Discerning The Times, Reading Heavens Clock Series

READING HEAVEN’S CLOCK

TEXT

(1 Chronicles 12:32)

“And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.”

PROLOGUE:

When the World Is Changing and No One Knows What To Do

WE NEED … “MEN WHO UNDERSTAND THE TIMES”

The year was dark and uncertain. Saul’s kingdom had collapsed under the weight of his pride. Civil war loomed. The people were divided between nostalgia for what used to be and confusion about what should come next.

In that chaos, men from every tribe came to David at Hebron — soldiers, commanders, leaders. They brought numbers, weapons, and zeal. But one small tribe brought something else — something far rarer than strength: understanding.

They were the sons of Issachar.

They didn’t just know what time it was on the clock — they knew what season it was in God’s plan.

And because they understood the times, the nation knew what to do.

I.) THE GIFT OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT

The Hebrew word for “understanding” (biynah) means insight, perception, the ability to distinguish between appearances and reality.

Everyone could feel that things were changing — but Issachar could interpret what that meant.

They had what Jesus later called “eyes to see and ears to hear.”

They were not prophets who announced judgment — they were interpreters who recognized the shift before it happened.

They didn’t just read the headlines — they read heaven’s handwriting.

“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” — Proverbs 22:3

A.) MODERN PARALLEL

We are again in such a moment.

Truth and lies travel at the same speed.

Technology has connected the world but disconnected the soul.

Morality is called “hate,” sin is called “progress,” and the line between freedom and chaos has almost disappeared.

The world feels the turbulence — but few understand it.

We have information without wisdom, data without direction, passion without purpose.

We have thousands of tribes — but very few Issachars.

B.) EXAMPLE

In 1962, the Supreme Court removed official prayer from public schools. In 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized abortion nationwide. In 2015, marriage was redefined. Each generation saw the shift — but FEW UNDERSTOOD ITS MEANING UNTIL THE FRUIT APPEARED DECADES LATER.

The Sons of Issachar would have warned: “You cannot pull up moral roots and expect the tree to live.”

II.) THE COST OF DISCERNMENT: STANDING AGAINST THE CROWD

Issachar didn’t follow the crowd; they guided it.

They weren’t swept up in Saul’s charisma or David’s popularity — they watched for God’s hand.

Discernment is lonely work.

When you see clearly in a foggy world, people will call you arrogant or old-fashioned. But spiritual clarity has always been mistaken for rebellion.

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” — Isaiah 5:20

That verse could be America’s obituary if she does not repent.

A.W. Tozer said— “A frightened world needs a fearless church.”

Issachar wasn’t afraid of the times; they understood them.

That’s the difference between a church that survives history and one that shapes it.

A.) THE COMPASS AND THE CLOCK

The clock tells you how much time you have.

The compass tells you which direction you’re headed.

America has perfected the clock — but lost the compass.

We move faster than ever — but we no longer know where we’re going.

Issachar would say: “Stop checking your watch. Start checking your direction.”

III.) AMERICA’S DESPERATE NEED FOR ISSACHARS

The sons of Issachar were few — only 200 — but all their brethren followed their lead.

They weren’t the majority, but they were the moral compass of the nation.

God doesn’t need millions to change history — He needs clarity in a few.

When the church loses discernment, it loses her voice.

We preach comfort when God calls for repentance.

We chase relevance while the world bleeds to death.

We have more preachers than prophets, more celebrities than shepherds.

We know how to draw crowds, but not how to read the clouds.

“You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.” — Matthew 16:3

Jesus’ words to the Pharisees still echo in our generation.

A.) THE WEATHER CHANNEL GENERATION

We can predict the weather three days in advance, but we can’t predict the consequences of three decades of moral compromise.

We track hurricanes but ignore moral tsunamis.

We are meteorologists of matter — but amateurs of meaning.

The Sons of Issachar remind us: Understanding the times isn’t about seeing what’s happening — it’s about knowing why it’s happening.

IV.) WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DO”?