“Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. (Genesis 49:14-15)
So far, we have looked at:
· 1st born Reuben. Turbulent in character lacking self-control and lacking in command to protect his younger brothers thus losing his father's trust.
· 2nd and 3rd born Simeon and Levi. Lacking wisdom and having an untamed anger. Vengeful with devastating aftermath.
· 4th born Judah. A leader, protector, negotiator, mediator and reconciler. He had the gift of persuasion and knew the right buttons to press. He was a royalty and he lived and acted like it.
· 5th born Dan (Bilha’s 1st son). A judge. Endowed with strength but misused it. Later on restored.
· 6th born Naphtali (Bilha’s 2nd son). Signified triumph over struggle. He was disobedient in executing God’s command just like Zebulun. Despite their ups and downs, they received a blessing from the Lord.
· 7th born Gad (Zilpha’s 1st son). A fortune. Received a greater inheritance. Tenacious in pursuit of the enemy killing everyone of them and going the extra mile to help other tribes.
· 8th born Asher (Zilpha’s 2nd son). His name meant happy. Destined for greatness through favor, Asher compromised by living with Canaanites and was hesitant in fighting against evil. However, conviction triumphed over compromise.
· 10th born Zebulun (Leahs 6th son). A haven of rest for voyagers battered by life's storms. He was a safe harbor for those tossed by the strong winds in the seas. He also portrayed a conduit for the great commission, being the port of entry exit to other nations.
Today we examine Issachar. He was the fifth son of Leah. The birth of Issachar was against a backdrop of intense competition between Rachel and Leah over Jacob. Rachel almost had exclusive rights to Jacob but she had no sons of her own. Leah had sporadic accesses but already had 4 sons of her own and 2 through her servant girl. Rachel’s hunger for mandrakes forced her to strike a deal with Leah just for the night.
Bang! Came Issachar. His name means a reward. Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar. (Genesis 30:18). So despite having 4 of her own and 2 by her servant, Leah was feeling outdone by Rachel in her relationship with Jacob. Her choice of names the sons she bore and meanings was also telling; fortune, happy, reward, gift etc. These were in reference to the context of rivalry between her and Rachel.
However, look at how Jacob describes Issachar. A rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens suggests a weakness or laziness or stubbornness to get out and work. However, Issachar is described to have possessed wisdom and understanding of the times; Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. (1 Chronicles 12:32).
Second part of Jacob’s blessing implies that the lure of a resting place makes Issachar not mind being submitted to forced labor. Issachar’s land was fertile and pleasant, (Joshua 19:17-23). Due to the fertility of the land, invading armies would find this a soft target with little resistance from a laid back Issachar. He was strong but passive, laissez-fare like.
Pockets of strength are evidenced in the song of Deborah after the defeat of the Midianites. Issachar’s contribution to the victory is recognized as that of a reliable backup. So the languid can fight back after all? Issachar princes rallied to Deborah, Issachar stood fast with Barak, backing him up on the field of battle. (Judges 5:15)
Do we have Issachar’s today? By all means. How? You may ask. When fertile land in the church is invaded by a band of raiders that find an easy target and exploit it. When we admit secularism in order to make the church tick, flooding our service menu with concerts rather than repentance. The devil likes soft fertile targets. When he creates the lie that the best way to contain our youth is give them condoms rather than deny them sex, tolerate backside chasers rather than violate their human right, allow men to formalize their mpango wa side to minimize the menace of chokoras and legal succession battles.
How come we have the strength to win non-eternity battles yet fail to where eternity matters? We drill our children to get As in school but score E in spiritual life. We drill our girls to be the best in their careers but score poorly as wives and mothers. We cannot be more than conquerors in Christ if the yoke of other task masters is still on our necks. Shake off that yoke and experience the true taste of freedom.
No comments:
Post a Comment