LBS: God's Defense Attorneys

God’s Defense Attorneys

Defending God’s People

Have you ever compared yourself to one of the great heroes of the Bible and thought, “I’ll never be able to accomplish something as great or significant as they have.” Maybe you’ve even wondered what you can do for God’s kingdom that He would consider noteworthy. Tola is an obscure character in the Bible. There’s never been a book written on him and commentaries have little to say about him. In fact there are only two verses written about him in the Bible (jud. 10:1-2)

To start with, Tola’s name means “worm” and he was not a local. He was of the tribe of Isaachar living in Ephraim. We don’t read of any delivering work done by him, or that he fought against an invading army or overthrow an enemy. But rather, he defended God’s people. While he was judge, the people of Israel were kept from sedition, oppression and idolatry. 

Tola was also a beautiful representation of Jesus. (Acts 10:42) Jesus is our Judge (Ps 22:6) the term used for worm her is Tola. A Tola is not just any worm, it is a scarlet, scale insect which feeds on oak and which is used for making red dye. It reproduces by attaching itself to the tree and it’s body shelters the eggs beneath it. It gives up it’s life for it’s young as they feed on the mother’s body and leave a crimson read spot on the tree. (John 6:53, 1 Cor 10:16) After three days the blood spot dries out, turns white and flakes off the tree (Isa 1:18) Christ can now defend us from the accuser because of His work on the cross. (Rev 12:10, 1 John 2:1) Jesus is our advocate when we blow it. He can argue for our cause and plead on our behalf when Satan accuses us, because he gave his life to wash us from all evidence of sin. 

We too, like Tola, can represent Christ. We may not be like the judges and heroes of the Old Testament, but every single one of us can be a defender of God’s people. We can do this by refusing to be a part of the accusatory nature and tactics of Satan by refusing to listen to or talk about anything negative concerning any of God’s people. 

Gossip, attacks, innuendoes, and rumors can come in seemingly harmless forms. They can come mixed in a prayer request. They can start with the phrase, “I’m really concerned about this….,” or “I wanted you to be aware so you can help me pray,” or “you should be informed about this…” Don’t get involved in discussions concerning the sins or problems of any of God’s people. Soon they will take on a life of their own then stories will appear, gossip will arise, and criticisms will come that are totally untrue.(Prov. 26:20). When we listen to or speak gossip, we are like wood, and if we refuse to listen or speak the gossip will die out. A suggestion for when someone begins telling you a story is to say, “Stop, if there’s an issue I will talk to that person directly and I will use your name and quote what you say. Nine times out of ten they will stop what they’re saying and decide to “get back to you.”

Yes, we can do something great as ambassadors of God’s kingdom. We can celebrate the fact that we are being defended right now by our Great Judge. And we can be righteous judges by defending God’s people from the destructive attacks of Satan that may come against them in the form of negative talk. Not ignoring problems, but defending and protecting the person. We may not be able to take on giants or tear down idolatrous temples, but we can defend God’s people. And to God that is something worth noting (Rev 12:11).

Questions: 

1. In what ways did Tola represent Christ?
2. We know that gossip will hurt others, but how does speaking or listening to it affect you?
3. In curtailing an attack on someone, what steps, phrases or actions have worked for you in the past? Or what do you think might work? 
4. 4. Do you have an issue with  listening or speaking negatively about others/ if so, what practical steps can you take to stop this behavior?