Oct 4 - Hebrews 11:32

And what more should I say?

For time would fail me to tell of

Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,

of David and Samuel and the prophets—

who through faith conquered kingdoms,

administered justice, obtained promises,

shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire,

escaped the edge of the sword,

won strength out of weakness …

Hebrews 11:32-33

 

You may know that Hebrews 11 is from a chapter known as “The Hall of Faith.”

 

Verse by verse, Hebrews has been celebrating many “heroes” of the faith, trumpeting their acts of boldness in the name of God.

 

Now in verse 32 – and just before getting to a final, triumphant point – the author is throwing in a few more stories … almost in bullet point fashion. He wants to make sure you know that all of his previous examples should be understood as the rule rather than the rare exception. Thus, he says, “[And] time would fail me to tell of [seven bullet points]

 

·                  Gideon,

·                  Barak,

·                  Samson,

·                  Jephthah, of

·                  David and

·                  Samuel and

·                  the prophets

 

—who [seven more bullet points] through faith

 

·                  conquered kingdoms,

·                  administered justice,

·                  obtained promises,

·                  shut the mouths of lions,

·                  quenched raging fire,

·                  escaped the edge of the sword,

·                  won strength out of weakness.

 

Wow! I’ve never shut the mouth of an attacking lion nor conquered a kingdom! That’s huge! (Is that your response too?) But – and here’s the question – with God’s help, could I?

 

The answer is, Yes. Absolutely! …

 

1.    if that was God’s call for me and

2.    if I submitted my life to his calling for my days.

 

I said earlier that Hebrews 11 was highlighting (in bullet-point-fashion) several final examples, leading up to a final, climactic point. What is that point? The first verses of Hebrews 12 give the answer: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

 

What is the race marked out for you? What is God’s call for you and your life?

Are you submitting yourself to this calling for your days?

 

In Christ’s Love,

a guy who wants to be

in The Hall of Faith

(my days may not be

as dramatic as Gideon’s,

but God has a plan for

my days … and yours too!)