How does Tola's story encourage us to trust God's timing and leadership? Tola steps onto the scene “After Abimelek, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, arose to deliver Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.” (Judges 10:1) • The nation has just endured Abimelek’s bloody reign (Judges 9). • No fanfare announces Tola. Scripture introduces him with a single, quiet sentence—yet God calls him “to deliver Israel.” • Verse 2 adds that he judged twenty-three years, then passed away and was buried. A long, steady ministry—recorded in only two verses—reminds us that significance in God’s eyes isn’t measured by human headlines. God’s timing: perfect, never hurried • Israel is reeling from Abimelek’s tyranny. At that precise moment, God “arose” Tola—His calendar, not Israel’s panic, sets the schedule (cf. Psalm 31:15, “My times are in Your hands”). • Throughout Scripture the pattern repeats: – Moses arrives when Israel’s bondage cries reach fullness (Exodus 2:23-25). – David is anointed years before the throne opens (1 Samuel 16; 2 Samuel 5). – “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son” (Galatians 4:4). • Tola’s brief introduction invites us to rest: if God can slot a nearly unknown judge into history with flawless precision, He can order our steps as well (Proverbs 3:5-6). God’s leadership: steady through ordinary seasons • Tola lives in Shamir, not a strategic capital. God often leads from unlikely places (Micah 5:2). • No miracles, battles, or prophetic speeches are recorded—just two decades of stability. Quiet obedience can be God’s chosen tool for national healing. • This encourages believers who labor in obscurity: unseen faithfulness still advances the kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:58). Lessons for trusting today • Wait without anxiety—His timing never misfires. • Follow without demanding spectacle—He guides through everyday faithfulness. • Remember that leadership is service: Tola “arose to deliver,” not to dominate, reflecting Jesus, the ultimate Judge who came “not to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). Christ foreshadowed: the true Deliverer • Every judge hints at the greater Deliverer. Where Tola provided local, temporary relief, Christ grants eternal salvation (Hebrews 9:12). • As the Father appointed the perfect moment for Tola, He appointed the exact hour for the cross (Acts 2:23). Trusting God’s timing in our own lives flows from trusting His timing in redemption itself. Takeaway list: anchoring trust in God’s timing and leadership – God inserts the right person at the right moment. – Length of service isn’t measured by visibility but by faithfulness. – Ordinary seasons are still God-led seasons. – The flawless timing that sent Tola, and later Jesus, guarantees He won’t be late for you. |
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