Hebrews 11:32-34
New International Version
32 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, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 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.
Hebrews 11 lists the heroes of faith and among those people are Noah, Moses, and David who are well known for their stories in the scripture. Men who showed obedience, strength, wisdom, and courage. But I want to zone in on another 3 men. Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.
Judges 6:11
New International Version
11 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.
Gideon is known as a great Biblical warrior as God helped him defeat army after army with only 300 men. But before Gideon was a warrior he was hiding in a winepress to keep his harvest from the enemy. When an angel appeared and greeted him as a mighty warrior, he responds by saying, “Pardon me?” as if surprised. Showing that warrior was the last thing he thought of himself.
God brought this man out of fear. For those of us who study history and think back on what our ancestors had to go through, I often wonder would our society even want to resist tyranny? Would they hold up if another great depression occurred? How about God forbid another World war? We now are facing the cancel culture and the silence of free speech. We are seeing common beliefs held for thousands of years now coming under attack for not progressing far enough for the ideologies like post-humanism, feminism, or simply Marxism.
Will the men of Christ stand on His Word regardless of the outcome? So often people secretly cheer as one individual takes a stand but the same people once the heat is on them, shrink back or shrug it off.
Judges 11
New International Version
11 Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. His father was Gilead; his mother was a prostitute. 2 Gilead’s wife also bore him sons, and when they were grown up, they drove Jephthah away. “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family,” they said, “because you are the son of another woman.” 3 So Jephthah fled from his brothers and settled in the land of Tob, where a gang of scoundrels gathered around him and followed him.
Jephthah had family problems, so much so they ended in his separation from his family. He was forced to run away but it was in these humble circumstances a great leader was made. The Israelites came looking for him to seek a brave enough leader to guide them in the battle against foreign threats.
God brought him out of a broken family. Another threat men face today is the attack on the patriarch or the traditional family. It could be both parents having to work, parents are fighting, economical issues, sexual immorality has stained or destroyed the family, possibly a death has shattered the family, or even federal programs that motivate broken families. As long as we are still breathing as men, we must defend the family from such disasters or attacks. Notice I said the family and not just ours. There are widows, orphans, poverty, and men who are still infant minded needing help and guidance.
Judges 16
New International Version
Samson and Delilah
16 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.
4 Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.
Samson found the sexual immorality of lust to be his physical downfall that ultimately leads to his physical death. But the author of Hebrews lists him as a hero of the faith. Why? Throughout his life, God was using Samson to bring about his will even within his failures. He still reaped what he had sown but at the lowest moment in his life when his hair had been cut, he lost his supernatural strength, had his eyes blinded, and forced into slavery before he turned back to God. He then regained his strength and brought destruction to the Philistine leadership.
God brought him out of sexual immorality. Of course, it was after the consequences but I urge any man to get help or accountability before it destroys your relationships, marriage, job, or could even lead to physical death in disease, etc. The statistics for pornography alone are alarming for those born after 1998. Another rising threat in sexual immorality is the demasculating LGBT agenda.
We are our brother's keepers, we are of one body in Christ. We should have each other's backs and always push back against the cultural lies of the day. We only surrender to one King and that is Jesus Christ. Fear God, not men.
Psalm 94:16
New International Version
16 Who will rise up for me against the wicked?
Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?
The man is being attacked in order to destroy the family.
Lock the man in fear, anxiety, or worry.
Cause him to be inadequate or scarred due to family brokenness.
Or simply target the natural sexual design of the man and getting him addicted through the chemical release in the brain. Desensitize him causing him to be a failure in relationships or not even seek long term relationships.
This will further create broken families. Broken families create immoral agents within civilization. Our prisons are filled with boys and men who grew up without a positive man figure in their lives. The statistics for fatherless boys in prison are extremely sad.
So I often think of Psalm 94:16. Who will rise up? Who will take a stand against evil? It is now or never. The unborn children are being killed in the womb, our daughters are under attack as they face boys taking over their sports or using their locker rooms.
Science theories want to remove God, the revisionist of our history that wants to remove how the hand of God has blessed us as a nation. Or the very Constitutional Republic is being torn down. And so much more.
Is this alarmism? I, unfortunately, do not believe it is. I believe the alarms have been going off for 90 years ever since in the early 1900s when prayer was deemed to violate the separation of church and state. (which by the way was described as protecting the church from the state not the state from the church)
We have no choice as Christian men. We are commanded to stand against evil and proclaim the Word of God. Who will rise up? I, you, the body of Christ are the last line of defense. Let us hold the line!
Philippians 4:13
1599 Geneva Bible
13 I am able to do all things through the help of Christ, which strengtheneth me.
Romans 8:31-33
New International Version
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
We can do all things with the help of Christ. If God is for us then we are justified in our stance. Who can tell God that He is wrong? In Hebrews 11 is this faith that conquered kingdoms, administered justice, gained what was promised, 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. It was this kind of God that worked within the weaknesses and attacks of evil to bring victory to those of faith.
Today we have hope because of the promises. Today we are eager as the time draws near. Today we shall not lose heart for the war has already been won. Today in faith we achieve victory.
Live out your victory today!