Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20060716.htm

1 AND 2 CHRONICLES: GAINING DIRECTION OUT OF THE AIMLESSNESS OF APOSTASY
Part I: Gaining Direction From God's Work In Our History From Furthest Antiquity, 1 Chronicles 1-9
B. Gaining Direction From Noting God's INTERACTION With Past Groups In The Faith, 1 Chronicles 4-8
7. Gaining Direction By Noting God's Work With The Tribe Of Issachar
(1 Chronicles 7:1-5 et al.)
  1. Introduction
    1. God calls believers as much as is possible for them to be at peace with all men, cf. Romans 12:18.
    2. However, if being at peace with others causes us to disobey the Lord, living at peace then becomes sin, a lesson the men of the tribe of Issachar had to learn in their tribal history (as follows):
  2. Gaining Direction By Noting God's Work With The Tribe Of Issachar, 1 Chronicles 7:1-5 et al.
    1. 1 Chronicles 7:1-5 gives a very abbreviated genealogy of Issachar, Bib. Know. Com., O. T., p. 599-600.
    2. In a positive light, verses 2 and 5 repeatedly note the men of Issachar in David's era were "valiant men of might", and, according to 1 Chronicles 12:22, 32 KJV, they "had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do . . ." Clearly, the men of Issachar had become good leaders to help king David!
    3. Yet, they were not always good leaders; history reveals Issachar struggled in unbelief in God with the temptation to submit to foreign dominance just to keep the peace versus leading into righteous conflict:
      1. When Jacob gave his paternal blessing to Issachar in Genesis 49:14-15 NIV, he predicted they would be like a "rawboned [or strong] donkey," a hamor garem, cf. Kittel, Bib. Hebraica , p. 76.
      2. This expression pictures a beast of burden who submits to a yoke as opposed to the wild, spirited and respected brand of animal, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, 1971, p. 46.
      3. Indeed, Jacob's description of Issachar in Gen. 49:14b-15 ESV reveals the men of Issachar were willing to be "crouching between the sheepfolds" in irresponsible peace and "bow his shoulder to bear, and become a servant at forced labor" when "he saw that a resting place was good . . . "
      4. In fulfillment of this prediction, Issachar endured servitude to Canaanites, failing to drive them out as God had directed in Joshua's time, Zond. Pict. Ency. of the Bible, v. Three, p. 373 with Joshua 13:1-2.
      5. Such irresponsibility by the men of Issachar was critiqued by God through a woman named Deborah:
        1. By Deborah's era, Israel had been subjected by God for its sin to the rule of Canaanites, Jud. 4:1-2.
        2. Deborah as a woman (due to a lack of adequate male prophets!) was led by God to call Barak of the tribe of Naphtali just north of Issachar to take the men of the Naphtali and Zebulun and attack the Canaanite forces led by Sisera at Mount Tabor in the tribal land of Issachar, Jud ges 4:5-7; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, map 4. No leader from Issachar was chosen as it yet had no man of responsible faith!
        3. The men of that whole region were apparently irresponsible, for even Barak replied he would go to war only if she, Deborah came with him, Judges 4:8! Like the men of nearby Issachar, Barak did not want to assume full leadership, but, was content to hide in the shadows when it came to conflict!
        4. Deborah replied that she would go with him, but that since Barah had failed to trust God to lead Israel in battle without her, a woman would have the honor of slaying Sisera , Judges 4:9!
        5. Well, the battle went well for Israel, and Sisera was slain by the woman, Jael, in accord with the word of the Lord by Deborah, cf. Judges 4:15-21; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to Judges 4:21.
    4. To the credit of the men of Issachar, Deborah's song of triumph reported the men of Issachar had joined Barak in the battle versus the men of Reuben who had been content to "sit still among the sheepfolds" in irresponsible peace as described of ISSACHAR in Jacob's ancient prophecy, Jud. 5:15-16 with Gen. 49:14 ESV! Deborah honored the men of Issachar by at least assuming SOME responsibility in being willing to join Barak in holy war as an initial step in overcoming faithless irresponsibility!
    5. By king David's era, the men of Issachar had overcome such faithless irresponsibility to become faithful, vigilant, brave, and aware of what they needed to do in their time , 1 Chronicles 12:32!
Lesson: The men of Issachar struggled in their history to overcome the temptation to hide themselves from taking responsible leadership due to the lure for personal peace and safety away from conflict!

Application: (1) May we MEN assume responsible leadership in issues of conflict versus shying away from our duties to "keep the peace" when God calls us face such conflict! (2) May we WOMEN like Deborah ENCOURAGE MEN to ASSUME their upright roles of responsible headship, 1 Tim. 2:11-15.