Judges 12:11-12 – Elon
After Ibzan, we meet Elon the Zebulunite. Of all the minor judges, we are told the least about Elon. We can gather a few things about his background from other Scriptures. According to Genesis 46:14, Zebulun, son of Jacob, had a son named Elon. Numbers 26:26 tells us there was a clan in Zebulun, the Elonites, who were descended from Elon son of Zebulun. It is likely that the judge Elon was of this clan, a descendant of Elon son of Zebulun.
Elon judged Israel for ten years. We are not told any of his accomplishments. Whether he defended Israel against enemies or made good judgments, keeping peace between the Israelite tribes is not known. All we are told is that at the end of his ten years of service, he died and was buried at Aijalon in the land of Zebulun. It may even be that this town was named after Elon (the Hebrew consonants are the same in both Elon and Aijalon).
There are many people of whom we know even less than we know about Elon the Zebulunite whom God has used mightily for His Church. Whether our labors for the kingdom are known on a wide scale and recorded in the history books, or whether they are known to few and will fade soon from human memory, is unimportant. The LORD knows our deeds and our hearts. On the last day, may we hear our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ say to each of us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Questions
- Why is Elon important, even though we know little about him?
- Did God use him for His good purposes?
- Is it important that we get credit among men for serving the LORD?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we may serve Christ faithfully, whether it is known to others or not.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.