The Faith of Many Through The Ages (Hebrews 11:32-38).
‘And what shall I more say? For the time will fail me if I tell concerning Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah; of David also and Samuel and of the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens.'
He now lists a panoply of men of faith, who wrought mighty things because they believed the promises of God, selecting them out from a larger number (Joshua has already been included in ‘they' in Hebrews 11:30-31), and all in the process of looking for the future hope. The order of the first four may be in terms of esteemed worthiness, with the noble Gideon first, followed by the worthy general, the prankster, and the harlot's son who in one way or another offered up his daughter (see our commentary on Judges for a discussion on the question); for this general order compare 1 Samuel 12:11. David possibly comes before Samuel because Samuel as both war-leader and prophet connects David with the prophets; although David was also seen as a prophet. So again the order may be of esteemed worthiness and prominence, and of the movement from the particular to the general.
Their accomplishments are grouped in threes; three positive virtues in forwarding God's purposes, three describing escaping through tribulation, which is thus seen as a necessary part of those purposes, and the final three depicting God's strengthening of them to victory as they grew in potential. It is saying that God's purposes go forwards, this necessitates tribulation, but in the end the weak are made strong and are victorious.
Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, David and Samuel all ‘subdued kingdoms', and Samson played his part against the Philistines; David, Samuel and the prophets especially wrought righteousness; Daniel shut the lions' mouths (Daniel 6:17-22), as did Samson (Judges 14:5-6), David (1 Samuel 17:34-37), and Benaiah (1 Chronicles 11:22). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego escaped fiery deaths (Daniel 3:23-27). David, Elijah, Elisha, and Jeremiah escaped the edge of the sword, as did Gideon whose elder brothers had been slain, and Samson before the Philistines, and many others. But the writer is drawing on their overall experiences, not seeking to particularise.
‘Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises.' This first trilogy describes the growth of God's purposes. First the establishment of God's kingdom by subduing the enemy (e.g. 2 Samuel 7:9; 2 Samuel 8:11-12), then establishing justice in that kingdom (e.g. 2 Samuel 8:15), and finally obtaining thereby many of the promises of God (e.g. Joshua 23:14; 1 Kings 4:21 compare Exodus 23:31; Joshua 1:4). This could be seen as very much the pattern of David's activities, and also to a lesser extent those of the judges including Samuel.
‘Stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword.' This second trilogy emphasises the strength revealed by individuals when facing persecution and tribulation. This especially occurred during the period of Israel's weakness.
‘From weakness were made strong, waxed mighty in war, turned to flight armies of aliens.' This third trilogy might be seen as indicating growth in potential; made strong from weakness, resulting in waxing mighty in war, resulting in putting the enemy to flight. Gideon, Barak, Samson, David and Samuel may have been especially in mind, but the general idea applies to all. Gideon and Barak felt so weak that they sought to avoid their calling, and led comparatively weak armies, compared with their foes, to victory; Samson was a strange enigma, standing alone but finally triumphing; David and Samuel first came to notice as but lads, but grew to be victorious leaders. But all were mighty examples of faith in God's promises and of God's ability to strengthen His people until they finally triumphed. They all triumphed by faith over enemies who were outwardly far stronger than themselves.
Thus this ninefold description of the results of faith, divided into three threes to signify total completeness, covers both the advance of God's kingdom, and the resulting need to be strong when the kingdom deteriorated spiritually.
Some see in these nine a picture of the advancement of salvation history. The first establishing of the kingdom, and of justice, and of confidence in God's promises; the following deterioration and defeat of the kingdom with its resulting persecutions for God's people; and the final re-establishment of the kingdom through the activities of the Maccabees and others. However, the parts of the salvation history to which these descriptions could apply can be multiplied, as we have seen above. We must therefore beware of simply trying to fit them into one situation, for the writer may have seen things very differently from the way we do, and what mattered to him was the triumph of those who believed not a resume of history.