ISSACHAR IS A DONKEY
OBSERVATION: THIS STUDY SPEAKS TO SPIRITUAL BONDAGE. JACOB AND LEAH’S NINTH BORN SON WAS ISSACHAR. HE WAS THE HALF BROTHER TO JOSEPH. HIS NAME APPEARS SEVERAL TIMES IN SCRIPTURE. THE NAME ISSACHAR MEANS LABORER OR A DONKEY OF BONE. THE WORD SHEEPFOLDS MEANS SADDLE BAGS.
INTERPRETATION: READ GENESIS 49: 14-15 (NKJV). ISSACHAR IS A STRONG DONKEY, LYING DOWN BETWEEN TWO BURDENS; HE SAW THAT REST WAS GOOD, AND THAT THE LAND WAS PLEASANT; HE BOWED HIS SHOULDER TO BEAR A BURDEN, AND BECAME A BAND OF SLAVES. GENESIS 49: 14-15 (THE BOOK) ISSACHAR IS A STRONG BEAST OF BURDEN RESTING AMONG THE SHEEPFOLDS. WHEN HE SEES HOW THE COUNTRYSIDE IS, HOW PLEASANT THE LAND, HE WILL BEND HIS SHOULDER TO THE TASK AND SUBMIT TO FORCED LABOR.
2 CHRONICLES 30:18-20 THE SETTING IS THE REINSTATEMENT OF THE PASSOVER. MANY CAME TO THE FIRST PASSOVER UNPREPARED. THE MOSAIC LAW DEMANDED CEREMONIAL WASHING BEFORE PARTICIPATING. ISSACHAR, AMONG OTHERS, DID NOT CLEANSE THEMSELVES. HEZEKIAH, FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH AND JUDAH’S TWELFTH JUDGE APPEALED TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS. GOD FORGAVE AND HEALED THE PERPETRATORS.
ISSACHAR REMAINED PROBLEMATIC. WILLING TO TRADE LIBERTY FOR THE MATERIAL THINGS OF LIFE, HE ENDED UP A SLAVE TO FOREIGN INTEREST, PARTICULARLY THE CANAANITES AND BABYLON.
APPLICATION: GOD HONORS HEART AND ATTITUDE OBEDIENCE. PROVERBS 3:5 (NKJV) TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING.
