And let me invite you to take your Bible and let's take and turn to Book of Judges, chapter number 10. Book of Judges, chapter number 10. When we look at the Book of Judges, some names, of course, we know stand out more than others. Big names like Gideon and Othniel and Ehud and Deborah all led the people of Israel to some outstanding military victories. We've seen that. But there are others who are considered to be minor judges. In fact, there are six minor judges that are mentioned in the Book of Judges in all. We've seen one before, Shamgar, back in chapter 3 and verse 31. And then the two men that are mentioned in our text today that we're going to be dealing with, Tola, in chapter 10, verse 1, and Jair, in verses 3 through 5. Later, there are Ibsen and Elon and Abdon. Later on in chapter number 12, we'll see them. Now, the reason these men are considered minor judges is because they weren't necessarily considered your great military leaders, like Gideon. Yet they were men who helped maintain the peace in the nation of Israel that was needed. They did and fulfilled a needed thing there for their country. Yet they were men who may not have, though they may not have had mighty exploits, military exploits, they were just as important to the nation of Israel. as those judges who led the nation to great military victories. Not everybody that's important has a big name. Not everybody that's important has a lot, does the Bible have a lot to say about. We consider here the lives and ministries of just two of the minor judges mentioned here in our text, Ptolem and Jair. While the Bible has very little to say about these two men, I believe that their lives and their deeds have a lot to teach us. Here's the main thing I want us to see. We don't all have to be well known to make a difference for the glory of God. We don't. I got to thinking about what the Lord did last year with our church. Satan will want you to take a look at things and say, There's not a whole lot there, but when I realized that our messages reached into all 50 states and 100 different countries, it's like our little church here. We've been able to have a worldwide impact, not only through the missions that we support, but also the preaching getting out across the world. Now, if God delights in using unheralded and unknown servants to help His people, to glorify His name, and to build His kingdom, You know, we need to see that God can and will use us if we'll make ourselves available to Him. Amen? God wants us to be available. The best ability is availability. Amen? And so, let's look at these two obscure, but, I don't want to call them obscure, but important men. These are men who made a difference in their day even though they may be relatively unknown to us. So let's see the principles that are involved here and are revealed in the lives of these men. Let's read verse number one. And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola. the son of Pua, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar, and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim." That's not a whole lot to say, but it says in verse 2, and he judged Israel twenty and three years. 23 years he served Israel, served the Lord, and he died and was buried in Shamir. Now, verse 1 shows us that Tolach came after the disaster that we saw named Abimelech. Remember, we spent three weeks looking at Abimelech's disaster in the kingdom. How would you like to follow that up and be in charge of cleaning up the mess that Abimelech left behind? By the time Abimelech was dead, the nation of Israel was left in tatters from a brutal civil war that was going on. That wasn't the only problem that the nation faced. The Bible tells us that as soon as Gideon died, of course, the people of Israel turned their backs on God, which is the cycle that we see in the book of Judges. They resorted back to a form of Baal worship. In chapter 8, verse 33 and 34. I'm not gonna turn there, but that's where it tells us that happened. Now, as a result of all these problems, the nation of Israel was in a mess. And that was the condition of the nation as inherited by Tola. Let's understand two important principles here. First of all, we need to understand that the Lord always has a faithful, believing remnant. The Lord always has a faithful, believing remnant. In Israel, things were bad, and that is a true statement. The nation was at war with itself, and the majority of the people were worshiping idols. In the midst of all that, the Lord still had a faithful remnant, people who believed Him, people that served Him. And that fact has not changed. Remember the time when the prophet Elijah got depressed and thought that he was the only one that was still serving God in Israel? And he was just really wanting God to take him out. I'm the only one. There's nobody else serving God. But he soon found out that the Lord still had a remnant in Israel. Elijah was told that there were still 7,000 that had not bowed their knee to Baal in 1 Kings 19.18. Can I tell you that the Lord still has a remnant today? We're living in a day when On a daily basis, you look at the news reports. I get my news through the internet. I don't watch a whole lot of TV. I do watch some televised news at times, but I don't trust what I see there. I just really don't. But I can see enough to know that our country's in trouble. This world's in trouble. And could I tell you that the Lord though still has a remnant today? In this day of increasing immorality, and rampant wickedness, and fierce violence, the Lord still has some faithful people who look to Him, people who love Him, people who serve Him, and people who truly live for Him, want to live for Him. Amen. There's still people who faithfully pray, There are still people who believe the Bible is the infallible Word of God, and that it's the final authority, and it is. It is the Word of God, and it is the final authority. There are still people who love the church. We're living in a time when unfaithfulness is rampant, but thank God for the faithful people. Amen. Thank God for faithful. There are still people who witness for the Lord. There are still people who sing, testify, and honor the Lord. And while this remnant is not in the majority in most churches in our day, and may be dwindling in its ranks. Nevertheless, this remnant takes a stand for the glory of Almighty God. So we need to understand that the Lord always has a faithful, believing remnant. A second thing we need to understand, and we need to understand that serving the Lord is never easy, but it is always right. Tola inherited a mess. And I'm sure it was very difficult. It must have been difficult for him as he dealt with the aftermath of Abimelech, that wicked three-year reign, and Abimelech just wreaked havoc on the nation. And he had to address and deal with the idolatry of the nation at the same time. It wasn't easy in his day to do ministry. But listen, he ministered anyway, because God called him to minister. Listen, it's never easy to walk in the old paths when everyone around us is clamoring for something new, but the old paths are still the right paths. My mind goes, when I think about the old paths, goes to Jeremiah 6, 16, later in Israel's history when Jeremiah said, Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths. Where is the good way? And walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein. And that's Jeremiah 6, 16. Now, we know that the old paths were good for then. The old paths are still good today. The Lord wants us to walk in the old paths. It isn't easy to live for the Lord when others around us are living for the world. and for the flesh and for the devil. I mean, the easy thing to do is just go with the flow, right? Go with the flow. That's the easy thing. But living for the Lord is always the right thing to do, even though it may be the most difficult thing to do. It's difficult when others around us are walking in disobedience to the Lord. It's difficult when the world is calling their evil good and calling our good evil. My mind goes to Isaiah 5 verse 20. Woe unto them that call Good evil and evil good. I mean, as it says, let me read that to you. Isaiah 5 verse 21, to them that call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. And that's happening more and more each and every day. I mean, there's not a time that you can't look and see something in the news that just, your heart, your heart is ripped by where you see that our nation is at spiritually. Just today, the press secretary for the president, She's a lesbian. She was parading her kind before the press and lifting them up because today is an important day for them. It just made me shake my head thinking what our world is coming to with such things as that. People in wickedness in high places. That's where it's at. It's difficult when others around us are walking in disobedience to the Lord and we're wanting to do what's right. In fact, we can and should make a choice to live for the Lord even when everyone else seems to be going their own way and living for themselves. We don't serve the Lord based upon what others do. That ought not to be why we do. It ought to be, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. The Bible tells us we're to be honoring God with our lives. The Bible tells us that we're to be in the book, we're to follow this book, and the world may not like it, and they're not going to like it, and we may wind up with persecution. I've been saying for years that I believe that persecution is going to be coming into our and to our area. We've avoided a lot that we see in other countries, but I believe we're going to see a lot more of it here personally as we get closer to the Lord coming back. Do I think that we're going to escape it with the With the rapture taking place, well, I would like to think so, but I think that we're going to be going through some fire before that time. The Lord can come back any time. I'm not setting a date. I'm not saying the Lord can't come back right now because he can't. He can come back any time. I believe that we're going to get to the point where it's going to get so bad and we're going we're gonna be crying out like we should be for the Lord to come back. And he's gonna come back. This world, and even our own country's in a mess, but our duty is not to look at the world and what it's doing, but rather we're to look to the one who perfectly ran his own race, and he'll enable us to run our race. Amen, I'm talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's turn to a couple places here. Hebrews. Book of Hebrews, chapter number 12. Some of these folks that we're studying are listed in Hebrews in chapter number 11, because they're part of the Hall of Faith chapter that's there. Chapter 12, verse number 1, refers back to that list. So we're foreseeing we're also are encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses. He's talking about those who witnessed regarding their faith in Christ. and what faith in Christ will bring. And I believe that verse one, when he says, wherefore, got to look back and see what it's there for. And he's talking about that list in chapter number 11. Those are the witnesses. Seeing we are accomplished about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. And so the Lord is our example. We've got the Hall of Faith people as our example too. The example of faith we're to have. Philippians 4.13 says we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Amen. John 15 verse 4 and 5, the Lord Jesus Christ said that He wanted us to He was talking to his disciples and he says, abide in me and I in you, as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. He says, I am the vine, you're the branches, he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. So apart from the Lord, we can't do anything. But we're to look to the Lord and run the race that he's given us. Yes, the world and even our own country is in a mess. So as the remnant of the Lord, the question is, what are we going to do? Amen? What are we going to do? It's time for the remnant of the Lord to know the times that we live in and that it's high time for some things. In the time we've got left, let's take a look at Romans 13. Yeah, Tolla inherited a mess, but he did what he was supposed to do. He was trying to help the faithful remnant, and he was doing the right thing. The right thing wasn't an easy thing, but he chose to do the right thing. Romans 13, and look at verse number 11. It says, and that knowing the time, that now it is high time to wake out of sleep. Isn't that the truth? I mean, if it was true in Paul's day, how much more true is it in our day? Knowing the time. We need to wise up to the times that we live in. I believe we live in a time just before the Lord comes back. I believe that we're living in a time just before the antichrist is going to be revealed to this world. Thank God we'll be pulled out of here. I'm not looking for the antichrist, I'm looking for Jesus, amen, looking for him. And knowing the time, we need to wise up, we need to wise up to the times that we live in, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. Not only to wise up, but we're to wake up. Senators need to wake up to the fact that they only got a little bit of time to get saved. and they need to come to Jesus, and they need to get saved. Saints need to wake up. There are folks around them that are lost and dying and headed to a devil's hell, and Jesus is coming soon, and we need to be witnesses. Amen. It's time for us as servants of God to wake up. There's plenty of work left to do. And we're going to be standing before the judgment seat of Christ before too long. Then he says, not only is it high time to wake up out of sleep, he gives a reason for that. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Well, that's easy to understand, right? I was saved February 17, 1971, a few years back. But I'm a lot closer to being home with Jesus than I was then. Amen? I don't know when He's coming. You don't know when He's coming. But I can tell you this, our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. So we need to look up, amen? I've said over and over again that as God's children, we need to look for His coming, we need to long for His coming, and we need to live for His coming. Amen? Those are three things that we need, in light of the coming of the Lord, that we need to do as believers. He says here in verse 12, the night is far spent. The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness. What's that? That's clean up. We're to wise up, wake up, look up. We're to clean up too. Cast off those works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Suit up, amen? Suit up. Whole armor of God each and every day. Let us walk honestly as in the day. Well, if you're gonna be walking, you gotta get up, don't you? You gotta get up. Walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. That needs to be a daily thing when we get up. Make sure that we're clothed. with the Lord. Amen. May not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof. You could call it a checkup if you want to. Amen. We need to do that in our lives. So Tola had inherited a mess and both Tola and Jair had important ministries to fulfill. Back in the book of Judges. I'm just going to touch on the beginning of Jair here and talk about both Jair and Tola. We see in verse 3, Judges 10 verse 3, and after him, after Tola, arose Jair, a Gileadite and judged Israel twenty and two years. So one judged for twenty-three years and one judged for twenty-two years. It says, and he had 30 sons that rode on 30 ascots, and they had 30 cities which are called Havoth Jair, until this day, which are in the land of Gilead. And Jair died and was buried in Canaan. So, even though not a whole lot is said about their ministries, both of these fellows arose to judge Israel, to defend Israel. to save them, to deliver them from their enemies and to deliver them from the sin that wanted to beset them in that time. These two men are not said to have led any great military campaigns, but what they did accomplish deserves our consideration. And what they did should still challenge us today. These two men helped maintain peace for nearly 50 years in a nation that had been split apart by civil war, rebellion, pagan worship, And that in and of itself is no small feat. I mean, theirs was a ministry of peace in a time of internal turmoil. These men also helped to preserve the heritage of their nation. They ministered to the fateful remnant in Israel in a time when the fading remnant needed consistent leadership. Now, understand, Atolla and Jair did in their day exactly what we're supposed to be doing in our day. I'm just going to touch on this and we'll come back next week and we'll look at it. They acted like salt. They had the effect of salt there. Remember how Jesus said that believers are to be salt of the earth? Matthew 5, 13. Well, we're gonna come back and we're gonna look at salt. We know salt purifies, it adds flavor, it helps preserve, different things about that. There's not time tonight to deal with that, but that's what we have for our Bible study tonight. But I want you to think on that thought. In fact, it'd be good to go and meditate on Matthew 5, 13 as we look next week at our role as being sought in the world. Amen. All right, that's our Bible study for this evening. Let's set this aside and we'll pull back out our prayer list. We'll pray for the needs that are there and we'll be dismissed with this prayer. Certainly appreciate you being here tonight.