~ I Chron 12: 32: From the family of Issachar there were 200 wise leaders. These men understood the right thing for Israel to do at the right time.

In 1 Chronicles 12, we read about warriors of Israel & men armed for battle that were with David as he was getting ready to be King of Israel. From v23 we see the count of men by each of the 12 tribes - from 6800 men of Judah in v24 to 1,20,000 men of Reuben, Gad & Manasseh in v37. We see the qualities of the men of each tribe and how they were qualified and equipped for battle. They had swords and shields, they were brave, loyal, experienced etc.

In V 32, we see a rather obscure mention of the men of Issachar - They were very few in number as compared to the other tribes. Just 200 out of the 3,00,000+ total of the men mentioned in the passage. The adjectives that describe them are also quite different from the other tribes. They understood the times. They knew what Israel should do. They were wise men.

We're living in uncertain times. The world is changing at a much faster pace than ever before. Everyone is talking about the new "normal". In the midst of all this, it's essential that we pray for wisdom to lead the church. It's important that we learn and adapt our practices without compromising on our doctrine. What was normal practice for our fore-fathers decades ago may not be relevant today. The men of Issachar knew what Israel should do next.

As we're getting into the 6th week of lockdown and probably into a new "normal" way of living/commuting/working/socialising etc, are we ready and do we know what the church should do next?

(This article was written during the lockdown due to corona pandemic)