I was born to be famous
But I can’t act, dance or sing
And I’m also quite shy
So I probably couldn’t bring
A room to a standstill
Or a crowd on their feet
But I was born to be famous
I don’t admit defeat.
This little poem epitomizes the mindset of many young Americans today. We live in culture that endorses self-expression, fanaticizes fame, and celebrates celebrity status. We live in a time when everyone thinks that it’s their God given right to be famous. It used to be that you had to have actual talent to become famous, but now all you need is a little bit of make-up and a smart phone. Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift have proven that!
Every year, television talent shows like American Idol showcase a whole host of narcissistic contestants who, despite their overwhelmingly clear lack of talent, think that they are a star. They are legends in their own minds, but nobody else’s. We have people posting ridiculous clips on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube in vain attempts to be noticed by someone. They may not say these exact words, but doing all screaming, “Look at me! Discover me! I’m somebody!”
How about you? Do you ever feel the need to be noticed? Do you ever display a deep desire to become somebody? Or could you be content to be a nobody?
Ibzan, Elon, Abdon: Nobody’s for God (8-15)
This dichotomy of “somebodies and nobodies” brings us to today’s biblical text. Judges 12:8-15 documents the lives of Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon, who led Israel successfully and successively for 25 years. I would be willing to bet that most of you have never heard of these men before. Compared to other biblical figures like Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Peter, Paul, etc, these men are easily classified as “nobodies.” They are even obscure in the Book of Judges. Most people have at least heard about Deborah, Gideon, and Jephthah, but not these guys. They did not make it into the great “Hall of Fame of Faith” recorded in Hebrews 11.
Like the unsung heroes Tola and Jair in Judges 10:1-5, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon are considered “minor judges” because the author presents them with minimal biographical information and no narrative. Matter-of-factly, this section reads like a series of bad obituaries—it gives their name, place of birth, length of rule, death, location of burial, but not much else.
So, why would God inspire the author of Judges to record such brief and seemingly insignificant accounts? Because he wants to teach his readers something about his value system! God doesn’t just like to use the “somebodies” of society; he also like to use the “nobodies!”
The two most important words in this whole passage are found at the beginning of verse 8 where it says “after him.” This phrase deliberately highlights the contrast between the tragic tale of Jephthah’s civil war and this 25 year period of civility. Although Jephthah liberated the Israel from Ammonite oppression, his 6 year reign ended with 42,000 Ephraimites slain along the fords of the Jordan River. (It’s amazing how far a nation can fall in just six years of ungodly leadership.) But God used the “nobodies” Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon to restore stability and peace to a nation that had been decimated by civil war.
There are two details in the text that show us that they stabilized the nation. First, verse 9 tells us that Ibzan had the ideal family of thirty sons, for whom he secured thirty daughters-in-law, but he was doubly blessed with the addition of thirty daughters. In contrast to Jephthah, who sacrificed his only daughter, Izban capitalized on the political opportunity his family afforded him by having them all marry outside the clan. These marriages cemented clan alliances, healed strained relationships, and built a community with strong foundations. (Block 389).
Second, verse 14 tells us that Abdon had the ideal Israelite family consisting of 70 descendants. Forty of these were immediate sons, but the narrator looks to the future by noting that Abdon also had 30 grandsons. As in the days of Jair (10:4), the fact that each of these men rode his own donkey (a symbol of peace) is a sign of the tranquility of the times.
Izban, Elon, and Abdon did not have the prophetic insight of Deborah, the oral eloquence of Gideon, or the military might of Jephthah, but it is astounding to consider how God used these three “nobodies” to lead Israel through a period of peace and prosperity for 25 years. These so-called “minor judges” show us that you don’t have to be famous to be effective!
Most of you have never heard the name Benjamin Wooster before. He was born in Waterbury, CT on October 29, 1762, and as a teenager, he fought in the American Revolutionary War under General George Washington. After the war, he went on to study at Yale University and was ordained as a minister in the congregational church. On July 24, 1805, Wooster became the pastor of the Congregational Church in Fairfield, Vermont.
On the morning of September 11, 1814, he heard the news about the British attack on Plattsburgh (War of 1812) and quickly took it upon himself to raise a militia of men from Fairfield and defend his country once again. As he was leaving his flock in mid-service, they begged him to preach one more time because they feared that they would not see him again. Not dissuaded, he tenderly kissed his teary-eyed wife and clinging children and set out immediately. Rev. Wooster and his Fairfield flock fought alongside the United States Army against the British force of 14,000 soldiers.
After the British were unexpectedly defeated, Rev. Wooster returned to his Fairfield parish and continued to preach until his death on February 18, 1840. During his 35 year tenure, he preached over 6,000 sermons throughout Franklin County and brought nearly 500 people into the church.
After the Franklin Meeting House was constructed in 1827, it was the Rev. Benjamin Wooster who preached the inaugural and dedication sermon. It is amazing for me to consider this historical link: Every Sunday I get to preach from the same pulpit that this great American hero preached from almost 200 years ago!
As I mentioned to you before, I would guess that most of you have never heard the name Benjamin Wooster before. He is a “nobody” in the annals of American history, but he is proof that you don’t have to be famous to be effective. He was an amazing American patriot and an exceptional clergyman. His faithfulness did not gain him any fame or prominence, but God used him to bless countless lives throughout Franklin County Vermont.
Have you learned that you don’t have to be famous to be effective? Are you striving to become “somebody” or are you willing to be a “nobody” for Jesus? Can you be content with who God made you to be? Perhaps you are not the smartest, strongest, or most talented person in the world. Perhaps you have thought to yourself, “I’m not very good at anything; I’m not well known; God could never use me.” God can and will use you just the way you are! You don’t have to be somebody! God would prefer to have an untalented but humble person rather than a talented arrogant person. Are you willing to lead a life like Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Rev. Benjamin Wooster—a life of unnoticed faithfulness and uncelebrated service?
Back in 1966, John Lennon made his infamous remark that “the Beatles are more popular than Jesus Christ.” That may have been true, but do you see where that got him? It is amazing that Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word of God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, was willing to leave all the glory of heaven to come to earth and be a “nobody” for us! It is absolutely astounding that Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, resisted using his divine power and allowed himself to be treated like a “nobody” when the people mocked him, spit on him, scourged him, and shouted “Crucify! Crucify!” It is immensely astonishing that Jesus Christ did not defend himself against false accusations and permitted wicked men to nail his hands and feet to a cross! Jesus Christ freely gave up being a “somebody” so that he could be a “nobody” and offer us forgiveness for our sins and the hope of eternal life!
As I conclude this sermon about “Somebodies and Nobodies,” hear the words of Emily Dickinson’s satirical poem “I’m Nobody”:
I’m Nobody! Who are you?
Are you – Nobody – too?
Then there’s a pair of us!
Don’t tell! they’d advertise – you know!
How dreary – to be – Somebody!
How public – like a Frog –
To tell one’s name – the livelong June –
To an admiring Bog!