Jair a Judge with Legacy
“After him came Jair the Gileadite, who judged Israel 22 years.”
Judge #9 Jair
After Tola, the common man, came Jair and his 30 sons. He set up his sons as “mayors” of 30 towns in Gilead. Gilead is located on the east side of the Jordan River in the territories of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.
“He had 30 sons who rode on 30 donkeys. They had 30 towns in Gilead, which are called Jair’s Villages to this day.”
Other than his sons and his cities we know very little about Jair. Three other people shared his name. A man from Manasseh who took cities in the land east of The Jordan when Moses gave them to the two-and-a-half tribes.
“Jair, a descendant of Manasseh, took over the entire region of Argob as far as the border of the Geshurites and Maacathites. He called Bashan by his own name, Jair’s Villages, as it is today.”
Deuteronomy 3:14 HCSB
Esther’s uncle, Mordecai’s dad.
“In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite.”
One of David’s warriors’ dad who killed a brother of Goliath.
“Once again there was a battle with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam.”
1 Chronicles 20:5 HCSB
Jair was a man of legacy. He provided his sons with cities. The other Jairs left something in their sons also. We are not told that his sons acted foolishly. So once again I have to assume they were upright “mayors” of Jair’s-villages.
What kind of legacy are we leaving to our kids both physical and spiritual?
Proverbs tell us:
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.”
“A house and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a sensible wife is from the Lord.”
Moses tells us:
“Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 HCSB
Psalms tell us:
“Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, children, a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons born in one’s youth. Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them. Such men will never be put to shame when they speak with their enemies at the city gate.”
Psalms 127:3-5 HCSB
We must be willing to impart something to our kids. For one day they will have kids and raise them the way you raised them. We are the example for the next four generations. What we do as sins will hang over kids and our grandkids and our great-grandkids. But our dedication to God will stay with our kids for 1,000 generations.
“You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the father’s sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands.”
Exodus 20:5-6 HCSB
That is part of the Ten Commandments!
Paul gives this charge to Timothy his Spiritual kid:
“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
While we have a responsibility to our physical kids we also have a responsibility to disciple spiritual kids as well. We have the responsibility to train the next generation so that they can train the next generations to love God and to love people. If not the legacy we leave behind will stay in the world and be forgotten in 70 years.
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