Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadWilliam Burkitt Notes and Observations - Hebrews 11:32 - 11:32
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
In these and the following verses, our apostle sums up the remaining testimonies which he might have produced to show the great things which faith had assisted persons to do, and also enabled them to suffer the hardest and most terrible things that could be encountered with; in the verses now before us, an account is given us, of the great things of all sorts, which faith has enabled to do; particularly, it was faith that made them fearless whom God raised up, in the days of the judges, to conflict with the enemies of the church; it was faith that assisted them in the combat, and rendered them victorious in the conflict; it was faith rendered Gideon successful over the Midianites, Barak over the Canaanites, Samson ever the Philistines, Jephthah over the Amorites, David over the Jebusites and Moabites: it was faith in the promise of God that made them courageous, and rendered them victorious; there is nothing so great, so difficult, or seemingly insuperable, that should hinder us from acting faith in all things, even things more great and excellent than the conquest of earthly kingdoms.
Observe next, Our apostle having enumerated the persons believing, he now reckons up the noble acts and honourable achievements of their faith, Through faith they subdued kingdoms: So did Joshua subdue all the kingdoms in Canaan, and David all the kingdoms about it, viz. Moab, Ammon, Edom, Syria, and the Philistines: thse were subdued by faith because what they did was in obedience to God's command, and in the accomplishment of his promises, for he has given all those kingdoms by promise to the Israelite, before they were subdued by them; thus they are said to subdue kingdoms by faith.
Yet note, That they made use of all their heroic virtues besides faith; courage valour, military skill, and military statagems; faith excites all graces and virtues, and puts them in motion.
Wrought righteousness; they executed the judgments of God on the enemies of the church, and administered justice impartially to all that were under their rule and government; and this working righteousness is a fruit of faith, for unbelief is the cause of all the injustice and oppression that is in the world.
Obtained promises; that is, the good things promised: so did Abraham by faith obtain a promised son, Joshua a promised Canaan, David a promised kingdom; but there was a great space of time between the promise and the performance, which put their faith sometimes hard to it.
Stopped the mouths of lions; thus Daniel, chap. 6 because he believed in his God, Heb_11:23 Deu_6:23 and the faith which heretofore stopped the mouths of lions, can stop the rage of the most savage oppressors and persecutors, whenever God pleases.
Quenched the violence of fire; so did the three children's faith, Deuteronomy 3. In Daniel, chapter 3, we discover, through faith, that, not a hair of their head was singed. They knew not which way God would deliver them, but they committed themselves to the omnipotency and sovereignty of God in the discharge of their duty, with a full persuasion that one way or other he would deliver them.
Escaped the edge of the sword; as did David the sword of Goliath and Saul, though sometimes his fear prevailed that he should one day perish by the sword of Saul. Fear may be in cases of danger, and yet faith at the same time have the principal conduct of the soul; by faith David escaped the edge of the sword; so did the Jews the sword of Haman, and Elijah the sword of Jezabel, Out of weakness were made strong; some apply this to Gideon and his three hundred men, Jdg_7:15, others to Hezekiah, who by the power of faith was, in a wonderful manner recovered, and restored from a desperate sickness to perfect health, Isa_38:1-21. Waxed valiant in fight; so did Joshua.
Gideon, Barak, Jephthah, and David, who through faith in the promise, and of the presence of God with them, feared neither the number nor strength of their enemies. David often declares, that God girded him with strength to the battle, and taught his hands to war, and his fingers to fight; so that though an host encamped against him yet his heart was not afraid.
Turned to flight the armies of the aliens; those aliens were the Heathens and Idolaters, Philistines and the Midianites, who were enemies to Israel, and the the God of Israel, and they made them fly, and turned their backs; for as they fought for God out of a principle of faith, so God fought for them, according to the faithfulness of his promise, which was the ground of their confidence and courage.
Women received their dead raised to life again; this is applied to the widow of Zerephath, and the Shunamite, 2Ki_4:36; 1Ki_17:23. They were raised by the prophet's faith, and received by their mothers, when raised, with joy and thankfulness.
These ten instances did the apostle select and choose out of many, to give, of the great things that had been done through faith, thereby to assure the Hebrews, and us with them, that there is nothing too hard nor difficult for faith to effect, when it is set on work, and managed according to the power of God.