of Hebrews 11:20, we find that the “secondary blessing” Esau received from his father Isaac eventually came to pass. You see, Esau’s descendants were known as the Edomites, a name that was derived from Esau’s nickname Edom (see Genesis 25:30 and 36:9).

The Edomites eventually populated some of the wilderness portions of that area and thus fulfilled Isaac’s prediction: “Your dwelling will be away from the earth’s richness…” (Genesis 27:39 NIV). The Scriptures also tell us that Esau’s descendants eventually came to oppose and revolt against the Israelites, the descendants of his brother Jacob.

For example, the Edomites once mobilized their armed forces with a threat to kill the people of Israel when Israel asked for permission to pass through a land area that was under their control (Numbers 20:14-21). Later, the people of Edom succeeded in breaking away from Jacob’s descendants and established their own government, just as Isaac predicted (see 2 Kings 8:20-22).

So, in the end, it’s clear that these family members mentioned in Genesis 27 made several mistakes. First, there was Isaac. His plan to circumvent God’s will failed miserably. Then there was Rebekah, Isaac’s wife. She was the mastermind behind this plot to deceive her husband. Even though her plan succeeded, Rebekah was shown to be a person of devious character, and she never saw her favorite son Jacob again following this incident.

Next was Esau. He lost his inheritance because he had little interest or concern about the things of God. When he realized his mistake, it was too late to regain what he had lost. Finally, there was Jacob. He got what he wanted- but at a price. You see, Jacob eventually left his home to stay with another family member named Laban. Unfortunately for Jacob, he would soon learn just how cunning, manipulative, and deceitful Laban really was.

With these things in mind, we might be tempted to look at our text from Hebrews 11:20 and struggle to identify the act of faith mentioned here. The answer is this: when Isaac discovered he had actually blessed the son God had chosen instead of his preferred son, he recognized by faith that God easily accomplished His will despite his attempts to the contrary.

So, the events of Genesis chapter twenty-seven remind us to ask God to grant us the desire to make choices that align with His will and to seek Him for His direction. As we’re told in the Biblical book of Proverbs, “In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success” (Proverbs 3:6 TLB). Those who follow that path can avoid the pitfalls which  befell this family.