The Issachar Sessions

There's a fascinating comment about some of those from the tribes of Israel who joined David when he was going to become king: "Of the sons of Issachar, who understood the times to know what Israel was to do..." (1 Chronicles 12:32). It seems to be an obscure comment in a whole list of military chiefs and soldiers, hundreds of thousands of men joined for battle, and it some ways it is exactly that. But like with most things that seem insignificant in the Bible (especially in books like 1 Chronicles), we ought not pass by it too quickly.

There are two parts to this that I want to focus on:

"...who understood the times..."

This group of men, the 200 chiefs and all those under their command, were what I like to call "cultural exegetes". To exegete something is to draw out its meaning, and so an important part of pastoral ministry is Biblical exegesis, that is, the process of drawing out—faithfully interpreting—the meaning of the Bible. But here it's "the times" that are being exegeted; we might paraphrase it with "the culture". It's "reading the room", as it were, having their finger on the pulse of what was going on at the time.

"...to know what Israel should do..."

There was a purpose to gaining understanding the times. It wasn't just so they could be known as hip or relevant for its own sake. It was to help guide Israel.

The Reformed theologian Karl Barth told TIME magazine in 1966: “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.” While not advocating Barth's theology, this is a comment worthy of consideration. (It's also a comment that dated him to his own times, to be sure, being that few people actually get any news from something printed on a paper these days, but it's valid to extrapolate to today.) His point was that a faithful Christian knows about both but also knows the primacy of the Bible. Applying that to my own vocation as preacher, a preacher doesn't just proclaim the Bible, but he proclaims the Bible in such a way that it reveals to the hearers how relevant it is to the current times.

It's with all that in mind that I'm again preparing for a teaching series that I started in our congregation called The Issachar Sessions. It's a series of sessions where we'll gather together to seek to be "men of Issachar", people who understand what's going on in the world around us and learn more about how to live faithfully as Christians in this world. We'll discuss some "hot-button" issues, starting with understanding how those issues are present in the world, and then how God's Word speaks into those issues and into our own lives in response.

My prayer for those in our congregation who will join together is that we'll be strengthened in the faith so that we're better equipped with confidence in God and His word, and in our ability to live faithfully and joyfully in the midst of a culture around us that is less and less open to the things of God. If you're local to Penticton, I invite you to join us. And if not, I'll look for an opportunity to share more about what we're doing, what I'm thinking, and to engage you in this area too.