Well, tonight I invite you to turn with me again to the book of Judges. The book of Judges as we read a few verses from chapter 10 and from chapter 12. For those of you who may be visiting with us, we have been considering over the last few months those whom we consider to be or call the major judges. Ehud, Deborah, Gideon. We've even considered Abimelech. He's not a judge, but that's a story all in itself. Abimelech, the son of Gideon. And then last week, Jephthah. And we're about ready to begin our consideration of probably one of our favorite judges, namely Samson. Before we do that, though, I'd like to pause with you tonight and consider a few of those whom we call or consider to be the minor judges. So tonight we're going to read the first five verses of chapter 10 and also then verses 8 through 15 of chapter 12. Hear now the word of God. Chapter 10, verse 1. After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar, Tola, son of Pua, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. He lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. He led Israel 23 years. Then he died and was buried in Shamir. He was followed by Jair of Gilead who led Israel 22 years. He had 30 sons who rode 30 donkeys. They controlled 30 towns in Gilead, which to this day are called Habath-Jair. When Jair died, he was buried in Kaman. In chapter 12, beginning in verse 8. After him, that's after Jephthah, after him, Ibzon of Bethlehem led Israel. He had 30 sons and 30 daughters. He gave his daughters away in marriage to those outside his clan. And for his sons, he brought in 30 young women as wives from outside his clan. Ibzon led Israel seven years. Then Ibzon died and was buried in Bethlehem. After him, Elan, the Zebulonite, led Israel ten years. Then Ellen died and was buried in Ejelon, in the land of Zebulun. After him, Abdon, son of Hillel, from Pirithon, led Israel. He had 40 sons and 30 grandsons who rode on 70 donkeys. He led Israel eight years. Then Abdon, son of Hillel, died and was buried at Pirithon in Ephraim, in the hill country of the Amalekites. Now, beloved, we might say, what in the world do we have here with these guys? It's about as daunting reading that as going back to the book of Judges and reading about all the people and how many people were of this clan and so forth. But you see, after all the excitement of Ehud's double-edged sword piercing right on through Eglon's fat and the excitement of J.L.'s tent peg through Sisera's temple and of Gideon's fleece test, as well as his army of 300 going out with those special weapons against 135,000. And as well, we think of Abimelech's crushed skull and of Jephthah's foolish vow. After all of that, and as well, anticipating what we know is still to come, all the thrills and spills of Samson, we have to stop now and say, well, what is this? Who are these guys? And where is the excitement of the action-packed storyline for a Hollywood blockbuster movie that we find with all the others? You see, the truth is we don't know much about Tola and Jair and Ibzan and Elan and Abdon. And don't forget the two minor judges even before, earlier in Judges, Othniel and Shamgar, whom we really didn't consider at all. See, growing up in the Christian school and attending Sunday school in church, I don't recall hearing much, if anything, about these particular judges except maybe for their names. And of course, I know having a daughter in sixth grade, the sixth graders at Calvin Christian School, recently they had to write and they had to perform plays or skits on the judges. And I suspect that if we were to ask the sixth graders, I suspect that there wasn't a single group who did a skit on Tola or Ibzan or Shamgar. If they did, I'd like to hear it to find out exactly what they made of it. And it's not hard to understand why I didn't hear much about these in Sunday school or maybe the sixth graders didn't do a skit on one of these. And that's because the Bible doesn't give us much information at all about these judges. We're basically told that they saved or led Israel for so many years, and then they died and were buried. Of course, with some, we're given a little bit of family information, but that's about it. And therefore, this is one of those portions of Scripture where we might wonder, well, why are they listed? Are they important? Should we stop to take the time to consider them when it seems like there's so much more important information in the Bible that ought to be considered. And what does God have to teach us here, if anything? Again, these judges are known as minor judges, but as we said, I believe, in our introductory sermon months ago, we said that we need to be careful to know that this is not because they are less important than the majors like Gideon and Samson, for example. God has seen fit to include them in His Word. Yet God has also seen fit to give us less information about them and maybe a better designation for them would be lesser-known judges. But indeed, it is difficult to see the lesson to be learned if we were to take them one by one. Again, because there's not much to consider. But beloved, when we take a step back and when we consider these judges together, when we look at the forest, if you will, instead of at the individual trees, when we consider them together in the light of the broader context of the history and the life of Israel, God indeed, I trust, we will see has an important message and lesson for us even today. Beloved, the minor judges display the abandoned king's great mercy and reveal the abandoned king's necessary rest. Those are the two points you find on the back of your order of worship tonight. You recall, I trust, that the thread that runs throughout the book of Judges, or we might say the underlying theme, is stated in both chapter 17, verse 6, and chapter 21, verse 25, which served as the text for our introductory sermon. Those verses both say, in those days Israel had no king. Everyone did as he saw fit. Or as another translation says, everyone did that which was right in his own eyes. And you see, if we're talking about an earthly king like the nations, then in that sense, that statement was true. But if we're talking about Israel's true king, then that statement is false. I'm not saying the Word of God is false. Please don't misunderstand me. But in a sense, that statement is false then. You see, Israel had a king. The Lord. Their covenant God, Yahweh. But as we have known from the beginning, Israel rejected her true king. She abandoned the Lord for others. Indeed, there was no king. Why? Because Israel rejected her true king. What Israel failed to realize was that a human king won't solve their problems. Remember Abimelech? He proved that. He became king, you recall, not by God's ordination, but by the men of Shechem's coronation. By their doing. And we can see that even going before Abimelech, We can see, beginning with Gideon, this desire and this move toward a king and establishing a dynasty. Indeed, Gideon says in chapter 8, verse 23, I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you, the Lord rule over you. We say, Amen, Gideon. Good for you. But then in the very next verse, his actions pointed toward, contradicted his words really, his actions pointed toward a desire for royalty honors. He named his son Abimelech. My father is king, is what it means. He had a number of wives and 70 sons, which fit the world's accepted practice of a royal dynasty at that time. But when Scripture tells us he had a number of wives, that's not a favorable comment upon Gideon, we must understand. But we also see some of these very same details in some of these minor judges as we read about their many children. Again, pointed to the fact that they had to have had many wives. We read about their cities, which they, we might say, arrogantly named after themselves. We read about the marriage unions of their children to those outside of their clan. And all of this, you see, to try to secure a name and power and position and prosperity. Indeed, a move toward royal status. And we need to understand, as one commentator says, it is not wrong to be like the nations in having a king, but it is wrong to want a king who is like the kings of the nations. It's wrong to want to have a king like theirs. The problem, again, is that Israel abandoned her rightful and true king. And of course, we know that this is true throughout this book, even with the major judges. And throughout, we see God's mercy. But in a specific way, I believe. In a specific way, as we take these minor judges together of whom we have read, these minor judges display the abandoned king's great mercy. And this is clear from the very first verse of the text, verse 1 of chapter 10. After the time of Abimelech, a man of Issachar told us, of Pua, the son of Dodo, rose to save Israel. After the time of Abimelech. Now, at first reading, that might mean absolutely nothing to us. It might fly right past us, over our heads. So what? But think about it. After the time of Abimelech. What history this is to bring back to our minds. Again, Abimelech's father, Gideon, the Baal fighter, knocked down and destroyed Baal's altar and called Israel back to covenant faithfulness to the Lord. Yet because of his unauthorized ephod and Israel's misuse of it, as someone has said, they wanted a hotline directly to the Lord. After that, Gideon's leftovers resulted in Israel's abandonment of the Lord. Again, Israel went back to the Baals. We might say Baal got revenge not because the Lord is weak and Baal is strong, but because of Israel's continual rejection. And then again, moving on to Abimelech, Shechem's crowned king. With Abimelech, oppression was back. Not from outside. Not from someone like the Midianites or any other foreign nation, but from within. The oppression came from within. And to make a long point short, Israel deserved to be cast away from the Lord forever. And this is especially seen with Abimelech. After all of the damage and destruction he had done within God's people, to God's people, among God's people, you would think that would be the end. But God is merciful. And Abimelech is not the last word for God's people. After Abimelech. What? Tola rose to save Israel. Those words alone show the great mercy of God after Abimelech. Again, there was deliverance. What great mercy. But it doesn't end there, you know. And then Jair. And then Jephthah. And then Ibzon. And then Elan. And then Abdon. You see, what a glorious picture of the truth of Psalm 103 and at least one of the Lord's wonderful benefits recorded there, He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. Again, beloved, we don't know how these judges saved Israel. We don't know what kind of leadership they provided. But again, I don't believe that's the point here. Truth be told, they very well may have had every bit of exciting adventures as those that we do have recorded with the major judges. Maybe even more exciting than what we read with Gideon and Samson and so forth. We don't know. God doesn't give us that. But He does give to us exactly what we need. And what we do know is that time and time again, in spite of their rejection of the Lord, He raises up judges to save, to lead, to protect His people. Israel should not have survived. She should not have survived. She continually forfeited every claim to God's approval. Yet what a demonstration that God gives us indeed throughout Scripture, but particularly in this book of the Bible, what a demonstration that God gives to us of the greatness of His mercy, not giving Israel what she deserved. And also a demonstration of the greatness of His grace, giving her that which she does not deserve. And we know that God finally gave Israel a king, one after his own heart. I'm not talking about King Saul, I'm talking about King David. But we also know that even David wasn't sufficient. He was a sinner who also needed God's saving grace. Yet David's greater son was and is sufficient, even Jesus Christ. He saves His people not only from their enemies but also from their sins. He saves them not only temporarily but also eternally. Because of Jesus Christ, God does not treat us as our sins deserve. And beloved, this must be amazing to us. Do you understand what you deserve? I don't. I don't understand what I deserve. And I suspect that no one here does. And may it be that we would praise God as believers that we will never have to find out what we deserve because Jesus Christ found out and bore it all for us. But this must be amazing to us because every day each one of us, because of our sin, forfeits any claim that we might think that we have on God's approval. We forfeit everything. The psalmist says, If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? And the truth is, we do not deserve to survive. But we do deserve to be left in our sin and misery. And our cry therefore must be, Ah, dearest Jesus, how have I offended? See, many of us, beloved, cannot count how many times we have shoved God out of our lives. We cannot truly count how many times we have tried to take His place. We cannot count how many times that we have ignored the opportunities that He has given to us to confess Him before the world, to let our light shine before Him, to stand up for the honor of His name. Countless times we have failed and maybe some here have tasted the destruction that sin brings in this life sin's consequences come in many forms we even struggle with that in this life guilt is one of those forms huh david says in psalm 32 verses 3 and 4 when i kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. You know what that's like when it's terribly, terribly hot outside and you just can't move anymore. You can't hardly breathe anymore. There's no strength left. That's how David describes the guilt of sin. There is no removal of that guilt apart from confession of sin and forgiveness from God. And then as David says, the joy of salvation is returned. But no doubt, some of us at various times have thought, why would God want me? Why would He want to save me? And all we can say, beloved, is grace. God's amazing grace. And just as God would not allow Abimelech to be the last word for Israel and her history, for those who put their trust and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, He will not allow sin and failure to be the last words in our lives. Why? Because God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us. That in Him, we might become the righteousness of God. Clothed completely with the robes of Christ's righteousness. Jesus Christ is the true and perfect judge whom God raised up as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Yet we know, of course, that Satan is working hard to do badly with Jesus, the perfect judge and king. All we need to do is look around at the world in our day. The power of sin continues to be displayed in what we might call thornbush leaders like Abimelech. Not the fig tree. Not the vine. The thornbush kind of leaders like Abimelech who hate Christianity, who are hungry for power, who are bent on destruction. I'm afraid they might not all be outside of our own country. Some might even be within. The power of sin is clearly revealed in false religions. For example, as we've heard much about in the last year, the Muslim religion, which has as its goal to become the world religion, not caring who gets wiped out in the process. We think of organizations like the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, which works hard in the name of civil rights to destroy the true church and to take away our religious freedom. Or feminism, which works hard to destroy the life of the unborn. Or PETA, people for the ethical treatment of animals, which gives more rights to animals which have no souls than to human beings created in God's image. And the list could go on and on. And sometimes we even see the power of sin, unfortunately, at work in the church. As we needed to be reminded at the Westminster Conference Friday night and Saturdays, the power of sin is at work in the church when some want to add to justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Jesus Christ alone, by giving a saving function to good works and acts of obedience. In other words, to say that you need it both ways, you need the grace of God. But you've got to do your part. Or as it was stressed over and over again, we're in by grace. But we stay in only by our works. Such false thinking. But our comfort must be that Jesus Christ is building His church on the solid rock foundation of Himself who alone gives eternal rest. And there is no enemy, not Satan, not hell, not the entire host of the wicked that is able to tear down and destroy His church. And beloved, after Abimelech, God gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have eternal life. By our sin, we abandon God daily, but He never abandons His people. And in Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness with God. Do you know? Do you know in your life the greatness of the mercy of God? and in jesus christ there is that much needed rest for god's people the minor judges reveal the abandoned king's necessary rest you remember i trust there are certain recurring choruses or statements in connection with the different judges maybe you didn't think of it in this way but for example we're told how many years israel served foreign oppressors or to put it another way how many years the foreigners oppressed israel And we're told how many years the land had rest. And the third thing we're told is how many years the different leaders judged Israel. But what's interesting is we don't find all three of these things with all the judges. What's interesting is that the last time that we are told about rest is with Gideon. From the beginning up through Gideon. And before Gideon, we are never told about how many years a particular leader judged Israel. That detail starts to be given after Gideon. For example, Tola led Israel 23 years. Jair led Israel 22 years. Jephthah 6 years. Ibzon 7 years. Elan 10 years. Abdon 8 years. Samson 20 years. We don't find that before Gideon. Up through Gideon, and including Gideon, we hear of rest. And after Gideon, we no longer hear about rest. We only hear about rule. You see, beloved, rest is a gift from God. But it seems that Israel had forfeited that necessary rest or peace by her apostasy and her sin. Through the different judges whom God raised up, it seems that He still provided a certain kind of stability, we might say, but they were without His true rest and peace. God had taken that away from them. But there's another interesting detail or shift here. Again, from rest to rule, but also a shift from battles to burials. Before Gideon, and even with Gideon, we read about the battles fought and won as led by the judges. But then also beginning with Gideon through the rest of the judges. After Gideon, we no longer hear about the battles, but with Gideon and the rest, we only hear about the burials. We hear, we're told where they were buried. For example, Gideon was buried in Ophrah. Tola was buried in Shemir. Jair in Chemon. Jephthah in Gilead. Ibzon in Bethlehem. Not of Judea, another Bethlehem. Elnon in Ejelon. Abdon in Pirathon. Samson between Zorah and Eshtoal. They're burial places. But that also points to another detail that seems to be emphasized from Gideon on. And that is that the judges died. Now, earlier we might read something to the effect after Ehud died or after Gideon died. But from here on, we strictly read that they died. And that, of course, is not a surprise to any of us because until Jesus Christ comes again, all men will die. But of the little information given to us about these minor judges, the information that rings out loud and clear is that he died and was buried. He died and was buried. He died and was buried. over and over again so that we cannot get that chorus out of our mind. He died and was buried. Is that important? And if so, why? You see, all along we have pointed out that each judge was not a complete or a sufficient Savior. And that is impressed upon us, I believe, in a more particular way here. You see, beloved, the deaths of each of these judges cries out for full salvation. It screams for eternal rest. In these judges, we see the victory of death. They were able to save Israel from her enemies, but they could not save Israel, nor themselves for that matter, from the last enemy, death. Death always had the last word. And their burial places, their graves, as one commentator points out, were memorials. Reminders. Their graves served to remind all who heard, including you and me today, of the power of sin and death. Their graves were reminders of the need for salvation that can only be found through our Lord Jesus Christ, who was to come and who indeed has come. And this ultimate judge has conquered over Satan, sin, and hell. He has conquered death in the grave. That's what the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 2, verse 14. He, meaning Jesus, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is the devil. And the result? Verse 15 of that same chapter, And free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. And the church's comfort, beloved, is that this, the righteous judge, lives forever and has a permanent priesthood as Hebrews 7 says. And since He is victorious over death, death will never end Christ's reign. And it will never put an end to the eternal death benefit that He alone has earned for us. And beloved, we never have to fear death. And we never have to be, if I may put it this way, freaked out in the cemetery at the graveside. of a believer who has died. Indeed, our graves today are still memorials, aren't they? They're still reminders to the unbeliever of the power of sin and death. And for the unbeliever, they still shout the need for salvation that can only be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. But for the believer, the grave takes on a little different character. Indeed, it reminds us of that precious gift of salvation. But even more than that, as some of you have heard me say at the graveside of your loved ones whom we have buried. It reminds us of Christ's open grave. Never to be closed again. Which is a beautiful picture of the accomplishment of salvation and victory over death and the grave for all those. Yet only those who put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Apart from Him, death stings. Apart from Him, the grave is victorious. But in Jesus Christ alone, hope is eternal. And that rest for God's people begins today, already in this life, as our Lord Jesus Christ breaks the power of canceled sin and sets the prisoner free. We're no longer ruled by sin. God's people aren't. We're no longer slaves to sin, as Paul says, but instead slaves to righteousness. And we rest. We rest in the comfort of complete forgiveness for all of our sins in Jesus Christ our Lord. We rest in the comfort of standing before our God righteous only for the sake of the perfect work of Jesus Christ. The minor judges displayed the abandoned King's great mercy and revealed the abandoned King's necessary rest. Jesus Christ, the righteous Judge and eternal King, has earned the benefit of God's mercy. and He alone has secured eternal rest for all of God's people. And by the gracious operation of the Holy Spirit, may we then live in the joy of that rest even today. That rest, beloved, that includes, as Paul beautifully outlines, that peace that passes all understanding. It includes contentment in any and every circumstance. It includes rejoicing always. Praying continually and giving thanks in all situations. Does that describe you? Does that describe the rest that you claim? Does that describe your life? Can you say in any situation, in good times or in bad, in sickness and in health, whatever the situation may be, can you say that you are blessed? See, true rest in the Lord Jesus Christ means that believers face this life and the situations of this life differently than those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. There are many things, many ways in which Scripture describes how that is the case, but one verse I think in particular nails it down. All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Boys and girls, young people, all things. Not all good things, but all things work together for good. That's the beautiful answer to question one of the High Liberate Catechism states too, that all things must be subservient to my salvation. All things, God works all things toward my salvation. How comforting. And may it be our sincere desire to rest from our sins and strive to live in obedience to God. As we strive to serve Him. As we strive to please Him. And as we strive to point to Him. And may our true confession be with David in Psalm 62. My soul finds rest in God alone. My salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation. He is my fortress. I will never be shaken. And beloved, praise God that the last word for His believers is not our sin, but the last word for His believers is our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, we pray that You would give to us a greater understanding day by day of such a marvelous and great salvation. Marvelous and great because there was nothing and is nothing we can do even in part to come by that. But You have indeed taken care of all of it for us. We have not come to You, but You have drawn us to Yourself. You have brought Your people out of darkness into Your marvelous light. And we thank You for that gift of salvation so rich and free. We thank You that indeed we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. More than conquerors over sin, over death, over hell, over the grave. And Father, we pray that we might indeed live in the joy of that rest, both now and as we look forward to eternal rest in Your presence forever. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen.