The Sons Of Issachar Anointing: 1 Chronicles 12:32 Study

In this article, we will look into the Sons of Issachar. We will examine who they were, why they were important, what the Sons of Issachar anointing is, and more. So, grab your Bible, and let’s dig in…

No believer can deny that we live in dark and uncertain times, and we can see the presence of evil all around us. It seems like every year that goes by, it’s getting darker.

When we turn on the news or browse social media, we are bombarded with people saying and doing things directly contrary to the Word of God. Many leaders (even church leaders) encourage them to keep doing so.

Within the church, there’s been a rising awareness of the Sons of Issachar from 1 Chronicles 12:32. The subject often rises in sermons and prophecies in the modern church, and there must be a good reason for that.

But many believers don’t understand who the Sons of Issachar were and why they are relevant to the church in modern times.

The Sons Of Issachar: Who Were They?

from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; – 1 Chronicles 12:32 NIV

1 Chronicles 12 is a fascinating chapter, but it’s one that people often skip over. Few people like long lists of numbers and strange names.

However, these seemingly pointless portions of the Bible also contain nuggets of wisdom that we can use, and this one is no exception.

This chapter talks about the armies that joined to make David king, but we must look at the backstory to truly understand.

The prophet Samuel anointed David with oil to pronounce him king while Saul was still king over Israel but had begun to turn evil. David did not chase Saul down and claim the throne by force; instead, he chose to serve Saul in any way he could.

Saul did not take so kindly to this, especially when he saw how people respected David while losing their respect for him, their “rightful king.”

He attempted to kill David numerous times, causing David to flee into the wilderness and the mountains.

While David was fleeing from Saul, he still tried to serve the king, even refusing to kill him when he had the chance. But during this time, God started sending men on David’s path, referred to as David’s mighty men.

All these men were strong, powerful warriors and wise leaders, and from 1 Chronicles 7, we can see that about 87,000 of these men came from the tribe of Issachar.

David accomplished incredible feats with his mighty men by his side, and his popularity grew.

Eventually, Saul and his heir, Jonathan, died on the battlefield. That ended the line of Saul, but it left a void of leadership. It would have been the perfect opportunity for anyone to try and seize the throne of Israel, even though the prophet formally anointed David.

So, armies arose from all the tribes of Israel to support David’s claim to the throne and to anoint him as the new king.

It’s within this context that we find verse 32, which says, “Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.”

Two hundred chiefs from the tribe of Issachar, with all their kinsmen, went to form part of the army that protected David and crowned him. These men are referred to as the Sons of Issachar or the Children of Issachar, and many of them also became active followers of David and were recognized as some of his mighty men.

The Sons of Issachar became influential not just in establishing David as king but also helping to establish the throne of David throughout generations.

The Sons of Issachar Anointing

So, when modern preachers and prophets refer to the anointing of the Sons of Issachar (or just the Issachar Anointing, in short), what are they referring to, and what does it mean for today’s church?

We can identify a few aspects from 1 Chronicles 12 and its surrounding chapters.

Understanding Of The Times

One aspect that stands out is that the Bible says the Sons of Issachar had an “understanding of the times.”

They looked at the circumstances in Israel and noticed a few things:

• Saul was no longer serving God and was leading God’s people in the wrong direction.
• Saul’s rule was coming to an end in a destruction that he brought upon himself through disobedience.
• Saul’s line was ended; his son would not sit on the throne of Israel.
• This would create a power vacuum that many might try to fill.
• David was the logical choice to be the next king, as the prophet anointed him, and God was clearly with him, as demonstrated through his tremendous victories, like his conquest of Jebus (Jerusalem).

We, as believers, can learn much from this. When we look at the circumstances around us, we should understand the times.

This doesn’t necessarily mean being obsessed with the end times or even with prophecy (personal or corporate) in general, but it does mean looking at the world and identifying the actual threats behind the things that are happening.

It means recognizing that God prophesied everything the world is going into. When we read the Bible, we know that the world will get worse. The enemy will gather his forces, and the people will fall away and follow all kinds of deceptions.

These things must happen as God said they would, and there’s no denying that we can see that happening around us.

To Know What To Do

The Bible mentions that the Sons of Issachar didn’t just understand the times, but they also knew what Israel was meant to do. They had the wisdom of God to see the way forward, which was to crown David as the new king.

We must pray for God to show us the way forward in this time and season. Having the Issachar anointing means that God will reveal how we should respond.

It doesn’t mean climbing on social media and arguing or condemning the deceived, but it does mean proceeding in the way Jesus told us from the beginning – building the Kingdom.

Bringing truth in love and clarity into the times and seasons we are in.

To Establish The Kingdom

The Sons of Issachar didn’t stop when they knew what to do; they also took action. They did not hesitate to join the forces of Israel and establish David as the new king, and even after that, they fought to help David keep his throne.

They were loyal to the very end, despite their king’s failures and mistakes, even when some of them died in battle.

Modern believers know who the King is.

From the house of David, we worship the King of Kings, and He is coming again to establish His final rule over the earth and to destroy all the evil that seems to be flooding the world right now with no hope in sight.

More than ever, we are to take action to preach the gospel and demonstrate God’s power. We should become the mighty men (and women) of Christ who don’t hesitate to show bravery and valor in the face of the enemy so that the Kingdom of our God can come in all its power and glory.

The Three Aspects

So, we can see that the Issachar Anointing requires three things:

• Understanding of the times.
  
  Having an understanding requires knowledge of the world around us and wisdom to discern what is truly happening behind the scenes. Both are gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12) and something every believer should pursue.
• To know what to do.
  
  It’s easy for us to feel hopeless in the face of our circumstances, but we know that the Holy Spirit is with us to guide us in all truth (John 16:13).
• To take action.
  
  James 1 tells us to be active doers of the Word. When we receive guidance from the Holy Spirit, it would be a sin not to act on it. That’s what disobedience is.

Does that mean we should wait for guidance? No. We already have firm instruction from Jesus, and we don’t need a leading from the Holy Spirit for that: Matthew 28. We are to go into the world and preach the gospel of the Kingdom, making disciples.

But there are times when we must listen and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He will open and close doors and guide is in the direction we should take. A prime example of this is when Paul was on his second missionary journey, and the Holy Spirit guided him.

That’s how we build the Kingdom of the King of Kings. May He find us actively working to that end when He returns.

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The anointing and example of the Sons of Issachar are becoming increasingly crucial for the church as we approach the end times.

But it’s not only for selected individuals – it comes with the Great Commission and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We should strive to look behind the things we see in the world and take Godly action in the midst of it to build His Kingdom.

I hope you have enjoyed this article on the Sons Of Issachar and have learned something!