1 Chronicles 12:32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
Issachar – The meaning of this name is “he will bring a reward. God expects every father, every leader and potential leader to bring a reward to him that will glorify him. He has not called us to be failures or losers. The bible says he has given us everything that pertains to life and Godliness 2Pet.1:3. That is why Moses could sing to the Lord that he has caused us to triumph gloriously. Exodus 15:1.
• Understanding – to separate mentally, to distinguish, be cunning, diligently, deal wisely, be prudent (Strong’s Heb998). They had the ability to discern and to strategise.
• Times – seasons, what’s going on these days and times.
• Know - to know or ascertain by seeing. The Hebrew word know in this verse is yada, which is a word that means God gives the personal understanding and revelation, and is not a knowing that comes from reading a book for example. This comes by having an intimate relationship with God.
These are people of leadership potential who have a cunning mind, able to mentally distinguish between that which is wise and unwise. They diligently pursue the understanding needed to live well before the Lord. Issachar men and women receive understanding from the Lord Himself, because they know God in an intimate manner. Because they are wise and prudent, Issachar’s are able to perceive and seize opportune times of success and wealth. They are able to lead their families through all the trials and fiery darts of the enemy and take them to a successful end.
These are men that will lead their troops through thick and thin. They will face every giant that comes their way. These are men who will walk by faith and not by sight. They are ready, with the help of God, to conquer anything the devil will use as a stumbling block against them.
2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Do not let the failures of today cause you to take the wrong decisions because these are temporal, God’s successes are ahead of you. If you fail today, try again you will succeed.
When Moses sent the twelve spies into the Promised Land, 10 came to report of what they saw, but Joshua and Caleb gave their report by what was discerned. Even though they saw these men as giants, they refused to let what they were seeing affect their faith. They held on to what the Lord hard said unto them. They were more than able to overcome these giants. God could use situations and circumstances to overcome these giants.
These are men who will look beyond the giants facing them and the challenges of today to see what God has planned for them and fight for them. We need to gather enough faith to face the giants of today. We need to stand strong and overcome every fiery dart of the enemy.
These are not men who will sit at the same place and go through the same problem year in year out but they are willing to take risks and steps of faith. The four crazy lepers said, why sit we here till we die?
One major thing a lot of believers do not realize is the fact that we cannot do it with our strength. But with God on our side all things are possible.
How does one become a son of Issachar?
1. Issachar: Being someone who brings a reward to God i.e. everything you do must be to his glory. It means fathers must lead their families the way God has ordained it to be and not the way this world culture demands. Fathers must do everything to protect their families from becoming one of the casualties. Leaders must lead in the way God expects them to lead so that it will be to his glory. It is not by their strength but they allow God to show how mighty he is through them.
2. Understanding of the times: We need discernment more than ever. We should be able to discern between good and evil and be able to discern the plans and traps of the enemy so that we can avoid being ambushed by the devil. We must see what his plans are even before he makes his first move. We must also be able to discern what is happening spiritually in this season and be able to deal with it in the way God wants us to do.
3. To know: We must have a personal understanding of what we have to do in any situation and circumstance. This comes by virtue of our experience in walking with God in obedience and an intimate relationship with God. It does not come by reading a book but by our waiting on God and on studying his word. It comes from a personal relationship with God.
4. Their brethren were at their commandment: Out of that intimate relationship with God, their words carried a lot of authority and power which provided them with the ability to lead. Their followers had the confidence that these will lead them in the right direction. Their families could trust them that they will not fail them. They carry everyone along with them, play as a team and therefore are winners.
There is a story of two farmers who desperately needed rain and both of them prayed for rain but only one of them went out and prepared his field to receive it. Which one do you think trusted God to send the rain?
As you have learnt today and you pray about this, go prepare your family and your team you are leading for the rain is coming.
