Sons of Issachar

Pastor taught a great message concerning 1 Chronicles 12:1 – 2, 32 and I wanted to share some of the quick notes I jotted down.

“These were the men who came to David at Ziklag, while he was banished from the presence of Saul son of Kish (they were among the warriors who helped him in battle; they were armed with bows and were able to shoot arrows or to sling stones right-handed or left-handed; they were kinsmen of Saul from the tribe of Benjamin)… Men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” 1 Chronicles 12:1, 2, 32

I’ve heard this scripture dozens of times, but it wasn’t until we looked back at chapter 7, where it mentions the sons’ names, that I got a more out of it.

“The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron – four in all.” 1 Chronicles 7:1

Tola – means ‘worm’ Someone/thing who is defenseless. Opposite of a snake; easily crushed. It was his humility that would allow him to break down pride and allow his voice to be heard. Humility isn’t a weakness, it is a strength. These are the people that are placed in environments where there are a lot of proud people.

Puah – means ‘a blast’ as in being explosive. In order to change the culture, you have to look at the foundation. Before God can rebuild something, he must break down the foundation first. In order to deal with the systemic evil, you can’t be swayed or influenced by it.

Jashub – means ‘he will return’ You must find where you’re supposed to be strategically placed and take over there, take dominion because He (Christ) is coming back

Shimron – means ‘guardian, protector’ There’s always people who naturally protect, especially what God is doing. There must be safeguards put in place so that what’s being built isn’t being torn down as soon as it’s finished, or even before then.