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AM Bible Study Group; July 1, 2015 from Judges 10:1-5

Theme: The two ‘minor’ judges—Tola and Jair—show how God raises unique leaders for the times.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

We now come to the story of a couple of men in the Book of Judges that are—sadly—rather unworthily named. They are a part of that group that are called the ‘minor judges’. That name, however, has to do with the size of the portion of Judges that tells their story; and has nothing at all to do with their actual usefulness in the hand of God. We know some of the major judges rather well—Ehud, Debora (and Barak), Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson. But there are six of the judges for which we are given only the smallest amount of attention—Shamgar, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon; and as in the passage before us today, Tola and Jair. They may have been categorized in the ‘minors’—but in terms of God’s use of them, they definitely played in the majors!
The times being described to us come immediately after a great deal of turmoil in the land. That turmoil was caused by the rebellious son of Gideon called Abimelech (who, by the way, is not counted among the judges). These times parallel the times of the Book of Ruth; and you’ll remember that Ruth’s story begins with a great famine in the land (Ruth 1:1). Naomi and her daughters-in-law thought to return to their homeland because they had heard that God had visited the land again with blessing (v. 6); and this might be because the difficult days of Abimelech had come to and end, and new ‘judges’ were being given to minister to the people.
And the two successive judges that we find at the beginning of Chapter 10—Tola and Jair—when considered in the light of the small amount of details given about them—actually show how God provides two very different, quite unique leaders for particular times.
I. THE LEADERSHIP OF TOLA—A DELIVERER FOR THE TIMES (vv. 1-2).

After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim. He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir (Judges 10:1-2).

A. First, let’s note where this man Tola was from. He was born of the tribe of Issachar; whose territory was southwest of the Sea of Galilee. There is a strong and honored tradition of leaders from Isaachar that perhaps this man and his father were named after. One of the sons of Isacchar, for example, was a man named Tola (Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:23), and another was Puah (Numbers 26:23; 1 Chronicles 7:1). It would have been an honor to have been given the names of the great founding fathers of one’s tribe. And yet, we see this judge Tola didn’t live in the land of his birth. Rather, he lived “in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim”—further south. After he died, he was buried in this place—obscure to us today—called Shamir. Ephriam was a tribe and a place of honor. It was were Deborah lived and ministered (Judges 4:5); and it was where the tabernacle had been kept. But it was not Tola’s original home.
B. What might cause a man who had been named after one of his forefathers—and who’s father was also named after a forefather—to live in another place than his home, and to even be buried later in that place? Perhaps the answer is in what we’re also told about the nature of God’s calling on his life; that he was raised “to save Israel”. He was a deliverer of his people—and perhaps the task that God had raised him to necessitated that he live elsewhere. We’re not told of any particular battle he fought; but consider carefully the kind of times his people had just gone through. Abimelech’s conspiracy had caused a great deal of turmoil throughout the land; and though the crisis was over, there was still—no doubt—a great deal of unrest and ill-will. Consider too that the powerful tribe that Tola had taken up residence in had, in the days of Gideon, become very resentful for having been slighted during a key battle (Judges 8:1-3). They, as it turns out, harbored a bitterness that would flair up again later in a very disastrous way (see 12:1-7). Could it be that Tola was a “savior”in the sense that he helped keep the peace between the people of his land, and quieted the potential for unrest, and even guided them through a difficult ‘reconstruction’ period—even to the point of living in and being buried in a place where turmoil might have arisen? We’re told that he judged the people for twenty-three years—with the implication that they were times of peace. If that’s the case, then he truly was a deliverer for the times!
C. It may be that there are times that God raises someone up, not so much to accomplish something, but rather to keep something from happening. Peacemakers aren’t always noticed for what they do; but they make it possible for a lot of other good things happen. As it says in Psalm 133:1; “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” May God help us to be “deliverers” at critical times—deliverers who help make peace.
II. THE LEADERSHIP OF JAIR—AN ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE TIMES (vv. 3-5).

After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died and was buried in Camon (Judges 10:3-5).

A. Note that Jair arose “after” Tola; and he judged Israel for another twenty-two years. This makes for a total of 55 years of peaceful rule. And it may be that the “deliverance” that Tola was used to bring about helped make for the administrative reforms that Jair was able to bring about. It may be that God raised one to build on the foundation of the other.
B. Jair was a Gileadite—that is, from the region of Gilead that was on the other side of the Jordan from Tola’s birthplace; southeast of the Sea of Galilee. And just like Tola, Jair’s name had historic significance to the place of his birth. Another Jair—from the times of Moses—was used by God to take possession of some of the towns of Gilead for the tribe of Manasseh. Back then, the former Jair named this cluster of towns Havoth Jair (Numbers 32:40-41); which means “Tent Villages of Jair”. And that’s what this judge called Jair named the towns that his many sons supervised. In fact, those towns were still being called Havoth Jair—after this Jair—all the way up to the times of Samuel when the Book of Judges was written.
C. Whereas Tola was a peacemaker, Jair seems to have been an administrator. We’re told that he had thirty sons who wrote on thirty donkeys; and that they together had thirty towns under their care. Perhaps they rode throughout Havoth Jair a little like local sheriffs—keeping the peace. But let’s stop and take a warning from this. It may be that this time of administrative peace resulted in a loss for God’s people. For this man to have thirty sons, he would have had to have many wives—which, as we recall, was part of a downfall for Gideon in his times of luxury (Judges 8:30). And the fact that his sons road on thirty donkeys suggested something close to nobility and royalty; because in Scripture (though it obviously doesn’t mean this today), riding around on a donkey was a symbol of prestige and privilege. (This same status symbol comes up again later under the judgeship of Abdon; see 12:13-14).

* * * * * * * * * *

Tola’s judgeship brought relational peace, and Jair’s judgship brought administrative peace. But we might speculate that the prestige that came with peace led to a gradual decline in the spiritual state of God’s people; because when the story of Jair is over, we’re told, “Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the Lord and did not serve Him” (vv. 6-7).
Nevertheless, these were leaders for their times. We should pray—and trust—that God will raise up leaders over His people for our own times as well.

AM Bible Study Group; June 17, 2015 from Judges 8:22-32

Theme: The closing story of Gideon shows how even God’s most faithful servants need to take care to end well.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

One of the most pivotal moments in the history of our nation’s presidency occurred before General George Washington became president. Congress was broke, and the continental army that had given so much to defend the new nation remained uncompensated—and would, most likely, remain unpensioned. Some said that a disaster would fall upon post-war America unless Washington seized control of the government and declared himself king. His army would certainly have been supportive. But as tempting as it might have been for any other man, Washington refused to become America’s King George I, and urged his soldiers to be patient and sacrificial and look ahead to what would be good for future generations. Thus he refused the kingship that was being offered to him, and preserved the prospect of a true constitutional republic. If he had done the natural thing, and had surrendered to the temptation of a monarchy, our history would have been a very different one.
The same offer was made to Gideon. After the great victory God brought about through him, the nation offered him the kingship. He refused the offer—and yet, sadly, the story had a sad finish. The end of this great man’s story teaches us that even God’s most faithful servants need to take care to end well.
Note that . . .
I. HE REFUSED THE MONARCHY, BUT PERHAPS EXPECTED IT ONE DAY (vv. 22-23).
A. After the remarkable victory over the overwhelming forces of the Midianites—in which God miraculously gave Gideon’s army of 300 the victory over 135,000 solders—we’re told, “Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us, both you and your son, and your grandson also; for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian’” (v. 22). When we read of “the men of Israel”, it’s probably best to assume that what is meant is mainly the northern tribes—and not all of the tribes. But still, what an offer! This wasn’t merely the offer of a kingship. This was the promise of a monarchy—so that Gideon’s son and grandson would rule after him!
B. It may have been a very great temptation. After all, God promised—way back in the law of Moses—that there would come a time when the nation would not be ruled any longer by judges, but by kings. God even established rules in His law for the conduct of kings (See Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Since God had done so much through him already, it would have been natural for Gideon to think that this was his moment. “But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; the Lord shall rule over you’” (v. 23). What a noble refusal. He even affirmed to them that God was to be their Ruler. But do you notice that they spoke of his grandson, and that Gideon refused the monarchy only up to his son? It may be that he offered only a “qualified” refusal. After all, as we read on, we find that he named (or possibly re-named) his son through a Shecemite concubine ‘Abimelech’ (v. 31)—which means “My Father is King”. What’s more, we find later that this son from a concubine sought to overthrow the apparently recognized authority of his seventy half-brethren (9:1-5).
C. It seems that Gideon—all too human as he was—couldn’t entirely resist the allure of power. He may have ‘refused’ it in such a way as to at least allow for it to be a possibility later. That reminds us of a danger that even the strongest Christian might face. We reject a sinful desire now because it would be very unbecoming to give in to it in the present—but we might leave a space in our life for us to be able to come back to it later. We should remember the warning of Romans 13:14, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”
II. HE REQUESTED THE BOOTY, AND MADE IT INTO A SUMBLING BLOCK (vv. 24-27).
A. He refused the monarchy, but he did ask for something else. We’re told, “Then Gideon said to them, ‘I would like to make a request of you, that each of you would give me the earrings from his plunder.’ For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites” (v. 24). The Ishamelites were an Arab people who were famous for wearing much jewelry; and so, when he asked for just the earrings, he was actually asking a considerable amount. “So they answered, ‘We will gladly give them.’ And they spread out a garment, and each man threw into it the earrings from his plunder. Now the weight of the gold earrings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of gold” (vv. 24-26a)—which would have totaled anywhere between 40 to 60 lbs. in weight! This was a tremendous treasure! And they even gave him more then he asked; “besides the crescent ornaments, pendants, and purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were around their camels’ necks” (v. 26b).
B. Now; there was nothing wrong in this in and of itself. Consider that he had been offered the monarchy, but settled for the earrings. And consider that they were willing to give what he asked and much more beside! Gideon had been a poor man; but in very short order, he became the wealthiest man in Israel. But look what we’re told he did with it: “Then Gideon made it into an ephod and set it up in his city, Ophrah” (v. 27a). He certainly was no longer “weakest in Manasseh” and “least” in his father’s house (6:15). But what he did was fashion it into an ephod—a vest like garment that was typical of the priest of the temple (see Exodus 28:1-35; 39:1-26). This must have been a marvelously decked garment! And while receiving the booty was not wrong, what he did with it was.
C. We’re told, “And all Israel played the harlot with it there. It became a snare to Gideon and to his house” (v. 27b). Why was this so? It may have been because it was put up in a museum somewhere in his hometown, and people began to worship it. But some scholars believe that it was most likely because he meant for it to be an item not to so much be worshiped, but by which to worship. The tribe of Ephraim was not particularly strong or respected at this point (see 8:1-3); and it was in Ephraim that the tabernacle was located and that the priesthood served. If the priesthood was no longer considered strong—and if Gideon had come to think of himself as a unique instrument by which God spoke—then it may be that the ephod was an indication that he tacitly rejected the kingship but subtly claimed the priesthood in violation of God’s law that the priesthood could only be through the sons of Aaron. He may have been ensnared by the pride that ensnared a later and otherwise godly king—King Uzziah. Uzziah dared to bring incense into the temple where only the priest should go (see 2 Chronicles 26:16-21). And if the people went along with Gideon in this error, then it was a cause for spiritual ‘harlotry’ for them as well as a stumbling block for Gideon. What a dangerous thing a little pride is in the servants of God!
III. HE RETIRED IN PEACE, BUT PLANTED SEEDS OF LATER TROUBLE (vv. 28-32).
A. Finally, we’re told, “Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more. And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon” (v. 28). In spite of his faults at the end, God still used him and brought about a time of peace for His people. And Gideon himself was able to return home and enjoy the blessings of his new wealth. The Bible uses his old nickname of “Baal-Fighter” when it says, “Then Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house (v. 29).
B. But then comes the seeds of future trouble. We’re told, “Gideon had seventy sons who were his own offspring, for he had many wives” (v. 30). The Bible honestly admits polygamy in its heroes; but it never condones it. And here, we see the growing prosperous living of Gideon in that seventy sons come from many wives. These sons, as we pointed out earlier, might have served in a kind of ‘monarchy’—more along the lines of a nepotistic ruling council than anything else. And yet, Gideon also had a girlfriend—a concubine—on the side. She was very possibly a Canaanite woman. “And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech” (v. 31). We’re told, “Now Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the tomb of Joash his father, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (v. 32). But Abimalech would rise afterward, kill all those seventy sons, and seek to make himself dictator over his people. The next generation paid dearly for Gideon’s end-of-life indulgences. “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward” (3 John 8).

AM Bible Study Group; June 10, 2015 from Judges 8:4-21

Theme: The ‘second phase’ of Gideon’s battle teaches us the necessity of thoroughness in God’s call.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

In our study of the life of Gideon, we have found that he was faced with several challenges with respect to God’s call on his life. He was called by God to deliver his people from seven long years of oppression from the Midianites (6:1-24). And in rising to God’s call, we found that he had to overcome the challenge of Baal (Chapter 6), the Midianite forces (Chapter 7), and even the disunity of his own people (Chapter 8). But by God’s enabling, he overcame these obstacles; and with a remarkably small army of 300 soldiers, God used him to bring about a victory against odds that amounted to 400 to 1.
But that was what we might call the ‘first-phase’ of this battle. A second phase remained—what we might call the ‘clean-up’ phase. Out of the vast force of 135,000 Midianite solders, only 15,000 remained. That reduced the odds to 50 to 1—odds that still required that God must win the battle. And as this second phase of the battle shows us, God was sufficient, but His servant must be thorough. He could not leave the work at phase-one only half-way completed; but must bring the work to a full end.
Gideon was called to a literal military battle. We are called to fight a spiritual battle. But the need for us to be thorough in our completion of God’s call on our lives is just as vital as it was in the case of Gideon. Challenges will arise; but we must overcome them and finish the work. We can’t start off with faith in Jesus, and then quit only half the way with Him. We can’t say yes to His call for ministry, then leave the work before He says we’re done. We can’t make promises to others in the name of Jesus, and then not fulfill them. We cannot be baptized in Christ’s name, and then wander away and forget our baptism after the thrill has worn off. What would it have been like if Jesus had only brought about a half-way salvation for us? That’s not how He works; and neither should it be how we work for Him.
Note how this final stage of Gideon’s battle exemplifies for us . . .
I. THOROUGHNESS WHEN FACED WITH A LACK OF SUPPORT (vv. 4-9).
A. It would be very tempting for us to slack in God’s appointed work for us when we feel as if we are the only ones doing it—as if we were the only ones who cared. Gideon must have felt profoundly unsupported in the task that God had given him. To finish the work, and to bring an end to the remaining Midianite threat, he had to pursue the two kings of the Midianites, Zebah and Salmunna—and the 15,000 troops that ran back home to them—over a great distance across hot and dry wilderness. His 300 men were battle-weary and hungry. So naturally, he expected that the cities of Succoth and Penuel—Israelite cities along the way on the eastern side of the Jordan River—would want to support his troops with much needed food. But they refused—leaving Gideon and his troops hungry and unsupported.
B. There may have been a practical reason for this in the minds of the people of these two cities. They were on the eastern side of the Jordan—closest to the Midianites; and they were without the benefit of the more populous regions and the larger valley of the west to protect them. If they had been found to support Gideon in his campaign—and the campaigned failed—then they would be subject to the retribution of the Midianites later. Things were bad enough; and they didn’t want to make things worse. But it may also be possible that they weren’t motivated by fear; but rather, by something more sinister. It may be that they actually sought the favor of the Midianites, in spite of the things they suffered from them and in spite of God’s call for Gideon to defeat them. In any case, when Gideon asked for help, they gave the answer, “ Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your army?” (v. 6).
C. In the case of Succoth, Gideon promised, “For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!” (v. 7). And to Penuel he said, “When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!” (v. 9). These may seem like harsh words; but the circumstances were harsh too. Their lack of support was as much as if to wish that Gideon and his troops to be dead! Nevertheless, the lack of support didn’t stop Gideon. Most likely, God provided food for Gideon and his troops through other cities along the way. A lack of support from one source shouldn’t discourage us from believing that God will support us through another. When we feel we’re alone, we need to press on faithfully and remember that—through God—we are never alone!
II. THOROUGHNESS WHEN TEMPTED TO SETTLE FOR, ‘GOOD ENOUGH’ (vv. 10-12).
A. The fact that Gideon would go on—against such great odds, and over such a long distance, and with such a small army, and even after the forces of Midian had run away severely crippled—is truly amazing. Most of us by that point might have been tempted to think that the work that God called us to was sufficiently accomplished. The rest of the work is hard, and things are ‘good enough’. But the fact is that it wasn’t. The two kings remained alive; and they still had a force of 15,000 men. The hard work was far from over—and the danger of a Midianite uprising later was still very strong.
B. Scholars tell us that Gideon and his 300 men traveled a distance of 150 miles—across desolate nomadic paths—to reach the troops of Midian when “the camp felt secure” (v. 11). Perhaps even the Midianites thought that Gideon would be satisfied with ‘good enough’ and leave them alone. What a shock it must have been to them all when Gideon and his men appeared to finish the job! And it must be that God Himself gave the small band of 300 the victory; because we’re told “attacked the army while the camp felt secure. When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army” (vv. 11-12). ‘Good enough’ is not good enough in God’s work when the work remains undone. The call must be completed; and the full work must be finished.
III. THOROUGHNESS WHEN CONFRONTED WITH APATHY AND UNBELIEF (vv. 13-17).
A. The work is not really finished until even the attitudes that would lead to half-heartedness in God’s work are completely removed from our lives. If such attitudes are allowed to remain in us, they will creep up and hinder us in God’s work later. This is illustrated to us by the way that Gideon went back to the two unsupportive cities and kept his promise to them. He captured a young man from Succoth and got the names of the city leaders from him; and then he went back and showed them that he captured the two kings. Then we’re told that “he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth. Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city” (vv. 16-17).
B. This may seem harsh and vindictive to us; but let’s remember that their refusal to help—whether out of apathy, or fear, or pride—was, in essence, a denial and disbelief in the promises of God to Gideon and to His people. Their act of unbelief could have resulted in the death of Gideon’s army, and a failure to finish the job, and the eventual return of Midianite oppression. Their unbelieving lack of support amounted to support to the Midianites. Jesus warned us that if even our right hand, or our right foot, or our right eye causes us to sin, we must severe it from ourselves (Mark 9:42-48). Thoroughness in God’s work sometimes requires us to make some very drastic separations!
IV. THOROUGHNESS WHEN TEMPTED TO LET OTHERS FINISH THE TASK (vv. 18-21).
A. Because the story now involves Gideon’s young son, we can suspect that he was home again with his 300 troops. But he brought the two kings with him. And perhaps it was then that he discovered how thorough he truly had to be. He found that the two kings had killed several of his people at Mount Tabor. And when he asked the two kings about it, he discovered that they were Gideon’s relatives. He told them, “As the LORD lives, if you had let them live, I would not kill you” (v. 19). It became evident how dangerous these two kings were—what the potential losses could be to his own people if he allowed them to live.
B. But when it came time to finish this dreadful task, Gideon asked his young son to do the job. It may be that he wanted to humiliate the kings by letting a boy kill them. But the boy couldn’t do it. And the kings urged Gideon to do it. They may have been taunting Gideon when they said, “Rise yourself, and kill us; for as a man is, so is his strength” (v. 20); but it also may have been a last plea for honor. But in the end, Gideon himself finished the job and took the crescent ornaments that were on their camels’ necks. This illustrates for us that, when it comes to being completely thorough in God’s work, we mustn’t leave it to others to finish the task for us. We must do all of the work that God has given us to do, and do it all the way.

* * * * * * * * * *

Let’s learn from Gideon’s example not to live half-hearted Christian lives with a half-baked commitment to our Lord. When we stand before Him and give an accounting, He will not say, “50% well-done, thou half-good and partially faithful servant!” Instead, He tells us;

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-33).

May God make us a people who are—like Gideon—thorough in fulfilling His call on our lives!