The Hall of Faith: Barak

EXPOSITORY ARTICLE | Chad Brewer | Huntsville, Alabama

Much head-scratching, and possibly some bald spots, have resulted from the last few names mentioned in Hebrews 11. How much we wish that time had not failed the Hebrew writer so that he could have more fully explained their inclusion in this list! The names can be jarring and seemingly out of place, including some men that we would have
never placed on the list of those of faith.

Perhaps it is for this precise reason that they are included in this list by the Holy Spirit. I will not claim to know all, most, or even some of the answers to our queries. But perhaps, by careful examination, we might come to a deeper understanding.

Barak, from Judges 4, seems like a man destined to end up on a list of men without faith. The first time his name is mentioned, it is in a reprimand by Deborah. She refers to a previous (unrecorded) summons by God for Barak to gather the men at Mount Tabor, calling out 10,000 men from Naphtali and Zebulun to go out against Sisera. Seemingly, this is a summons that was ignored.

The next time his name is mentioned, he agrees to obey God’s command if and only if Deborah goes with him. We might be willing to give Barak the benefit of the doubt, since Deborah was the judge, and judges were the ones who seemed to lead the offensive against the enemy. But there is an immediate rebuke, with God promising to give the glory of the victory not to him, but to a woman.

When we look at this, we might ask, “Faith? What faith?” And yet, the Hebrew writer includes his name in the list of those who acted by faith. So let’s look at four things from this text concerning Barak.

Barak’s Hesitation vs. His Faithful Action

Barak is called by Deborah to lead Israel against Sisera, but he insists that she accompany him (Judges 4:8). While this might appear as a lack of faith, he still ultimately obeys God’s command and leads the army to victory. His dependence on Deborah might reflect uncertainty, but not outright disbelief— he still trusts in God’s word. It is much less faith and trust than God deserves, but it is enough faith to lead him to action.

We will probably hesitate when doors of opportunity are set before us. We might even insist that we cannot walk into challenging situations until there is someone by our side to share those fears and uncertainties with. While this is less than ideal, it is something that God can work with. Don’t count yourself out if you hesitate. Keep working to have your faith grow and abound.

Faith in God’s Victory, Not His Own

Unlike some of the other judges, Barak does not seek personal glory. Deborah prophesies that the honor of killing Sisera will go to a woman (Judges 4:9), yet Barak does not refuse to fight. His willingness to move forward, even without being the one to claim the final victory, demonstrates humility.

For many today, the thought of earthly glory remains a motivating force in our acts of righteousness. This is the impetus behind Jesus’s warning in Matthew 6:1, where He tells us to beware of doing our deeds to be seen by others. He goes further to address the insidious desire we have for our hidden deeds to become quietly known or even to praise ourselves for them. This is why we are not to let our right hand know what our left hand is doing. We must stamp out this desire for glory-seeking. Barak, however, is willing to act even after he knows there is no glory in it for him – possibly even dishonor, as has been handed down for centuries.

Hebrews 11 Highlights Acts of Faith, Not Perfection

The individuals in Hebrews 11 were not flawless. Gideon doubted, Samson was reckless, and David sinned grievously. Moses had a pretty treacherous false start that ended in murder. Sarah originally laughed before finding faith. Abraham was clearly willing to deceive and to listen to Sarah’s foolish idea of how God’s plan was going to work. The list can go on, but what unites them is that they ultimately acted in faith. Barak, though hesitant at first, still led the charge and trusted God’s promise.

We are not perfect people. We need to remember that Hebrews 11 is written by the Holy Spirit to us, in our imperfections, calling for us to take actions in faith. God knows our frame and remembers that we are but dust. He knows that we have fallen short of His glory and that we have often put Him to open shame. Yet He is gracious and longsuffering, willing that ones such as us could become His workmanship. Barak helps bring this point home.

A Faith That Grew in Action

Judges 5 (the song of Deborah and Barak) portrays him as one who “led captives away” (Judges 5:12). His faith was not static. He stepped forward despite his reservations and played a crucial role in delivering Israel. This is consistent with the entirety of Scripture. Faith can grow or it can fade. People are not who they are in a moment, but who they grow to be. Some have an explosion of faith that fades to nothing through neglect. Others have faith that grows by constant effort and attention.

The same holds true for us. If we have demonstrated remarkable faith in the past, that is no guarantee of continued faithfulness in the future. We are to be those who grow and increase in our faith. If we are among those who could be deemed “of little faith,” we are not condemned to remain there. Remember that faith can be like a mustard seed that grows larger than any of the problems in the garden of our hearts. But for our faith to grow, we must act. Taking steps in faith helps us grow deeper in our faith.

Not much is said about Barak, and it might be foolishness to say too much, lest we talk confidently about things which we do not know. But suffice it to say, the Hebrew writer, and more importantly the Holy Spirit, deemed Barak worthy of our consideration while studying acting in faith. While I would love to imagine myself as Joseph, most likely I wouldn’t even measure up to Barak. Thanks be to God for His lovingkindness to use one such as I!

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April 2025 | GROW magazine
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