Faith’s Hall of Fame: Barak (Part 1)

Faith’s Hall of Fame: Barak (Part 1)

Hebrews 11:32

“And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of … Barak …”

The next name in the Hall of Fame of Faith is Barak. And if I had to guess, about 70% of you are thinking right now, “Who?”

So, here’s what I’m going to do. This will be a two-part message. I’ll spend today explaining the story of Barak and tomorrow, we’ll take out our magnifying glass and see what Barak’s story teaches us about our own faith.

The story of Barak is found in Judges 4-5 but he is actually not the main character. He is part of Deborah’s story. Deborah was a prophetess and judge over Israel, which had again turned away from God after the death of Ehud. God allowed them to fall under the oppressive rule of a Canaanite military commander named Sisera. Sisera’s army had 900 iron chariots, making him nearly invincible by ancient military standards.

God spoke through Deborah, who summoned Barak from Kedesh and relayed God’s command:

“Go, march to Mount Tabor, and take with you 10,000 men … I will draw out Sisera and give him into your hands.” (Judges 4:6–7)

Barak told Deborah:

“If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.”(Judges 4:8)

This strange mix of faith and hesitation is what makes Barak so intriguing. He trusted God’s Word, but then he needed Deborah’s presence for courage and assurance.

He gathered his troops, routed Sisera’s army with God’s help (confusion and likely a torrential rain), and Sisera fled - only to be killed later. Israel enjoyed peace for 40 years.

So, the big question is this: why is Barak honored in Hebrews 11:32 as a man of faith? He was initially reluctant and needed the support of Deborah before he would commit.

We’ll dig out the details and the deeper meaning in this story tomorrow.