Hidden Heroes: The Sons of Issachar, Understanding the Times
by David Chadwick
I love the Word of God with all of my heart. I believe it is breathed by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Through the Holy Spirit, God led different people to record his heart for the world in the Bible. It is the greatest story ever written.
I want to highlight some more hidden heroes from the Bible. So many people are biblically illiterate, with no clear understanding of his Word or the stories he has written to give his people hope and assurance of salvation.
Every good story has both good guys and bad guys. These are some of the good guys, the heroes, who played significant roles in God’s story.
The sons of Issachar are today’s heroes.
They were descendants of the ninth son of Jacob, whose name was Issachar. After entering into the Promised Land, the sons of Issachar, which the Bible says were numbered at 64,300, eventually inhabited a more rural, agricultural region of the Promised Land.
The sons of Issachar are most commonly known from 1 Chronicles 12:32 as being “men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.” I have to believe this description of them was two-fold. First, they probably had an innate ability as farmers to read the weather. Secondly, they most likely developed a keen political eye for what was going on around them, correctly discerning that King David was the rightful king of Israel who deserved their allegiance. Because the sons of Issachar were astute and in tune with God, they rightly aligned their perspectives with his heart.
As we live our lives, we should learn from the sons of Issachar. Jesus asked his followers to discern the signs of the times (Matthew 16:3). To look around. To know what’s happening in the world. And to use all that is seen to pray! The Church must look at Biblical prophecy and correctly apply it to today. One third of the Bible is prophecy! In fact, so much of what is happening in Israel, in Jerusalem, and with Temple Mount are strong indicators of the times in which we are living. The nations around the world hate Israel and are garnering weaponry and warfare against it. But this was all predicted in the Bible!
Be like the sons of Issachar! Understand the times! It will allow you to stand through even the toughest of times with the confident assurance of what God is doing on the earth.