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.