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.
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!
I have a question? What do you believe God is doing in this season and in the times which we live? I want you to really think about this question! Because I am sure many people could say many things!
This is a powerful question, but only those that understand the Word of God and prophecy, can truly understand what God is doing in this season and hour which we live. Not only in the church, but in the nations as well.
This is so important, because we if don’t know what to do, we could make the wrong decisions, or even be out of the will of God.
What I find interesting and very prophetic is that in the book of 1 Chronicles chapter 12, King David has taken over for Saul, and all of the tribes are gathered to him. In this chapter verses 20-39, it lists all the numbers of men in the tribes that supported him.
For example, what I find is all of the tribes had thousands of men who were ready to help and support King David. For example, the tribe of Judah had 6,800 men ready for war. Simeon had 7,100 men.
Levi had 4,600 men, Benjamin had 3000 men, Ephraim 20,800 men. Manasseh had 18,000, Zebulon 50,000. Naphtali 37,000 men, and Dan 28,600 men.
Asher 40,000 men, and the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.
This is profound! They had men ready to go to war! But what is interesting in 1 Chron 12:32, the Bible says the following about the tribe of Issachar:
1Ch 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.
The Bible says they had 200 men, but they had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.
This is amazing. I have read this passage many times before, but I didn’t see this. Issachar had only 200 men, but they had understanding of the times, although the other tribes had thousands.
What the LORD showed me in this passage is that yes, we need numbers, and numbers is good for strength, but more than numbers, we need wisdom and understanding of the times, to know what we ought to do! Goodness!
The word “Understanding” sounds so simple, but these men were small in number, but had great understanding of the times.
I believe what we need today is men and women who are not just in church, or out of church, and can talk about the church, but have understanding of the times and what we need to do!
You see, all of the Tribes had large numbers of men, but Issachar had a small number, but had understanding!
Question? Do you have heavenly understanding? As a matter of fact, the Bible says in Proverbs 3:
Prov 3:1 My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments:
Prov 3:2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to you.
Prov 3:3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about your neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Prov 3:4 So shall you find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Prov 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Notice what the book of wisdom says about understanding! Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about your neck and in your heart, and you will find favor and good understanding, in the sight of God and man! This is powerful!
We need heavenly and wise understanding that only comes from God! This is why we need to trust in the LORD with all of our heart, and lean not to our own understanding. But, in all of our ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct our paths.
Why do we need understanding that comes from God? Well, because our human understanding is flawed unless we have spirit led understanding, and the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us this understating. Sometimes people have problems in life because they lack understanding.
Sometimes people get offended because they lack understanding. Sometimes people make the wrong decisions and choices because they lack understanding.
Sometimes people make unwise financial decisions, because of a lack of understanding, and sometimes people get out of the will of God, because of a lack of understanding.
The Bible even says in Prov 4:7, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.
We all need wisdom and understanding according to scripture! Because when we have heavenly understanding, we can understand the times, like the Tribe of Issachar, and we will know what we need to do.
The Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:
Eph 5:14 Wherefore he says, Awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
Eph 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Eph 5:17 Wherefore be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Did you get that? The key to perfect understanding, is understanding what the will of the LORD is! So how do we find this understanding? We find it in these five ways:
1. The Word of God.
2. When we walk with God.
3. True worship of God.
4. Obtaining wisdom from God.
5. Submitting our will to God.
Let us have the mindset of the tribe of Issachar, who although were few, they had understanding of the times, and knew what Israel ought to do!
God Bless, Pastor Quinn