How does Tola's leadership compare to other judges in the Book of Judges? Setting the scene: the familiar cycle of Judges • Israel sins → God hands them over → Israel cries out → God raises a judge → rest in the land (Judges 2:11-19). • Tola appears immediately after the bloody reign of Abimelek (Judges 9), when the nation desperately needs stability. Introducing Tola, the quiet rescuer “After Abimelek, Tola son of Puah, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He was from Issachar, and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. Tola judged Israel twenty-three years, and when he died, he was buried in Shamir.” (Judges 10:1-2) Key observations • “Rose to save” – he is clearly God’s chosen deliverer, though Scripture records no specific battle. • From Issachar – a lesser-known tribe, reminding us God elevates the humble (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). • Twenty-three years – a generation of peace and order. How long did the judges serve? • Othniel – 40 years (Judges 3:11) • Ehud – 80 years (Judges 3:30) • Deborah & Barak – 40 years (Judges 5:31) • Gideon – 40 years (Judges 8:28) • Tola – 23 years (Judges 10:2) • Jair – 22 years (Judges 10:3-5) • Jephthah – 6 years (Judges 12:7) • Ibzan – 7 years (Judges 12:9) • Elon – 10 years (Judges 12:11) • Abdon – 8 years (Judges 12:14) • Samson – 20 years (Judges 16:31) Tola’s tenure sits in the middle range—long enough to signal divine blessing, short enough to keep attention on God rather than the man. Contrast of narrative detail • Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson receive lengthy, action-packed accounts. • Tola’s entire story is two verses—no exploits, speeches, or recorded failures. • The brevity teaches that steady faithfulness can be as important as dramatic victories. Leadership style and moral record • Gideon ends with an ephod that “became a snare” (Judges 8:27). • Jephthah makes the rash vow that costs his daughter (Judges 11:30-40). • Samson battles Philistines but battles lust even more (Judges 14–16). • Of Tola nothing negative is said. Scripture’s silence on scandal implies integrity and consistency. The crisis each judge faced • Othniel – Mesopotamian oppression (Judges 3:8). • Ehud – Moabite domination (Judges 3:12-14). • Deborah & Barak – Canaanite harassment (Judges 4). • Gideon – Midianite devastation (Judges 6). • Jephthah – Ammonite aggression (Judges 10:8; 11). • Samson – Philistine pressure (Judges 13). • Tola – unspecified troubles after Abimelek’s civil strife. God uses Tola to heal internal wounds rather than defeat an external foe. Tribal representation highlights God’s broad reach • Judah (Othniel) • Benjamin (Ehud) • Ephraim/Manasseh via Deborah & Gideon • Issachar (Tola) • Gileadite Manasseh (Jair, Jephthah) • Zebulun (Ibzan) • Dan (Samson) God refuses to let any tribe monopolize His work. Legacy of rest • After Gideon: “the land had rest forty years” (Judges 8:28). • After Ehud: “the land had rest for eighty years” (Judges 3:30). • During Tola: Scripture implies rest by listing no oppression for twenty-three years. Rest is the true fruit of godly leadership. Key takeaways from Tola’s comparison • God values faithfulness over fame; two verses can equal forty chapters of impact. • Deliverance can mean stabilizing a nation, not just winning a war. • The Lord raises leaders out of obscurity, reminding us He sees every tribe and family. • A spotless record, however brief, glorifies God more than dazzling exploits tainted by compromise. |
    |