The Patriarchs of old were able to exercise the miraculous in
their lives through faith released by confession. We only need to look at the
life of Joshua to find out how faith worked in the Old Testament and how it
works today, "For by it (faith) the
elders obtained a good report" (Heb 11:2). Joshua obtained a good
report through faith together with the other elders. The incident in the life
of Joshua where he exercised and released faith through confession was at the
time he made the sun and moon to stand still during a battle with the Amorites.
"Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in
the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel,
and he said in the sight of Israel, SUN, STAND THOU STILL UPON GIBEON; AND
THOU, MOON, IN THE VALLEY OF AJALON. AND THE SUN STOOD STILL, AND THE MOON
STAYED, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this
written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven,
and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that
before it or after it, that THE LORD HEARKENED unto the voice of a man: for the
LORD fought for Israel" (Jos 10:12-14). Notice that Joshua did not
speak to the Lord and ask Him to hold the sun, but rather he boldly said, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon;
and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon". This was when he spoke to
the mountain and the mountain had to obey him and was cast into the sea as
Jesus said (Mk 11:23). The sun and the moon obeyed his voice because his faith
was acting as a servant and made supper for him as he rested (Lk 17:8). We are
told that the Lord hearkened to the voice of a man, simply because the man made
a confession of faith. When Joshua made this confession, the sun and moon
obeyed just like they would obey their creator, "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people
had avenged themselves upon their enemies."
Another man who
exercised the power of the spoken word is David. Before the battle with
Goliath, David made bold faith confessions that enabled him to be victorious
over the giant, "Then SAID David to
the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a
shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee
into mine hand; and I WILL SMITE THEE, and TAKE THINE HEAD FROM THEE; and I
WILL GIVE THE CARCASSES OF THE HOST OF THE PHILISTINES THIS DAY UNTO THE FOWLS
OF THE AIR, AND TO THE WILD BEASTS OF THE EARTH; that all the earth may know
that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD
saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and HE WILL GIVE
YOU INTO OUR HANDS" (1Sa 17:45-47). David made three specific confessions
that were fulfilled and enforced by the faith servant. The first confession
was, "This day will the LORD
deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee". The second
confess was that David would cut off his head, "Iwill... take thine head from thee". The third
confession was that, "I will give
the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the
air, and to the wild beasts of the earth." Each of these three
confessions were fulfilled in their order, the first confession was fulfilled
when, "...David put his hand in his
bag, and took thence a stone, and slung it, and smote the Philistine in his
forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and HE FELL UPON HIS FACE TO
THE EARTH" (1Sa 17:49). The second confession was fulfilled after the
stone had killed Goliath, "Therefore
David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out
of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and CUT OFF HIS HEAD therewith. And when
the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled" (1Sa 17:51).
The third confession of the Philistines being killed and left for wild animals
was shortly fulfilled, "And the men
of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until
thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the
Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto
Ekron" (1Sa 17:52). Each of the three confessions of faith were
fulfilled because God created the world by faith and He expects His children to
act like Him and obtain victory through the spoken word.
Labels: Article