Mountain Movers

"I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection." (Heb 11:33-35).

There are many examples of people throughout the Bible who God rewarded incredibly for their faith. As we read before, God rewards everyone who earnestly seeks him. From the above passage, we are able to infer who some of the examples are referring to, while others are unclear.

David's faith conquered kingdoms. 1 Chronicles 11:9 states that "David became more and more powerful because the Lord Almighty was with him." God certainly disciplined David when it came to sin, particularly when he committed adultery and murder. However, when David was faithful in his life, the entire Israelite nation prospered as they saw their neighboring nations fall.

Many of the Israelite kings and judges who prospered did so because they administered justice through faith. Solomon is one such example. His heart was determined to seek justice for the people. Yet he knew he couldn't do it on his own. He sought the Lord for discernment. God was pleased with his decision, and because he did so, God surprised him in 1 Kings 3 by giving him more than what he asked for in terms of riches and honor. Solomon went on to develop a reputation for administering justice and being the wisest man alive.

There are countless examples of individuals and groups in the Bible who gained what was promised. God has so many promises in the Bible and it is up to us whether we claim them or let them go untouched. Hosea 10 talks about how God is ready to "shower righteousness" on the faithful. If you're ever outside, and there is a downpour of rain, you can't escape the shower. It's the same with God. People of faith are strengthened by God because He showers righteousness upon them.

Daniel is an example of someone whose faith shut the mouths of lions. King Nebuchadnezzar threw Daniel into a den of hungry lions, yet an angel came to Daniel's rescue and restrained the lions from attacking him. While God rescued Daniel, his adversaries were not so blessed.

At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. (Daniel 6:24).

God protected Daniel because he had remained faithful. However, those who opposed Daniel had a taste of God's wrath.

God saved Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego as they were placed in a fiery furnace. They were saved from the flames because of their faith, however, those that opposed them were later punished by those same flames.

The faithful became powerful in battle because of their faith in God. They do not become powerful before the battle. Their weakness is turned into strength in the midst of a battle. If they became powerful before the battle, there might have been too great of a temptation to rely upon their self-confidence to help them through the situation. When they turned to God, He rescued them from the sword, gave them power to overcome their enemies and ultimately gave them victory.

Verse 35 mentions that "women received back their dead, raised to life again." Because of their faith, they saw the dead raised to life again. They went from an utterly hopeless situation to a totally hope-filled situation within a matter of seconds. While God may not physically raise people from the dead in our present-day world, He does something much greater. When people make the decision by faith through grace to follow Jesus, they are spiritually raised from the dead through the waters of baptism. Every time we witness a baptism, we came see how God performs one of the most powerful miracles through spiritual resurrection.

The last part of verse 35 is incredibly convicting. It states that "others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection."If I were tortured and allowed to be released, I imagine that I would leave that area as soon as possible. Yet that is not what happened to the people in this example. They were painfully tortured and gave up an opportunity for freedom because of the hope of a better resurrection. Does this remind you of Jesus?

What do all of the examples mentioned in verses 33-35 have in common? They all involve people who had to stare death in the face and because of their faith, overcame. God rescued each and every one of them.

Most were ordinary people. Some of them went unnamed in the Bible. Yet God knows exactly who they are and blessed them accordingly because of their faith.

Today, we see too few examples of those who "stick out" because of their faith. Yet that is exactly what God is looking for now. It says in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that "the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." Furthermore, God is waiting to reward those examples who shine in the world because of their faith.

While many people were rewarded for their faith, others suffered for their faith. In the next chapter, we will look at examples of those of "the Way", early Christians who suffered for their faith because they recognized that their sacrifice was nothing compared to the eternal reward that God had waiting for them.