Judges 10:1-18.  We don’t know much about the first and second rulers named in today’s reading.  Their stories don’t give us the typical cycle found in the book of Judges.  Many scholars think that the few extra Judges included were added to the story to bring the total number of Judges to twelve.  Different commentators have differing views on what that number means.  It seems to represent both completeness and human government in the Bible.  In the case of Judges maybe the author was trying to give us a complete picture of the failure of human government.  Even if the author had that kind of idea in mind God was in control of the writing of Judges and these two men are probably there for  more than making the number even (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  Issachar was one of the twelve tribe of Israel (See “The Twelve?”).

It is interesting in the previous stories about Gideon and Abimelech that Issachar is not mentioned.  Remember that Gideon’s story involved a valley called Jezreel, that is where the invaders camped. Manasseh, Gideon’s tribe owned a lot of land south of that valley on the west side of the Jordan River.  They also owned a lot of land east of the river where the Jezreel Valley “Ts” into the Jordan River Valley.  North of the Jezreel Valley is the territory belonging to Naphtali.  Also north of the valley were Asher and Zebulun.  These were all of the tribes originally called to battle by Gideon, basically surrounding the Midianites.  Later as the battle moved south and east Gideon called the Ephraimites out to fight with him.  They owned the territory south of Manasseh on the west side of the Jordan.  Gad owned the territory south of Manasseh on the east side of the Jordan.  It was between Manasseah and Gad on the east that the Midianites tried to escape up the Jabok River valley.  That is where Succoth was.  Issachar’s territory was between Manasseh’s territory and Naphtali’s where the Jezreel Valley and Jordan River Valley meet, right in the middle of the whole battle that Gideon fought.  All of the other tribes that were around the fighting were called but not Issachar.  Makes you wonder why.  Maybe they were too involved with the Midianite invaders, either completely oppressed or cooperating with them.  They were a smaller tribe.  Maybe it was some other reason.  The first deliverer in today’s reading is from Issachar and his name is Tola.  His name means “worm” (See “What’s in a Name”) and that probably was his real name not a nickname.

Manasseh was a huge tribe on the other hand, but size is not what matters to God, honoring Him is.  Gideon and Abimelech chose to honor themselves.  Maybe that is why there is no invader mentioned. The enemy was probably more of an attitude than an outside army (See Ephesians 6:12 and 1 John 2:16).   Now a “worm” comes to save Israel.  After his sort of short rulership, Manasseh is back on the scene.  The second minor judge mentioned is Jair a Gileadite, part of the tribe of Manasseh.  He had thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys (probably a sign of wealth and importance) and ruled thirty cities.  No “worms” here I guess.  Although his rule was 1 year shorter than Toah’s we see at the end of his reign a return to the cycle of sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence typical in the book.

This time the Philistines are the oppressor which God allows along with Ammonites.  The Ammonites were not part of the twelve tribes.  They lived in the desert land to the east of Gad.  It is interesting that the Philistines were originally from the coastland but now they are all the way over on the east of the Jordan in the territory of Gad (and Ammon).  They are sending out raiding parties back west across the river into the territories of Ephraim and Judah and Benjamin  (south of the Ephraimites).  With the first and second judges God heard the prayers for help and sent deliverers.  By the time of Gideon God starts to push them to remember how good He has been to them.  This time when the people beg for help God reminds them that He has helped them in the past but they keep running off, then He tells them, “NO!  Go talk to the looser gods you keep cheating on me with.”  The people begged more, told God he could do to them whatever he wanted, begged for help, and even got rid of their idols.  Some translations say God could not bear their suffering any longer.  The King James translation says “his soul was grieved”.  There are two Hebrew words here.  “Nephesh” which means “soul, life, person” and “”qatsar” which means “to reap or thresh”.  Threshing is how you get the seeds out of grain like wheat.  Wheat is like a grass and the seeds are in a little mini-cob like structure at the top of the stalk, surrounded by little leaves.  It’s just like a littel corn cob.  At the end of the season the wheat is cut and dried in big bundles.  After it dries out the wheat is taken to a big area where it is beat on the ground and the seeds fall off the “cob” along with the leaves and other plant junk.  the mess is shoveled up and thrown in the air where the wind blows away the leaves and junk and the heavier seeds fall back to the ground.  Eventually all that is left are the seeds.  That is what God felt like as he watched the Israelites suffer.  His very existence was beat up and tossed in the wind.  Then the invaders challenge the Israelites to a war.  Hmmmm, wonder what God is going to do.

I like it that God used a “worm” to fix Israel.  I also like it that he got a year more that the big powerful guy.  God’s response when we return to the cycle really does make me think that the invader in Tola’s case and probably Jair’s was the internal kind.  Actually that is the real invader throughout the book.  “Again Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord”.  And we all do too.  God is very patient.  He has great compassion.  In Matthew 7:7-11 Jesus tells us that if we keep on asking God will provide for us.  He is better than any earthly father.  But James tells us that we have to ask for things God would want us to have  (James 4:2-3).  But God is there listening watching for the smallest sign of turning back to him.  Like the story of the prodigal son when God sees us limping home he runs to us and hugs and kisses us then prepares a feast for us (Luke 15:1-32).

God help me remember the great things you have done for me.  Help me trust you.  Help me keep you in front of me all the time.  Thank you for your great love and patience.  Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness.  Thank you for your Spirit who fights the internal battle.  Let me listen to Him and do the things which make you happy.  I love you God, help me do it better.