Faith for the Future Acts Now

Hebrews 11:30-35 

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.  32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again.  Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.

Faith led Joshua to lead God’s people to forgo the military strategies of siege walls and attacks on Jericho, instead using instruments of praise and marching around the city for days as a testimony of God’s power until the final shout of God’s victory brought the walls down (Joshua 6:8, 16, 20).  Joshua trusted Gods word to lead this way by obedience, and the people obeyed by faith also in following God’s lead.  Rehab was promised deliverance from that doomed city for her help to the spies of God’s people and realized that salvation by her faith.  Others we are reminded of here are the judges, leaders, and prophets of God who took Him at His word and so spoke with actions of demonstrated belief.  They trusted God against all visible odds because of His character and previous proven promises.  By faith they conquered those opposed to God, acted to reflect His righteousness, partook of the things promised them, and even stopped the ravenous lions as Daniel by faith when unjustly condemned for faithfulness to God. Even dead were raised (1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:32-37) by faith of the prophets Elijah and Elisha!  No matter the circumstances, these examples demonstrate faith in God even in torture and death, because they looked to a resurrection in God’s promised Messiah to stand before God at last, content and yearning for that day (Job 19:25-27).