The Sons of Issachar

“Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do…”
— 1 Chronicles 12:32

The times were changing in Israel. Saul and Jonathan had fallen in battle. David—already anointed by Samuel—was now gathering momentum as God’s chosen king. The elders of Israel were making their way to Hebron to pledge loyalty to him. Tribe by tribe, the mighty men were assembling around David.

Among them were the sons of Issachar, men who recognized in the shifting events the sovereign movement of God. They saw David’s divine anointing, his rising influence, and the loyalty of the fighting men as signs of the Lord’s direction. These clues told them what Israel ought to do: acknowledge David as king.

In our own day, we desperately need believers with this same discernment—men who can read the times. They must know the Word of God deeply and recognize the fingerprints of His providence in the circumstances of our nation. And they must understand how we should respond, both individually and corporately.

Holiness, wisdom, and discretion are essential. But how do we learn to read the times with Issachar-like clarity?

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1. Know Our History

Patrick Henry once said he knew no better way to judge the future than by the past. Those who ignore history lose the ability to understand the present.

2. Know the Histories Told in God’s Word

Scripture not only reveals God’s character—it shows us His ways. The patterns of His dealings with humanity repeat through the ages. The more deeply we know biblical history, the more easily we recognize those patterns around us.

3. Walk in Repentance and Faith

A humble, repentant heart is tuned to hear the Spirit’s voice in God’s Word. Faith clears the fog of pride and self-interest, allowing us to perceive God’s movements with greater clarity.

4. Practice Obedience

Obedience to Scripture sharpens discernment. Each step of faithful obedience prepares us to understand God’s ways the next time He speaks or moves.

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May God raise up men and women of wisdom and discernment in our generation.
The church needs leaders who understand the times and know what God’s people ought to do.

The Royal Psalms: 10 Key Take-aways

 

               In our survey of the royal psalms, we tried to look at them from three perspectives:  What they meant at a time to David and his sons as kings in Israel, what they mean to us as we try to use our leadership and influence in the wider culture (Salt and Light), and finally, Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of all that we surveyed.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords and He is both our refuge and deliverer.

               Let’s review the lessons we learned as we looked at the following psalms:

Psalm 101

1.       Influence begins with character.

2.      We must choose carefully those counselors to whom we listen.

Psalm 18

3.      The intervention of God on behalf of His people is extraordinary.

Psalm 20-21

4.       The people have a responsibility to pray for their leaders, the people who have influence in our culture.  We pray for-

a.      Justice

b.      Protection

c.      Provision of abundance

5.      God answers prayer in an extraordinary way.

Psalm 2

6.       God’s purposes will never and can never be thwarted.

7.      If you find your decisions on the wrong side of a Sovereign God, kiss the Son.

Psalm 110

8.       Christ is both priest and King.  What a cause for rejoicing!

Psalm 72

9.       Use your influence for justice, provision, and expanding God’s glory over the nations.

Psalm 144

10.    God is the efficient cause of all our victories.  He trains us to be His instruments (the instrumental cause) of that victory.

The Glory of Young Men is Their Strength

"The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old."
(Proverbs 20:29)

How are the sexes to be distinguished? Some argue they shouldn't be — that each individual stands on their own as self-sufficient and unique. It’s true that both men and women share equally in bearing the image of God. Together, we are called to take dominion over God’s creation.

But gender is not merely incidental or interchangeable. Ask the Olympic boxer who stepped out of the ring after facing a transgender opponent: “I’ve never been hit that hard in my life.” At the very least, one defining characteristic of manhood is physical strength. Men have, on average, ten times the testosterone of women. This biological reality has a purpose — and it's not arbitrary. It’s rooted in the dominion mandate (Genesis 1:26–28).

Men are built to protect and defend, to labor and build, to take responsibility for those under their care. But this strength isn’t given for selfish purposes — it’s a stewardship. Strength is not just a gift; it’s a charge.

"I am writing to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."
(1 John 2:14)

Young men must learn to harness their strength with wisdom. Physical power alone is not enough — it must be governed by the Word of God, rooted in what is good, right, and true. One writer helpfully defined manhood as “the glad assumption of sacrificial responsibility for the sake of those under a man's care, for the glory of God.”

This is the lesson King Lemuel’s mother taught him. A man can waste his strength, as Samson did, on lust and promiscuity — a path that leads to destruction and disqualified leadership. He can squander his strength on self-indulgence, on strong drink, which distorts judgment and breaks trust with those who depend on him.

But there is another way: strength can be invested. A man can stand up for the rights of the poor and afflicted. He can speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. He can channel his power in service of others — not to dominate, but to bless.

God is glorified when a man uses his strength for the very purpose He gave it: to protect, to provide, to lead, and to love with courage and conviction.

      

Boaz and The Art of Personal Management (Ruth 2)

        Chapter One of the Book of Ruth saw the testimony of Naomi and her bitterness at the circumstances of her life.  God’s providence had been of no comfort to her.  When Boaz enters the picture at the time of the Barley harvest, the mood shifts.  Naomi is able to see more of the goodness of God.  She is able to find hope again in her circumstances.  What was it about the words and actions of Boaz that made the difference?

        If we wrote a book based on his actions, we might call it  “The Art of Personal Management.”  What would Boaz teach us?

1.       1.  Develop a culture of blessing with words.  The opening words of Boaz to his workers “The Lord bless you” and their equivalent response was more than formality.  It expresses their mutual respect and care for each other. 

2.       2.   Show interest and concern for those under your care.  When Boaz inquires after the stranger in his field, the foreman offers more detail because he knows Boaz will have listening ears.  Nabal, at the time of sheep-shearing, was never this approachable or this interested in the welfare of others.  Ruth and her plight have caught the interest of the foreman and he shares that information with Boaz because he knows that Boaz will do something.

3.       3.  Be generous in ways that honor the image of God in man.  Gleaning provides work and profit for the poor.  Boaz respects the need for work.  But, he tells his men to drop stalks of grain along the way on purpose.  Ruth’s work will now be exceptionally profitable.  Her hard work from morning until dusk will be rewarded with his generosity.

4.       4.  Assign roles and tasks to those in your employ that are meaningful and will help to get the work done in a timely manner.  Boaz must organize the harvest to get done in time for the wheat harvest.  He has young men for harvesting and bringing water for the workers.  He also has young women in the fields gathering grain.  He also has a foreman, managing the affairs of the harvest in the field.  Everyone works with skill toward one end.

5.       5.  Allow those under your care to be generous and honoring as well.  The young men can now be as generous as they choose to be toward Ruth.  We can imagine that some drop more and some drop less.  The workers are actively involved in the generosity of Boaz.

6.       6.  Touch the lives of others in such a way that when they leave your presence, they bless your name (and praise God).  The abundant fruit from gleaning and the countenance of Ruth are enough to change the bitterness of Naomi.  The actions of Boaz lift the chin of Naomi so that she can see the blessing of God as well.

7.       7.  For Boaz, His vocation and his faith were wed.  We are not meant to compartmentalize our faith.  All of our lives are lived before God’s face.  We give account for our worship.  We give account for our work lives.  God is to be glorified in every area of our lives.  In doing so, in both subtle and obvious ways, we mirror God’s glory.

 

Talking to Ruth: Finding Covenant Faithfulness in a Foreigner (Ruth 1)

          As much as the dialogue of Ruth One expresses the bitter circumstances of two widows, Ruth’s words represent commitment to Naomi in the face of uncertainty and continuing poverty.  Listen to her faithfulness:

·       *Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you.

·       *Where you go, I will go.

·       *Where you lodge, I will lodge

·       *Your people will be my people

·       *Your God will be my God

·       *Where you die, I will die and there will I be buried.

·       *Ruth even adds an oath to the end of her commitments:  “May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Naomi sees herself as a victim under the stern sovereignty of God.  Ruth’s words are commitments and choices she is making underneath the providence of God.  She is not a victim.  What could we say to encourage Ruth?

1.        1.  Thank you for your “hesed”- your loyal love and faithfulness for Naomi.  Bitterness can isolate and you would not let her push you away.

2.       2.  Thank you for looking hardship in the face and accepting it.  The plight of two widows in the ancient world is severe and you accepted your own situation and then took on the care of Naomi as well.

3.       3.  Thank you for your wholesale commitment to Israel and to Israel’s God.  Yours is the freedom and joy of Peter:  “Lord, we have left everything to follow you.”

4.       4.  Welcome home.

Talking to Naomi: How to Deal with Bitterness (Ruth1)

         So much of the vitality and intimacy we feel as we read the Book of Ruth is communicated through the dialogue.  When Naomi tries to convince her daughters-in-law to return to their families, you hear her agony- “It is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”  The words of Naomi show that she has been backed into a spiritual corner.  The circumstances of her life, difficult as they are, have made her bitter.  Listen to her words:

·           “Call me Mara” (her name means “pleasant” but she prefers “bitter” because of her resent experience.

·             “The Lord has dealt very bitterly with me”

·               “I went away full and the Lord has brought me back empty.”  All of her phrases show her being acted upon from the outside- the object and victim of God’s providence.  Only here do we have Naomi as the subject of her sentence- she describes her husband and children as fullness before the calamity.

·           “The Lord has testified against me.”  To her it seems a friend has betrayed her in court.

·           “The Almighty has brought calamity on me.”

Notice that the text never blames Naomi or makes her circumstances the consequences of sin.  She is left without explanation for her distress.  What could we say to encourage her?

1.        1.  Thank you for your faithfulness.  In your bitterness, you have never denied your Lord.  Chemosh has never been an option.

2.       2.  You have been a witness.  Ruth is watching, learning, trusting.  It is amazing after all you have been through that Ruth says “Your God will be my God.”

3.       3.  Your return will be your salvation.  In returning and rest will you be saved, in quietness and confidence will be your strength.  (See Isaiah 30:15)

The Non-Prayer of Simon the Pharisee for the Tearful Woman at Jesus' Feet

 Mourning can teach us how to pray for a wayward relative or a wayward culture.  Because we don't want to wallow in misery and regret, consider the following as you mourn in prayer for another.

1.  Mourning:  By understanding the ways of God and the rebellion of man, you can pray with greater focus and intensity.  Learn to walk with that person through the consequences of sin, feel their pain, ask for their repentance.

2.  Yearning:  As I pray for my friend or my nation in the predicament of judgment and sin, let me yearn for something more.  They were made to reflect the character and glory of God.  They were made in His image.  The relationship with God that could bring them contentment and satisfaction has eluded them.  What a blessing it would be for them to find Christ, to turn from their ways, and to reflect His glory!

3.  Worship:  Now my prayer turns from my friend to the God who made them, their Creator, Redeemer, and Judge.  God's justice is impartial and perfect.  His offer of forgiveness through Christ, His grace and mercy are beautiful.  O That all people might wonder after such a God as this!

4.  Intercession:  Having seen my friend as he is, and God as He is, I long that they find each other.  I intercede on behalf of my friend.  I know that "the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord and God turns it however he pleases."

I can imagine in my mind, if Simon had been a different sort of religious man, that he might have prayed for the sinful woman, the tearful woman at Jesus' feet.  He could have left us a pattern, how to pray for our wayward child, our wayward nation.  He might have prayed:

(Mourning)  "Ah, Lord, do you see the condition of my friend?  She is trapped in her sins and she can't get out.  The consequences of her actions have brought her open shame.  Her iniquities have isolated her from you and from others.  She is alone in her grief.  Her tears are just the outward evidence of the pain in her heart.  

(Yearning)  "Lord, you made her for more than this!  The image of God within her can shout your glory.  She is made for a relationship with you.  She needs to know your love and compassion, your forgiveness and healing.  What a difference you could make in her life!

(Worship)  "O God, You are a great and compassionate God.  I have known your love and forgiveness.  Your healing has brought me joy.  Your justice has been vindicated at the cross and I have been healed.  If only my friend could see your Fullness, which are my joy and delight.

(Intercession)  O Lord, heal my friend.  Dry her tears.  Heal her wounds- the ones we can see and the ones we cannot see.  Grant her repentance.  Call her to Yourself.  Make her whole.  We long to see in her what only You can do.  What you did for me, please do for her...