Faith Made Perfect (Judges ch. 4; Heb. 11:32-34, 39-40; 12:1-2)                                                                  2008.12.21    Pastor Richard Yu

 I recently had a long conversation with a brother who was worried about his job situation in the current economic downturn. Our conversation brought out the important fact that our faith needs to be exercised, it needs to be lived out, rather than simply talked about. We need to learn to exercise our faith, to live out our trust in the Lord – especially when facing an uncertain future.

The story of Barak, a military man under the leadership of Judge Deborah, is also mentioned in the Book of Hebrews as one of the heroes of faith (11:32-34). So perhaps from the story of how Barak lived out his faith in his time we can learn something about how we might live out our faith in our time. Let me suggest three aspects of how Barak lives out his faith for your consideration:

First, Barak lives out his faith through courage. He is told that he must lead an army into battle against a force of vastly superior weaponry. Yet he went. At this time the Bronze Age was ending and the Iron Age beginning. Those nations with the ability to make iron tools and weapons were virtually invincible against those who could not. An iron chariot could charge through foot soldiers life a hot knife cutting through butter. The Israelites could muster 10,000 men, but their enemy had 900 iron chariots along with all the other men. This was more than a match for the Israelites. In human terms, it would be a slaughter. Is God placing before you, like Barak, a life situation in which you’ll need a lot of courage to do? How can you respond in faith?

 Second, Barak lives out his faith though humility. He is told that he must be prepared for the fact that, despite all the courageous military operations he would have to conduct, the honor of winning the battle against their enemy would not be his (4:9). A woman, Deborah was the drive for the military campaign, and another woman, Jael, would strike the final triumphant blow. So Barak would not get the glory. Yet he went. It would have taken remarkable maturity for a man to be willing to share the honor of battle with a woman. Is God calling you, like Barak, to do something for which you won’t get much credit? How can you respond in faith?

Third, Barak lives out his faith through obedience to God’s Word. Deborah is a prophetess, and her instruction to Barak is more than “advice.” She says, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go. . . ‘” (4:6) And for a second time, she says to him, “Go! . . .Has not the LORD gone ahead of you?” (4:14) On account of these words, he charges down the mountainside to meet the attacking enemy. His action springs from his obedience to the Word of the LORD as it comes through Deborah.

Are you in the habit of obeying what you have come to know as God’s will and leading in your life? How can you respond in faith? Are you in the habit of acting on the Biblical truth you learned? Or you simply tuck them away in your head as background information?

Furthermore, in the exercise of his faith, Barak conforms to the pattern of the great Deliverer – Jesus Christ, who empties Himself of glory and becomes a man, takes on the form of a servant, and becomes obedient even unto death (Phil. 2:6-8). Through Barak’s humble, obedient faith, God rescues His people. Jesus Christ would do the same thing on the cross to save mankind.

Nevertheless, the author of the Book of Hebrews tells us that even though Barak, along with the others, were commended as heroes of faith, they did not receive what had been promised and that they were to be made perfect with something better (cf. Heb. 11:39-40). But now the promise has been fulfilled; the Christ to whose day they looked forward has come and by His self-offering and His high-priestly ministry in the presence of God He has procured perfection for them – and for us. They and we together now enjoy unrestricted access to God through Christ, as fellow-citizens of the heavenly kingdom.

The “something better” that God has planned for them and for us embraces the better hope, the better promises, the better covenant, the better sacrifices, the better rest, the better and abiding inheritance, and the better resurrection. Therefore, the author of the Book of Hebrews encourages us to throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles us, and to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.