“The sons of Issachar,
men who understood the times,
with knowledge of what Israel should do…
and all their kinsmen were at their command.”
I Chronicles 12:32
From this brief passage we find a few precious keys for leadership in our own time. These sons of Issachar had cultivated a life posture that enabled them to live life with a heightened sense of seeing and discernment. They could perceive and grasp the significance of the movements of God in their world and therefore they could provide essential and crucial leadership. Because they, like David, understood the specific purpose of God for their own generation they became empowered to accomplish it.
We like these saints of old have a specific purpose of God for our generation and to accomplish that purpose, leadership of the same type as was manifested by the son sons Issachar is required.
This type of leadership, which is important in times of peace, becomes far more critical in seasons of significant transition or persecution and becomes absolutely essential in times of judgment.
They understood their times,
had knowledge of what to do,
therefore people followed.
The obvious contrast to this would be leaders or people who don’t understand the uniqueness of their times, they will not know what to do, and therefore will not be able to provide true leadership.
This tribe of Issachar is very much like the sons of Zadok (a division of priests addressed in Ezekiel 44) who had the capacity to not only inform and lead the people but also could CAUSE the people to distinguish the holy from the common (verse 33). This might be more clearly stated for our day by saying the sons of Zadok could see, perceive, discern, and interpret what was happening and what God was doing in the midst of life’s events. This was in contrast to the other priests who not only did not perceive the activity of God in the earth but were relegated to doing their own routine ministerial functions. They could not distinguish the things God had originated from their own endeavors, which were originated and sustained through the agency of their own efforts. If it is born in the heart of man, no matter how well intended, it can only touch the heart of man. If it is born from the heart of God it has the transcending power to lift the heart of man to the design of God. That’s why Paul strove not to be eloquent or polished. In fact he put his best foot behind him so that all would see only God. He wanted a demonstration of the power of God, not an oratorical presentation.
What was it about the lives of the sons of Zadok that CAUSED OR FORCED the contrast to be seen? If you read the entire chapter of 44 you will see a most amazing thing as God contrasted these leaders who stood before the Lord and those that stood before the people. The sons of Zadok lived before the presence of God in such a way that they could see what God was doing and lead the people in the right direction. God contrasted them to the common leaders of their day who stood before and whose primary focus was ministering to the people. The chapter ends by saying the leaders who only operated in the “common” or natural realm came under a judgment in which their life was from then on forced to stay in ministry but only to minister to the people while being barred from coming into the presence of the Lord.
So what does this have to do with end time leadership? EVERYTHING. Part of the church will be like the sons of Issachar and have Godly leaders and people who stand in the presence of the Lord. They have now and will have then discernment and the capacity to understand the times and know what to do in changing situations.
Another part of the overall broader American church will have a leadership much like the common priests who will have to attend to the common or the natural level with very little or no revelatory leading or directives. It will be like the blind leading the blind. Their lives and their churches will have developed a lifestyle and a structure of life based on the natural or what man can do.
They won’t understand their time. They will simply see an increase in unrelated environmental disasters, increasing terrorist activity, a far distant problem between Iran and Israel, a weakening dollar, global solutions to what once were sovereign issues. They will simply live the American life style just like the people in Noah’s day. And just as Jesus said of Noah’s time, they will make no adjustments to their entangled, busy, busy lifestyles right up until the rain started to fall.
Then they will scramble to “find oil”. They will need “another” brief time out to go get more oil. All to no avail. As believers we are basically in one of two camps. Our life either has the hallmarks of a son of Issachar and we are seeking to understand these times and live a holy, sanctified and well-placed life for God, or our life looks just like those who have no such awareness. Who go to church and definitely know God, but in understanding the season we are in are not much different than the world where life just goes on.
It is a time to “Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth” (Luke 21:34-36).
WE ARE GOING TO ENTER A TIME
WHEN ONLY THOSE WHO UNDERSTAND THE TIMES
WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO.
We can do all kinds of things in times of peace that will be impossible in times of great stress. In peaceful days when man is prone to be dull prophetically, leadership is much easier. In times of difficulty following leaders who have no insight is very difficult. Then manmade church programs won’t suffice. In those types of times many people may be forced to seek out prophetic leadership.
The unique position of the church in the last days is of utmost importance.
Saints living at this time must of all generations
be able to discern and speak
with kingdom-splitting clarity.
God intends for the last generation to be so close to Him, so refined, so separated from the world that they would literally be able to DISTRIBUTE UNDERSTANDING. This particular verse isn’t referring to a few prophets or apostles but to the nature of the mature saint in those days.
“But the people who know their God
will display strength and take action.
And those who have insight among the people
will give understanding to the many”
Daniel 11:32-33
Jesus said of these days of upheaval, “It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony” (Luke 21:13). These will be the days of unparalleled opportunity for sharing the gospel with a lost and confused world. Most of us have encountered a friend or family member who has been in an auto accident or been informed of some unanticipated life-threatening illness. Suddenly their whole world collapses and they have an earnest interest in God and eternal things. While all is going well man is prone to just keep up with whatever he wraps his life around. In those days of massive hostility toward God, millions will sober up and turn to Him as they see everything start to fall apart.
In God’s blueprint for the last days the saints will show tremendous strength and courage and will be positioned to dispense truth and life to those who will receive it. Even in the midst of laying down their lives for the gospel they won’t be a timid, cowering bunch. They will be so full of zeal and boldness that the Word says they will do exploits, heroic feats of action for God.
There will be such a level of personal strength and insight that the Bible says some unbelievers will even pretend to be Christians for a short while. “Many will join with them in hypocrisy”(Daniel 11:34), because they will have wisdom about such things as local disasters, famines, environmental disaster, and the severe incurable plagues. They will understand their times and will have knowledge of what to do.
These saints will take action; they will be proactive. Amidst all of the confusion they will be so full of discernment concerning their situation that they will literally be able to give understanding away to a lost and confused world.
Individual cities, communities, neighborhoods, churches, and families, will need a people who walk with God and understand His ways, people who can in the midst of their own confusing and bewildering circumstances be able to bring clarity as well as conviction to bear upon the hearts of the unbeliever.
The consummate tragedy of church history would be if the final generation would arrive upon the precipitous and cataclysmic events preceding His return without understanding, still entrenched in the world, leavened and lukewarm close enough to God to know better but too far away from God that they cannot see what is coming. A people rich in their own eyes, living casually in their prosperity, a people strong of soul but dull of spirit. You are now being prepared to be His voice to many who will have new reason to listen. Don’t be caught running to and fro trying to find understanding as Saul did at the end of his life…
Find understanding now;
live an understanding life now!
It is a time to “Be on guard, that your hearts may not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of the earth” (Luke 21:34-36).
Break up your fallow ground...” For it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12). (examine our works to assess what might not endure the fire; check our lamps to see how much oil we have; scrutinize our hearts to see what affections might betray us when the chips are down)
“... It is time to “Arm [ourselves] with the same purpose [as Christ who suffered in the flesh]… so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men… but for the will of God.” (Peter 4:1.2). “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought [we] to be in a holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, … therefore, Beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation…” (I Peter 3:11,12,14,15).
