Jacob predicted that his son Issachar would “bend his shoulder to the burden,” Genesis 49:15. And the picture he had in mind – as to what he meant by that – was a donkey.
If there was a job to be done, Issachar’s descendants would “bend their shoulders” and get to work, like a donkey leaning forward with head down when pulling or carrying a heavy load. Is that what Jacob saw in Issachar’s personality, a donkey-like stoicism that accepts what needs to be done, and without fanfare or complaint gets on with the job in hand?
Would that also explain why Issachar’s descendants were allotted the agricultural heartland and the most fertile land in Canaan? In Joshua 19:18 “their territory included Jezreel,” which today is still a highly productive fertile region. So the tribe of Issachar would become tough, hard working, skilled farm managers.
Their toughness would prove useful too, when Deborah, the prophetess leading Israel in Judges 4:4, was given the go ahead by God – after 20 years of the Israelites being cruelly oppressed by Sisera and his 900 iron chariots (2-3) – to smash the lot of them, led in the attack by Barak (6). Judges 5:15 then says: “The princes of Issachar were with Deborah; yes, Issachar was with Barak,” and what a victory it was because not one of Sisera’s army, including Sisera himself, survived (4:14-24).
And according to 1 Chronicles 7:1-5, “all the clans of Issachar” were able to muster up “87,000 fighting men,” far outweighing the second best army from Benjamin totalling 59,434 (6-10). The men of Issachar were donkeys to the core – hardy, fearless, and ready for a fight if needed – another burden they willingly “bent their shoulders” to.
Which they willingly did in support of the future king David, along with “the rest of the Israelites who were also of one mind to make David king,” 1 Chronicles 12:23-38. But the men of Issachar were different to all the rest, because it was said of them in verse 32, that “they understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” What did that mean, and why is it mentioned that “200 of their chiefs” turned up too, which is not said of any of the other tribes either?
But was this foreseen by Jacob too, when comparing Issachar to a donkey, that God would gift Issachar with the donkey’s skill at “Reading the signs” as well?….(next blog)
