REST IN THE LORD

 

Rest in the Lord

 

Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.

 

     Well here we are again looking at Jacob’s final prophetic speech to his sons.  Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah have been address now it is Zebulon and Issachar.  Jacob looks at Zebulon and says, you are going to be a seafaring nation.  Your territory will be near the sea.  Now this was interesting considering that in Joshua times when the land was settled Zebulon was given seashore on two fronts.  On the east their body of water was the Sea of Galilee and on the west the Mediterranean Sea.  Here are some interesting series of side notes concerning Zebulon.  They answered the call to help Gideon to fight the Midianites, they went to make David king and they were the first tribe in Israel to answer the call by Hezekiah to come to Jerusalem and to destroy their idols.  Zebulon’s mother was Leah and his descendants would compose one of the largest groups of fighting men.  They were also single out in the song of Deborah has great helpers when taking the land. 

     So here is Jacob showing how their land would be allotted, the significance in the Israelite federation and their prophetic future.  His name means gift, to dwell and prince.  He would be a gift to Israel and they would be a nation of people who loved the sea and known for it.  This is my thought.  I think that maybe Zebulon had discussed with his father a love for the sea and boats.  They would also be a haven, a resting place for those who made their living on ships.  The people of Zebulon were famous for their hospitality and tolerance for strangers.  Let us be like Zebulon, be the first to hear the call of God and respond.  Let us be takers of the land.  Let us give up all our idols.  Let us be hospitable and let us be people of adventure.

 

Issachar is a rawboned donkey lying down among the sheep pens.  15 When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. 

 

     Issachar name means reward.  Now Scholars of the Talmud say that this blessing refers to his name but also some have said that because he was more of a pragmatic person.  He saw his place in the family as one of peacekeeper.  Jacob knew that Issachar was a raw and rugged individual when he was young he did like to venture out but as he was getting older he was he became more sedate and prefer comfort and stability verses ambition and action. 

     There is a powerful lesson we can learn from Issachar.  Let us never lose our sense of adventure our desire for new things.  Let us keep learning, growing, and striving to be better in the Lord and as a person.  Let us be careful that with age and circumstance that our comfort becomes more important than our desire for change.  So many people do not like change.  They like the stability of the same day after day.  Talk about the guys I see at Tim Horton everyday dropping off Rebekah.

     People like consistency, stability and predictability.  Yet with it also comes, slavery.  Jacob says that because his need for comfort as he gets older Issachar would begin a spiritual and physical pattern for his descendants for future acceptance of situations that even unhealthy situations for consistency.  This acceptance for predictability is so dangerous.  We have nations accepting corruption, evil leaderships because as the old saying goes, the devil you know over the one you don’t.  We have women and men staying in abusive relationships because at least they know what to expect.  Issachar would bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to force labor.  His desire for peace, comfort and stability would make him submit to tyranny, slavery and loss of self esteem.  Brothers and sisters this happens every day, in marriages, homes, communities and countries.  For a myriad of reasons, spouses stay in abusive relationships out a sense of false love or to be loved.   People prefer attacks on self –esteem for economic security and doing it for the kids.  Now I believe any relationships can be saved, fixed and made better with the Lord’s help, with counseling and a choice to do something about it.  Yet being abused, enslaved, threatened is not a relationship it is evil and wrong.  We allow governments, employers, management and society in general to do this.  I call this the Issachar complex.  Our comfort, stability, predictability makes us accept abusive people to exploit us.  True believers are not enablers.  We are peacemakers but we are strong in the Lord and we allow the Lord to guide us and if change needs to be made we make it.  Change can be good. 

 

Here are some benefits to change: 

 

Personal growth.  You grow and learn new things every time something changes.

Flexibility. Frequent changes make you easily adapt to new situations, new environments, and new people.

Improvements and progress

Life values are often look at and changed

Strength, you actually become stronger

New opportunities you never dreamed of.

 

Benefits of Risk

 

Risk urges you to learn new skills and evolve already existing ones.

Fear of failure gets obliterated once you embrace a risk-taking culture.

It inspires creative thinking.

 

Now our recent Covid 19, we a period of dramatic change and that change is still going on.  Folks do not be deceived we are paying and will pay for this crisis for years to come.  300 billion dollars and counting this year alone.  As a church we have learn the value of meeting together, virtual meetings, online communication.  Of using text, phone and social media.  We also are now church right now different than ever before.  Social distancing, sanitizing, masks, no singing are our reality this day.  Do we like the change not all but maybe right now this may be best, I do not know but one thing I refuse to do is give up.  I lost two things during this crisis.  I lost my physical pulpit but not my virtual.  I lost my radio dream but last Friday I was given it back.  I will be back on the air on July 6.  I did not like the change but I was forced to learn to adapt, grow and change.  I also learned  never take anything for granted.  God is in the change business.  Stability often leads to stagnation, acceptance and slavery.  If God wants you to change you can either do it when He wants you to do it or it will be forced on you. 

 

Now  in 1 Chronicles 12:32 From Issachar, men who understood the  from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.  Men of Issachar is a must read for men who are meditating on God's Word day and night. It is current as only God's Word is and is enlightening and appropriate for male leaders in the Body of Christ, Godly husbands, Godly brothers, Godly fathers, Godly uncles and Godly step-fathers.  Great Thought.