Issachar Expressway

This Tuesday we took our daughter and grandbaby down the new Coalfield Expressway to Pikeville. It was our first time driving the new road. Now, I don’t make guarantees very often—after all, I’m an attorney—but I almost guaranteed her that she’d see an elk. Dusk was settling, and I was about 90% sure we’d spot one. Sure enough, we did! Not just one—but an entire herd grazing peacefully along the roadside.

We pulled off to watch them, and I noticed a professor from ASL had also stopped up ahead. A few cars were even pulled over facing the wrong way. I suppose because this section of Highway 460 is still so new, people don’t quite treat it like an expressway yet. Give it a little time—soon enough, it’ll be just another road we take for granted.

The road is so new that Google Maps doesn’t even recognize it. Watching that little blue cursor try to follow us was hilarious—it thought we were flying over the mountain. The screen kept flashing and recalculating, trying to figure out where we were.

And to be honest, as we got closer to Exit 15, I started to get a bit anxious. I wondered, “Will I even know how to get back?” Because to Google, the road didn’t exist. For all practical purposes, the road is open—but according to the map, it’s invisible.

We know the Coalfield Expressway is real because we live here. We’ve heard about it for years. Some of us, like my friend Kemper, were tempted to “just go around the barrels and use the road” before it was officially open. I told him, “That sounds like a sermon title.” And here we are—because as I drove that “invisible” road, I couldn’t help thinking how much it mirrors our world today.

We’re living through massive change—political chaos, cultural confusion, and spiritual coldness. People are so consumed by earthly matters that they’ve lost sight of eternal ones. It feels like we’re traveling on a brand-new road that many can’t even see. So today, I want to take you on what I’ll call “The Issachar Expressway.” Let’s learn from a group of people in Scripture who understood how to navigate uncharted territory—the men of Issachar—and how you and I can become like them.

In 1 Chronicles 12:32 we read “From Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command.”

Here we meet a remarkable tribe during a critical hour in Israel’s history. The nation was divided, leaderless, and uncertain of its future. Saul was dead. Eleven tribes were without direction. It was a time when wisdom was rare and discernment was priceless.

In the middle of this turmoil, the men of Issachar stood out. They didn’t just have strength—they had understanding. They could read the spiritual landscape, discern God’s timing, and guide the nation toward His will. They knew it was time to unite under David, the man God had chosen as king.

I. They Understood the Times

The phrase “understood the times” doesn’t simply mean they watched the news or kept up with current events. It means they had spiritual insight—a God-given ability to read their moment through the lens of divine truth.

Daniel 2:21–23 says: “He changes times and seasons; He deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning… He reveals deep and hidden things… I thank and praise You, God of my ancestors, for You have given me wisdom and power.”

If anyone “understood the times,” it was Daniel. He didn’t rely on human logic or popular opinion. He sought the Lord, and God revealed what others couldn’t see. That’s what the Sons of Issachar did.

They understood: The prophetic time: God’s plan was shifting from Saul’s failed dynasty to David’s reign. The moral time: The nation was confused, but truth was still truth. The spiritual time: God was raising a man after His own heart.

And because they understood the times, they knew what Israel should do.

Do we understand the times? Do we recognize what God is doing in our generation? Or do we let the culture define our beliefs while we nod along, hoping Google Maps will figure out our route?

Real understanding begins with God. The Lord is sovereign over history. When His people rebel, He allows ungodly rulers as instruments of discipline. When His people walk in righteousness, He blesses them with godly leadership. But in every season—good or bad—He reigns.

II. They Knew What Israel Should Do

Understanding the times means nothing if we don’t act. The Sons of Issachar didn’t just analyze—they mobilized. Their discernment moved them to unite with David and strengthen the kingdom. They were doers of the Word, not hearers only (James 1:22).