Calling All Men of Issachar

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Yesterday, I talked about the need for more valiant warriors. Today’s Bible reading* is similar in its application call for more men of Issachar. These men of Issachar understood the times and knew what Israel should do.

When 1 Chronicles 12:32 says that the men of Issachar understood, it uses two Hebrew words together: knowledge and wisdom. Then it says that these men knew what to do; it uses the same word knowledge in a verb form. So these men had a deep knowledge of what was going on in the world around them.

Not only did they have this prophetic knowledge, they also knew what to do with that knowledge. The verb ought to do has an element of preparation in its meaning.

All too often, people in our day are reactive. We tend to react to a stimulus akin to our knee when a doctor strikes it with a rubber hammer. We react to things around us, often without thinking. And oftentimes, we react out of fear.

However, the men of Issachar weren’t reactive. They were responsive. And they weren’t just responsive; they were proactively responsive. They were able to read through the headlines. They were able to discern the “Fake News” to see what was going on behind the scenes. Not all was as it seemed.

Application

It seems that Fake News is the news of the day. There seems to be a single-minded focus from the news media and oftentimes reporters and writers don’t seem interested in the truth. There’s a narrative and everything must fit the narrative. If it doesn’t fit, it’s made to fit, or it’s ignored altogether.

In our day, we need men and women who understand the times. Men and women who can read through headlines. Men and women who not only know what’s going on, but what to do about it. And we need leaders who have a spine, but are humble enough to listen to the wisdom of these prophetic voices and make tactical changes to public policy accordingly.

Not only do our leaders need to have the humility to listen to the wisdom of the men and women of Issachar, but regular people need to have the humility to make life choices based on their wisdom.

I’m not talking Left vs. Right things on the political spectrum. I’m talking about Right vs. Wrong things on God’s relationship and morality spectrum.

Believers need to pray for God to raise up
men and women of Issachar.

* Chapters covered in today’s reading:
2 Samuel 5:1-10
1 Chronicles 11
1 Chronicles 12
Psalms 133