FAITH: Gideon & Barak

And what more shall I say? 

I do not have time to tell about Gideon and Barak…

Hebrews 11:32 

The writer of Hebrews, running out of time and space in his exposition of the faithful, lists six men of faith by name only.  Let’s take a look at their lives…

Gideon:  Gideon was from the tribe of Manasseh.  He was called by an angel of the Lord to deliver Israel from the Midianites.  He gathered together a huge army of 32,000 men, which God whittled down to just 300. In the middle of the night, they surrounded the Midian army, armed with only a trumpet, a torch and a jar.   Gideon’s men smashed the jars, blew the trumpets, and held high their torches.  The Midianites became disoriented, started killing each other, and finally fled into the night with Gideon and his 300 men in hot pursuit.

Barak:  Barak was from the tribe of  Naphtali.  Deborah the prophetess called him to lead a military campaign against the Canaanites, who had cruelly oppressed the people of God for over twenty years.  Barak gathered 10,000 men from his tribe and the tribe of Zebulun.  Barak accepted the leadership of the army only on condition that Deborah would go with them.  She agreed, saying: This day the Lord has given them into your hands.  Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?    Strengthened in faith, Gideon and his army drove out the army of the Canaanites.