Judges 10 preserves the record of the stories of two almost unknown judges: Tola and Jair. Who were they and what’s so special about them? This chapter also raises interesting questions about God’s patience with sinners and what authentic repentance looks like. Join Pastor Jim for an interesting look at true repentance and the grace of God both on full display in the Old Testament book of Judges!
Sermon Notes
Judges 10:1-5
Tola and Jair
Judges 10:6-16
1. Rebellion (v. 6)
The repeated theme found in the book of Judges is:
“The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord” occurs 7 times! (2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1)
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” – Judges 21:25
2. Retributive justice (v. 7-9)
“Those who decline to respond to God’s goodness by repentance, and faith, and trust, and submission to his will, cannot wonder or complain if sooner or later the tokens of his goodness are withdrawn, the opportunity of benefiting from them ends, and retribution supervenes.” – J. I. Packer Knowing God
3. Remorse & Repentance (v. 10-16a)
“Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after new obedience.” – The Westminster Shorter Catechism
“Repentance is not an emotion. It is not feeling sorry for your sins. It is a decision. It is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing that you could manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training to make it your own; it is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies about yourself and your neighbors and your world. And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth.” – Eugene Peterson A Long Obedience in the Same Direction
4. Rescue (v. 16b)
“Grace and mercy are both expressions of God’s love, grace to the guilty and undeserving, mercy to the needy and helpless. Peace is that restoration of harmony with God, others and self which we call ‘salvation’. Put together, peace indicates the character of salvation, mercy our need of it and grace God’s free provision of it in Christ.”
John Stott
“I do not understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
Anne Lamott