When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. - Proverbs 16:7
Last Sunday we spoke about Abimelech - the “anti-judge”. Though some Bible students do, I side with those who do not accept him as 1 of the 12 judges listed in the book of Judges. He was not called or empowered by God to deliver any Israelites from the hands of their enemies. On the contrary, Abimelech was an evil king who reigned over the city and vicinity of Shechem.
Therefore, the 5 actual judges we’ve discussed thus far are: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, and Gideon. In today’s message, we will introduce the next 2 judges - Tola and Jair. Both were minor judges, again meaning that we don’t have many details about their lives. Nevertheless, we do know a few things about them so let’s take a look…
I. TOLA (Judges 10:1-2)
After Abimelech was killed, Tola became the 6th judge in Israel. He was the son of Puah and the grandson of Dodo. Tola was from the tribe of Issachar, but lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. God raised him up to save Israel, though the Bible doesn’t say from what or from whom. Tola judged Israel 23 years before his death and burial in his hometown Shamir.
Tola was a member of the tribe of Issachar, yet he lived in Shamir. Shamir was located in the northern region of Ephriam, near the borders of Manassah and Issachar. Tola lived outside of his tribal region, an indication that the tribes were becoming less distinct and more blended in their relations with one another. This trend would eventually lead to the coalescence of the tribes into a single nation with a unified identity.
The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who Tola delivered Israel from or how he did so. Various theories have arisen pertaining to this question. Personally, I think that his residence in the city of Shamir might be a clue. Shamir was not far from Shechem, the city that Abimelch destroyed after his 3 year reign. It is quite possible that Tola delivered Israel from the chaotic aftermath of Abimelech’s murderous kingship by leading the rebuilding and restoration of Shechem, as well as revival and renewal in the hearts of the people who’d been affected.
II. JAIR (Judges 10:3-5)
After Tola, Jair arose and judged Israel for 22 years. He was from Gilead, just beyond the Jordan River on the eastern side. Israelites who lived in Gilead were members of the half-tribe of Manasseh. Jair had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys and each ruled over their own city - 30 cities. Together, these cities became known as Havvoth-jair, which means the settlements of Jair. He died and was buried in Kamon in Gilead.
Jair was the 7th judge of Israel. He and his sons ruled over a network of cities. Some scholars have suggested that these were not necessarily his literal biological sons, but rather were simply young men who looked up to Jair like a father. It seems likely that Jair was wealthy and bountifully blessed by God. His time was apparently marked by calmness and order, as donkeys aren’t suited for warfare, but rather for peace. This foreshadows the coming of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who rode into Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey (Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, John 12:12–19).
III. AMMONITE OPPRESSION (Judges 10:6-18)
Following Jair’s death, the children of Israel returned to their evil and idolatrous practices. They served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, and the various pagan gods of the surrounding nations. The fury of the LORD burned against them and He sold them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites. The Israelites in Gilead, because of their proximity to the land of Ammon, suffered greatly. In addition, the sons of Ammon also crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land and oppressed the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. This affliction and distress persisted for 18 years.
Finally the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD and confessed their sins. God answered by reminding them of His past faithfulness. He pointedly questioned why they had not relied on Him for deliverance and sarcastically challenged them to look to the pagan gods they’d been worshiping for salvation. The Israelites cried out all the more, until God couldn’t bear their misery any longer. In accordance with His compassionate mercy, the LORD prepared to rescue His imperfect people yet again.
The adversarial Ammonites gathered their forces and camped somewhere in the region of Gilead. Meanwhile, the Israelites gathered an army together at Mizpah, also in Gilead. However, the men of Israel did not have anyone to lead them into battle. They declared that whoever would fill this position would be given leadership over all of the inhabitants of Gilead. Their statement set the stage for the sudden rise of the next judge… who we will introduce and discuss next week.
CONCLUSION
The judges can be classified into 2 categories based upon the circumstances and nature of their leadership. The first 5 judges delivered their tribes from the persecution of a specific, named enemy. Othniel rescued Israel from the king of Mesopotamia, Ehud saved them from the Moabites, Shamgar from the Philistines, Deborah from the Canaanites (with Barak’s help), and Gideon from the Midianites. They were used by God to save His people militarily.
However, there is no indication that either Tola or Jair faced such external persecution from an outside enemy. They judged over their respective tribes more diplomatically, focusing on the internal issues specific to Israel. They fostered an environment of righteousness and prosperity during a season of peace. Tola and Jair appeared to be more focus on domestic issues, such as infrastructure and the economy. You could say that, for almost 50 years, through godly leadership they delivered Israel from herself - from her own sin tendencies and habits that invariably led to God’s judgment.
As we continue our series together and highlight the remaining judges, consider for yourself if each was primarily a militaristic judge or a diplomatic judge. In fact, most of them displayed both characteristics. They may have begun by leading an army of God, but afterward they oversaw the people of God. It kind of reminds me of the contrast between King David and his son King Solomon.
Anywho… next Sunday we will continue this story. Who will Israel find to lead them into battle against the mighty Ammonites? Who will God provide as the next judge? Be here next week to find out. Until then, may the LORD bless and keep you.
Last Sunday we spoke about Abimelech - the “anti-judge”. Though some Bible students do, I side with those who do not accept him as 1 of the 12 judges listed in the book of Judges. He was not called or empowered by God to deliver any Israelites from the hands of their enemies. On the contrary, Abimelech was an evil king who reigned over the city and vicinity of Shechem.
Therefore, the 5 actual judges we’ve discussed thus far are: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, and Gideon. In today’s message, we will introduce the next 2 judges - Tola and Jair. Both were minor judges, again meaning that we don’t have many details about their lives. Nevertheless, we do know a few things about them so let’s take a look…
I. TOLA (Judges 10:1-2)
After Abimelech was killed, Tola became the 6th judge in Israel. He was the son of Puah and the grandson of Dodo. Tola was from the tribe of Issachar, but lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. God raised him up to save Israel, though the Bible doesn’t say from what or from whom. Tola judged Israel 23 years before his death and burial in his hometown Shamir.
Tola was a member of the tribe of Issachar, yet he lived in Shamir. Shamir was located in the northern region of Ephriam, near the borders of Manassah and Issachar. Tola lived outside of his tribal region, an indication that the tribes were becoming less distinct and more blended in their relations with one another. This trend would eventually lead to the coalescence of the tribes into a single nation with a unified identity.
The Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who Tola delivered Israel from or how he did so. Various theories have arisen pertaining to this question. Personally, I think that his residence in the city of Shamir might be a clue. Shamir was not far from Shechem, the city that Abimelch destroyed after his 3 year reign. It is quite possible that Tola delivered Israel from the chaotic aftermath of Abimelech’s murderous kingship by leading the rebuilding and restoration of Shechem, as well as revival and renewal in the hearts of the people who’d been affected.
II. JAIR (Judges 10:3-5)
After Tola, Jair arose and judged Israel for 22 years. He was from Gilead, just beyond the Jordan River on the eastern side. Israelites who lived in Gilead were members of the half-tribe of Manasseh. Jair had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys and each ruled over their own city - 30 cities. Together, these cities became known as Havvoth-jair, which means the settlements of Jair. He died and was buried in Kamon in Gilead.
Jair was the 7th judge of Israel. He and his sons ruled over a network of cities. Some scholars have suggested that these were not necessarily his literal biological sons, but rather were simply young men who looked up to Jair like a father. It seems likely that Jair was wealthy and bountifully blessed by God. His time was apparently marked by calmness and order, as donkeys aren’t suited for warfare, but rather for peace. This foreshadows the coming of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, who rode into Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey (Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, John 12:12–19).
III. AMMONITE OPPRESSION (Judges 10:6-18)
Following Jair’s death, the children of Israel returned to their evil and idolatrous practices. They served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, and the various pagan gods of the surrounding nations. The fury of the LORD burned against them and He sold them over to the Philistines and the Ammonites. The Israelites in Gilead, because of their proximity to the land of Ammon, suffered greatly. In addition, the sons of Ammon also crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land and oppressed the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Ephraim. This affliction and distress persisted for 18 years.
Finally the sons of Israel cried out to the LORD and confessed their sins. God answered by reminding them of His past faithfulness. He pointedly questioned why they had not relied on Him for deliverance and sarcastically challenged them to look to the pagan gods they’d been worshiping for salvation. The Israelites cried out all the more, until God couldn’t bear their misery any longer. In accordance with His compassionate mercy, the LORD prepared to rescue His imperfect people yet again.
The adversarial Ammonites gathered their forces and camped somewhere in the region of Gilead. Meanwhile, the Israelites gathered an army together at Mizpah, also in Gilead. However, the men of Israel did not have anyone to lead them into battle. They declared that whoever would fill this position would be given leadership over all of the inhabitants of Gilead. Their statement set the stage for the sudden rise of the next judge… who we will introduce and discuss next week.
CONCLUSION
The judges can be classified into 2 categories based upon the circumstances and nature of their leadership. The first 5 judges delivered their tribes from the persecution of a specific, named enemy. Othniel rescued Israel from the king of Mesopotamia, Ehud saved them from the Moabites, Shamgar from the Philistines, Deborah from the Canaanites (with Barak’s help), and Gideon from the Midianites. They were used by God to save His people militarily.
However, there is no indication that either Tola or Jair faced such external persecution from an outside enemy. They judged over their respective tribes more diplomatically, focusing on the internal issues specific to Israel. They fostered an environment of righteousness and prosperity during a season of peace. Tola and Jair appeared to be more focus on domestic issues, such as infrastructure and the economy. You could say that, for almost 50 years, through godly leadership they delivered Israel from herself - from her own sin tendencies and habits that invariably led to God’s judgment.
As we continue our series together and highlight the remaining judges, consider for yourself if each was primarily a militaristic judge or a diplomatic judge. In fact, most of them displayed both characteristics. They may have begun by leading an army of God, but afterward they oversaw the people of God. It kind of reminds me of the contrast between King David and his son King Solomon.
Anywho… next Sunday we will continue this story. Who will Israel find to lead them into battle against the mighty Ammonites? Who will God provide as the next judge? Be here next week to find out. Until then, may the LORD bless and keep you.