We see the story today of two judges whom we do not know much about.  And saying we see their story isn’t really right, either. We don’t see their stories. We see their names and that’s about it. We don’t know anything about them, really. We just know this, they were faithful.  They were judges. They served. They were faithful, but we don’t know anything about them. Being faithful doesn’t mean that we will always be famous or well-known. In fact, many times, it may mean just the opposite.  We should be chasing fame, or fortune, or anything like that. We should chase faithfulness.  That is what God desires from us. That is what God desires for us. 

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Good morning. As we conclude our week in Judges, I wanted to address our schedule for next week. Despite previously saying I was back full time, I forgot about our annual conference. So, while I plan to be here through Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are likely out. Therefore, we’ll meet Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week, and then I’ll be at the conference Thursday and Friday, returning the following Monday. That Monday will kick off VBS, which should be quite the adventure! We’ll try to continue our study during VBS on Tuesday, but for the rest of that week, expect to see me in shorts and a t-shirt. And you’re all welcome to join me at the Methodist conference – who could resist?

Today, however, we’re looking at a seemingly small passage in Judges 10:1-5, which actually holds a lot for us to consider. It speaks of Tola and Jair, two judges who followed Abimelech. Tola judged Israel for twenty-three years, living and being buried in Shemir. Jair, from Gilead, judged for twenty-two years, had thirty sons who rode thirty donkeys and possessed thirty towns in Gilead. All we’re told is that these two men rose up, judged Israel, and died.

We know nothing more about Tola except his twenty-three-year tenure, his Ephraimite origin, and his role in delivering Israel. With Jair, we know more about his prosperity – his many sons and possessions – signifying his prominence and wealth as a judge. Between these two, Israel experienced roughly forty-five years of peace under their leadership.

Reflecting on these two judges, it strikes me that they held the same title, position, rank, power, and blessing from God as the more well-known figures like Gideon or Deborah. Yet, how much do we remember about them? I, for one, have never preached on Tola, nor do I recall hearing a sermon about him, knowing only what we read today. The same goes for Jair. They are, frankly, seemingly insignificant figures in scripture. However, they achieved the same level of faithfulness as those more celebrated individuals in Judges and throughout scripture.

This brings me to the thought of faithfulness. Often, the most faithful people we know are not in the spotlight. In our age of influencers and celebrity pastors, it’s easy to overlook this. As many regular preachers can attest, we often feel inadequate, not being the rock stars of the pulpit. One of my professors wisely advised us to be pastors first, emphasizing that people will accept imperfect sermons from someone they know loves them, which ultimately improves our preaching.

None of us can truly compete with the polished presentations of celebrity pastors in your favorite podcasts. It’s something you realize in ministry – to be healthy, you must relinquish the desire to be an influencer and simply strive to be faithful. The world’s progress isn’t driven by grand, visible acts, but by the small, unseen acts of faithfulness that often go unnoticed. This is what defines the church. Our aspiration shouldn’t be fame or prestige, but faithfulness.

We lack the dramatic stories of Tola and Jair. We don’t know if they performed heroic feats like Samson or Gideon, or if they bravely defended Israel like Deborah and Barak. We can assume they upheld justice and defended the people, but the key takeaway is their faithfulness. They were judges, and they were faithful.

This, I believe, is the legacy we should pursue – not one of likes or reposts, but of faithfulness. And while this legacy might be forgotten by the masses, it won’t be forgotten by our family, our friends, our church, and most importantly, our God. My first sermon in the Delta focused on Matthew 10:42, where a simple cup of cold water given in Jesus’ name is promised a reward. This resonated with me, highlighting that God needs young preachers and small churches to simply be faithful.

God doesn’t demand spectacular achievements; He asks for faithfulness in the small things. He needs your talents, however you perceive them, your abilities, and most importantly, your heart. It’s not about being famous, but about being faithful. These judges serve as a reminder: they were judges, and they were faithful. Friends, our primary calling, mission, and duty is to be faithful above all else. May we all aspire to this.

Thank you for joining me. Tomorrow, we’ll see a familiar pattern emerge – people falling back into sin. Tune in to hear about that. Have a good afternoon, and thanks for being with us.