Two Minor Judges Series

Text: Judges 10:1-5

Theme: Two Minor Judges

Introduction:

Tola and Jair are two simple minor Judges. They are minor because their stories end in small passages. Tola was a man of Issachar, son of Puah, the son of Dodo. He lived in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim. Some scholars suggest Shamir later became Samaria. It may be Sanûr, eight miles north of Samaria. He judged for 23 years. Jair was of Gilead. He led Israel for twenty-two years. During these two judges of Israel enjoyed peace and prosperity. Tola and Jair served as judges, some scholars call them "minor" or "secondary" judges. The five Minor Judges are Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon. No record of their exploits has been preserved (Judges 12:8-15).

TOLA:

Tola means ‘the crimson worm or red/purple worm.’ This name was used by two people in the Bible. The first Tola was the oldest of Issachar's four sons (Genesis 46:13; Numbers 26:23; 1 Chronicles 7:1). He was the head of a clan known as Tolaites. The second Tola is the minor Judge. He is the only judge whose ancestral information extends three generations. “Nothing more is known of Tola than what is here told us, viz., his name, his parentage, his dwelling-place, his office, the length of time which he held it, and the place of his burial.” (Pulpit Commentary).

The sentence ‘Tola saved Israel’ suggests that he was an administrator, a charismatic leader raised in a time of trouble. The description of Tola, especially right after the horrors of the reign of Abimelech, leads us to hope for a return to the “good old days” of Joshua, Othniel, and Deborah, where the judges were more trustworthy, courageous, and pious.

God called him and inspired him and he did not exalt himself like Abimelech. God raised him like any other judge (Judges 2:16, 2:18; 3:9,3:15, 3:31). He did not fight against enemies as some Judges did. He was a prudent man and ran a pious government. He kept them from sedition, oppression, and tyranny, as well as from idolatry. Abimelech plummeted Israel into the depths of depravity, tribal disunity, and civil war.

JAIR:

It means ‘he who enlightens’. He judged in a totally different part of the country than Tola, on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead. He had a number of wives and thirty sons, each of whom ruled a town. The fact that they rode on ass colts stresses their position and dignity. It seems that Jair and his sons were more concerned with building power for themselves than with saving Israel. Many sons are not evidence of great prosperity but great depravity.

Dr. Dale Ralph Davis sums up Jair’s judgeship this way: “We need not begrudge Jair his success, his influence, his evidently peaceful administration. Yet surely, we understand him. In all our ways there is this subtle urge to secure our position, to display our status, to extend our influence, to guarantee our recognition. Christ’s servants seldom care to be servants as they are called to be.”

Conclusion: Their time was a quiet and peaceable reign. The best to live in. They were humble, active, and useful men, rulers appointed by God. God wanted us to know that He cares for His people He can use great men like Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and sometimes with unknowns like Tola and Jair. Tola showed us the goodness of God, and Jair showed us the pride of man. We want recognition, we want power, we want security.

Judges 10:5 records that Jair died. It reminds us how great we may be on the earth, how wealthy we may be, and how big may be our men power at home and office. Death is inevitable. We need to be careful about the blessings God has given us and be accountable to God and people.

Discussion:

Evaluate the statement: “The quality of life is more important than the length of days on the earth.”

(Ref: Bibleref.org; Biblehub.org; Christianstudylibrary.org; Biblestudy.org; Austin Precept)