Understanding Of The Times

1 Kings 19:8-13 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God. [9] And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? [10] And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. [11] And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord ; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: [12] And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. [13] And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave.

And God began to speak to him.

Now I want us to look at another portion of scripture.

1 Chronicles 12:22 "For at that time day by day there came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God."

And then the scriptures begin to tell us of all those who came to join David’s army.

*The children of Judah, 6,800 that bare sheilds and spear, ready and armed to war.

*Of the children of Simeon 7,100 mighty men of valour for the war.

*Of the children of Levi 4,600.

*And Jehoida was the leader of the Aaronite's, with him were 3,700.

*And Zadok, a young man mighty of valour, and of his father's house 22 captains.

*And of the children of Benjamin 3,000

*And of the children of Ephraim 22,800 mighty men of valour, famous through-out the house of their fathers.

Of the half tribe of Manesseh 18,000.

Now listen to this, because what I'm going to mention now doesn't sound very important, and doesn't even sound like it should be here.

Because these people were not the most skilled soldiers. They aren't mentioned because they have been trained in how to throw a spear or how to use a sword.

They had one skill, and one skill only, but that skill made them indispensable to David's army. And that skill that made them indispensable was their ability to discern the times. They were the son's of Issachar.

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 commandment."

One of the most important things for a minister, is the ability to discern the times.

Everything about life deals with timing.

David had many courageous and skilled soldiers in his army. Many were highly skilled in different areas of warfare.

But then he had the sons of Issachar, they were not skilled warriors, but their weapon was... they understood seasons.

This was their skill. This was what made them necessary. Because they had such an understanding of times, that they knew exactly what to do at exactly the right time.

Friends, one of the most important things in your life and mine, is knowing the season you're in, and knowing what to do in that season.

Our survival is being determined today by our ability to discern the times that we're in.

Many people respond spontaneously to the pressures around them, and many times their response is completely wrong because they are reacting out of their feelings, and out of their human emotions, and human logic.

That's why the sons of Issachar we're so important. They were David's secret weapon, because they had a spiritual discernment that came from God.

This discernment enabled them to see beyond the natural, and to see behind the scenes.

This supernatural ability gave them the advantage over the enemy, because they weren't controlled or dominated by what they saw in the natural.

Now because they had this supernatural ability to know the times, and what actions to take based on that knowledge, they often looked foolish to those around them.

That's what faith does. Many times when you're acting in faith it will look foolish to those around you. Your words will sound out of place.

They'll be talking about the terrible drought, and you'll be talking about hearing the sound of the abundance of rain.