We stand on the shoulders of giants, we often say — brave pioneers have gone before us, carved out new paths and set precedents for us, demonstrating by their faith journeys what God can do. Now we know. The precedent has been set.
Pioneers who set a precedent
The “hall of fame” in Hebrews 11 listing heroes of the faith is a classic case in point. Abraham had no idea at the time that his epic faith marathon would be a source of encouragement for millions in his wake, and Joseph’s story of being raised from prison to the palace as God promised has been a lifeline for many who feel stuck in a pit.
Through faith, we are told, these heroes and others like them conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight and received back their dead by resurrection.
By reading the stories of these pioneers our faith is expanded. We can see what God has done in the past…
…And if He’s done it before He can do it again.
The inspiration of this faith-expanding precedent-setting can be seen at work even within the pages of the Bible itself. Many of Elisha’s miracle stories, for example, are based on the infrastructure of faith laid down by Elijah before him. The two had been together for some time before God took Elijah up to heaven, giving ample time for sharing stories. That’s why Elisha knew what was possible. Elijah had pioneered the path.
In 1 Kings 17 Elijah rescues a widow by making her oil miraculously refill indefinitely and then brings her son back from the dead by stretching out on him until he breathed again.
In 2 Kings 4, Elisha encounters another widow on the brink who tells him: “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Immediately Elisha knows what to do. He knows bottomless refills are possible, because Elijah set the precedent before him.
“Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few,” Elisha tells her. Many, many bottles of oil later and the widow can pay of her debts and is saved.
Further down in the same chapter, the Shunammite’s son suddenly gets ill and dies. This Shunammite woman who had cared for Elisha so well was beside herself, but Elisha knows about what to do in this scenario too. The stakes were high but thanks to Elijah’s precedent, Elisha knew it was possible. He goes in, closes the door, and prays in the same manner Elijah had done. The boy came back to life.
I wonder if it was this sort of principle at work in Jaffa when Dorcas the kindly seamstress died. Her other name was Tabitha, or “Tabita” as it would be pronounced here. Peter had been summoned to pray for her and called out “Tabita, kumi!” which means “Tabitha, arise!” Now Peter was one of the few present when Yeshua commanded a little girl to get up from the dead, proclaiming, “Talita, kumi!” which means “Little girl, arise!” Peter had witnessed the miracle with his own eyes and knew it could be done. It seems to me that Yeshua not only set the precedent at the end of Mark 5 but left a clue to spark faith, because in Acts 9 Peter copied the example he was given, almost word for word.
Raising our levels of expectation
One of the things that limits our faith is our own mind and imagination. It can be hard to conceive of the miraculous. But once a pioneer, a hero of faith, has done it the precedent is set and what we thought to be impossible is now in grasp of our imagination. Faith rises. We can see it.
This raising of expectations can also be seen in the natural. Consider the history of sprinting and the breaking of mental barriers as to what is humanly possible.
The first world record for the 100 meter dash was by Donald Lippincott who completed the race in an impressive 10.6 seconds in 1912. It was only after some 50 years that Jim Hines managed to break through the formidable ten second barrier in 1968. However once someone had set the precedent, the floodgates opened. Suddenly every athlete knew it was possible. The mindset changed and the challenge seemed achievable in a way it simply wasn’t before.
Similarly the pioneers in the physical land of Israel carved a path for others to follow, the first waves laying down the groundwork at great cost to themselves. Many lost their lives through malaria and hardship as they struggled to make the marshy or desert land inhabitable and suitable for farming in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Yet it was those pioneers who opened the way for many to follow in their footsteps in the decades to come.
Later, the path became well worn and the way was considerably easier. This too is a principle of pioneering. The first ones to set the precedent pay the highest price. We who come later enjoy the fruit of their success.
We stand on the shoulders of giants, as Isaac Newton said.
Modern day heroes of faith
When we see miracles first hand we gain experiential knowledge of what God can do, but we can also raise our faith levels by reading accounts of miracles second hand. Indeed, the Scripture encourages us to do just that.
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)
The Bible encourages us not just to consider the heroes of the Bible but also to look back on our own leaders — those who carved the path of faith before us and set an example for us to follow:
“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)
Do you have faith heroes whose stories inspire you? Are you aware of leaders whose faith walk is worth emulating? Remember them! Take note of their lives and learn from them.
And we can be pioneers too, for ourselves and others.
We can carve new neurological pathways in our own minds, training ourselves to think according to God’s word rather than be buffeted around by anxieties and sinful thoughts. As always, it is hard when you start out but once the path has been travelled enough it becomes far easier. While it might feel unnatural at first to think God’s way, by years of practice our old worldly ways become more unfamiliar and unnatural to us that the new path we have carved with God’s help.
Every child of God has access to all the riches of heaven and your life can be peppered with miracle stories that inspire others too. The cost may be high, but it will be worth it. Just think of how much we benefit from the example of others and their faith. You can be that hero too.
“Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” (Hebrews 11:35-38)
Main photo by Simon on Unsplash
