“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).
Heroes of faith are ordinary people who did extraordinary things.
The judges Gideon, Barak, and Samson were from three different tribes (Manasseh, Naphtali, and Dan respectively). David came from the tribe of Judah and Samuel from Ephraim.
Jephthah’s mother was a harlot, and he grew up as an outcast from his family in a hardscrabble environment (Judges 11:1-3). Samson’s and Samuel’s conceptions were the result of divine promises to barren women (Judges 13:2-3; 1 Samuel 1:2-17).
Despite all their differences, each had one thing in common with the rest–occasions of heroic faith. Hostile and oppressive enemies were defeated, battles with stunning odds against them were won, and entire armies were put to flight.
In Christ, we can be more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). Therefore, the possibility of heroic faith means it is just as needed now as it has ever been.
