Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
– Ephesians 5:17

Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command –
(1 Chronicles 12:32). Issachar is the ninth son of Jacob, his mother was Leah. In Genesis 30:13, we see that his name means “man of hire.” In the days of David, scripture describes his descendants as people who had understanding of the time. Although they were mostly warriors, they understood the move of the Spirit of God and knew what God wanted done. They were known supremely for their wisdom. It was even noted in the Talmud that the wisest members of the Sanhedrin came from the men of Issachar.  “Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” – 1 Chronicles 12:32 Now the men among all the families of Issachar were mighty men of valor, listed by their genealogies, eighty-seven thousand in all.

The first two things we can all learn from this tribe is that “they understood the times,” secondly, “they knew what Israel ought to do.” It is one thing to have understanding of a season, the highest of all is knowing how to live in the light of that seasons.

I will liken people who have understanding of the times and seasons to people with the gift of dream interpretations. Dreams do not really benefit you if you lack the wisdom to make meaning of them, likewise time. A man who has no understanding of the significance of a season has no direction at all, he goes where the winds take him.

We must know that understanding the times goes beyond headlines and tweets, or social trends. It is insight on the move of God at a specific time, which is something we must all aspire to be in tune with. Daniel understood the times, so he set out to pray for the deliverance of the Jewish nation who were then in exile, and that had nothing to do with the social trend at the time..

I am positive that if we open up our hearts, God will make us like the men of Issachar, full of wisdom and understanding. James encourages us to ask for wisdom from God. Today, I pray that the Lord will make us wise in our days, wise as the men or Issachar, or even greater than that. Amen!