Greetings. This is Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church with a moment of truth, where we challenge you to think through an important issue of life and faith. And today, I want to challenge all of you out there to be men of Issachar. Don't say Gesundheit. I didn't sneeze.

I just quoted for you one of the tribes of Israel, men of Issachar. And there's a very important verse that's kind of tucked away in 1 Chronicles 12, verse 32, that says some very important things about the men of Issachar. And 1 Chronicles 12, verse 32, says that of Issachar, there were men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. And this was in the days when David was first ruling as king of Israel. In the early days, during the collapse of the kingdom of Saul, indeed, David was coming into his own.

And he needed men who had understanding of the times and could know what Israel ought to do. And America needs men of Issachar today, men who understand the times and know what the United States of America ought to do as well. As goes the church, so goes the nation. So the church today needs men of Issachar. So I want to reflect on that with you over the next few weeks as we look very carefully at precisely what the United States of America needs right now.

We just don't need a president who understands the times and knows what to do. We need a whole host of men, men of Issachar, who understand the times and know what the United States of America ought to do. So let's reflect on that, okay, for just a minute. For example, in May of 1548, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, gave his ultimatum to the German princes of the Reformation, who had embraced the Protestant cause. And his ultimatum was called the interim.

That is, Protestants return to mother church or have it reimposed upon you by military force. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor. And those German princes had confederated together in what was called the Schmalkaldic League, which was a military alliance to provide for their common defense against precisely this kind of threat from the Holy Roman Emperor. Now, it was clear from the tenor of the times. They were men of Issachar.

That the demand for reform had grown so great that the Pope and the Emperor would react to it, and they would react soon, and not in a conciliatory manner either. All the interests of the Roman Catholic Church and the Holy Roman Empire were threatened by the Reformation. Economic and political and religious interests were all threatened by the Reformation. The whole house of tarot cards threatened to come down. Anyone with eyes to see knew that Rome would strike back with full force.

Well, it is acknowledged that the men of the city of Magdeburg, Germany, were in the vanguard of forming and organizing this defense of the Protestant cause. They had eyes to see. And led by the pastors of that city, very important to understand, led by the pastors of that city, nine of them importantly, they crafted a rationale for their taking political and military action against the interim of Charles V. And that rationale has come down to us as the Magdeburg Confession of 1550. And the Magdeburg Confession of 1550 is an eloquent, tightly and biblically reasoned case for resisting the magistrate.

The first argument of it goes, for example, and I quote, the magistrate is an ordinance of God for honor to good works and a terror to evil works. And this is, of course, from Romans chapter 13. It goes on to say, therefore, when he begins, that is the magistrate, begins to be a terror to good works and honor to evil, there is no longer in him the ordinance of God, but the ordinance of the devil. And he who resists such works does not resist the ordinance of God, but the ordinance of the devil, unquote. So, importantly, the Magdeburg Confession honors the long-held doctrine of the lesser magistrate.

Yes, does this sound familiar to you? The doctrine of the lesser magistrate. That is, when a greater magistrate, like a king or an emperor, emperor, or contemporaneously, the president. When that greater magistrate has forfeited his right to govern through his evil behavior, then it is the right, yea, the duty of the lesser magistrate. For example, a prince, or in our day, a state governor.

It is their duty to resist him, even to the point of armed resistance. And over the centuries, the Magdeburg Confession of 1550 has stood the test of time in eloquently making the case for the doctrine of the lesser magistrate. Now, I have a three-part series on this on our website, americastruths.org, on the doctrine of the lesser magistrate, a three-part series. And if you go to our website, americastruths.org, you'll see a button under series. And there you will find our three-part series on the doctrine of the lesser magistrate.

Well, in October of 1550, the bishop's forces laid siege to the city of Magdeburg and invested it until November of 1551. But the men of Magdeburg, led by her pastors again, had prepared their defense as well, including the hearts and spirits of the people. Rome's efforts to reimpose Roman Catholicism in Magdeburg failed, though not without great sacrifice to the people of that city. So, Magdeburg led the defense league because her pastors saw the temper of the times and they acted accordingly. They did not cower in fear or pretend that all they had to do was preach the gospel and leave the rest to others.

No, they were men in the long tradition of the men of Issachar. As 1 Chronicles tells us, of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. Dear brother and sister, we need this in our own day. Men of Issachar, if you will, who have understanding of the times and know what the United States of America ought to do. So, there's a couple of points that I want to make with you from this text today.

And the first one is, tuned in. The men of Issachar were tuned in. Number one, covering verse 32a. That is, as the men of Issachar in Israel, so the church needs men today who understand the times in which they live. The church needs men today who understand the times in which they live.

Yes. Well, the context for our verse of Issachar, men of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do. Well, the context for our verse is the assemblage of the faithful few from the tribes of Israel at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to David, according to the word of the Lord, as the text says. Now, events had unfolded such that Israel had reached a crossroads in her history. Yea, the whole of redemptive history, if we might add.

Since a conclusion had been reached in the hot pursuit of David by his king, Saul the Benjamite, right? A resolution, finally. As providence would have it, it would be the Philistines and not David who would slay Saul and his sons, Jonathan and Abinadab and Malkishual. And they were slain on Mount Gilboa by the Philistines. And David would go on to take Jerusalem and be anointed king at Hebron.

But here we are treated to a glimpse of loyalty and faithfulness. When in the dark days of uncertainty, a few rallied to David's side. Now, a significant cohort in that number were men of Issachar. Issachar was the ninth son of Jacob and the fifth son born by Leah. Issachar means literally man of hire.

But in its context, we might better translate Issachar as there is recompense. It can also be translated as there is indeed recompense. And of course, there was recompense here for Leah, for she had given her mandrakes to her sister Rachel in order that Rachel might bear children. But God smiled upon Leah and gave her yet a fifth son, Issachar. So she named him.

Oh, indeed, there is recompense. And then Jacob's blessing of Issachar too. In Genesis chapter 49, Jacob's blessing of Issachar reflects his name too. And that blessing went like this, quote, Issachar is a strong donkey crouching between the sheepfolds. He saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant.

So he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant at forced labor. Now, that idea of forced labor can also be translated, and I think better translated, as difficult or strenuous labor. So Issachar put his shoulder to bear and became a servant at difficult and strenuous labor. Oh, the recompense for difficult and strenuous labor was indeed a land that was good and pleasant, and that was in the midst of Israel. Issachar as a tribe also developed a reputation for serious work and loyalty and faithfulness.

And we need men of Issachar in America today who are dedicated to serious work and with loyalty and faithfulness to our constitution. Well, Issachar as a tribe developed a reputation for serious work. For example, Issachar was one of the few tribes that came out with Deborah to fight the Canaanites in Judges. Yes, Judges chapter 5, the song that Deborah sang. The song that Deborah sang was in part dedicated to Issachar.

For she said in her song, the princes of Issachar came with Deborah and Issachar faithful to Barak into the valley they rushed at his heels. Unquote. Yes, Issachar was faithful and developed a reputation for faithfulness. Also, one of the judges who delivered Israel in the days of the judges was a man of Issachar. And Judges chapter 10 goes like this.

After Abimelech, there arose to save Israel Tola, the son of Pua, son of Dodo, a man of Issachar. And he lived at Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim. And he judged Israel 23 years. Then he died and was buried at Shamir. Yes, that was the judge Tola, a man of Issachar, faithful indeed to the end.

So, it is no surprise that 200 chiefs of clans in the tribe of Issachar reported for duty at Ziklog to serve David. Oh, yes, David, there is recompense, is there not? In fact, Chronicles documents that the tribe of Issachar fielded 87,000, quote, mighty warriors enrolled by genealogy, unquote. This 87,000 man contingent was more than any other single tribe in Israel contributed to the armies of David. And they were distinguished by a very valuable attribute, men who had understanding of the times, as Chronicles tells us.

Now, the Hebrew word yadach for understanding is ubiquitous in the Old Testament for having a thorough knowledge of a thing. Yes, men who had knowledge of the times, yadach of the times. Job 28, 23, for example, says, God understands the way to wisdom. Understand here, meaning, or the Hebrew word for understanding, yadach, God understands the way to wisdom and he knows its place. Or Psalm 119, 152, David says, long have I known from your testimonies, that word being yadach, long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever, unquote.

So, yadach, a thorough acquaintance with a subject is indicated here as well. And it is also a thorough understanding of the times, the Hebrew word there being yad. The Hebrew word yad is equivalent to how we use times in this context, too. That is, a defined period of time characterized by specified events. Yad, a defined period of time characterized by specified events.

For example, Jeremiah chapter 51, 33 says, for thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, the daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor at the time when it is trodden. Yad, at the time when it is trodden. It goes on to say, yet a little while and the time of her harvest will come. That is, the yad of her harvest will come. Once again, yad being a defined period of time characterized by specified events.

Or Numbers 23, 23 says, for there, when it's a beautiful song of the coming Messiah, and it goes like this, for there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel at this time, at this time, at this yad, at this time, it shall be said of Jacob and Israel, what has God wrought? Yeah. So, the word for understanding of the times is this word yet, which is ubiquitous throughout the Old Testament, again, as a defined period of time characterized by specified events. Well, the sense then is that one knows the circumstances, the players, the background, the significance of what is transpiring before their eyes.

Those who see thus can weigh the various factors and forces at play and understand exactly what is going on. Redemptive history is unfolding before the men of Issachar, and they're on it. Oh, they don't have half-baked opinions on what's going on based upon inaccurate or partial information. No, the men of Issachar are not lazy or indifferent to the times, content to live in a comfortable cocoon, placidly letting the world go by, reciting platitudes like, oh, the Lord's in control. Oh, this is an evangelical nostrum, isn't it?

I hear so many people say this, but it's an excuse for inaction, for not doing anything, because, oh, the Lord's in control. Oh, the men of Issachar's view is not distorted by their prejudices and their biases and their hatreds, so that their understanding of the times is clouded. No, they are meant of objectivity. They understand with brutal reality the facts on the ground. Our Lord even rebukes the Pharisees for not knowing how to interpret their times, and he does it in exactly this fashion.

He tells them in Luke chapter 12, you hypocrites, you know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? Oh, yes, the men of Issachar were not Pharisees. The men of Issachar were not progressives with distorted worldviews that twisted their objective understanding of the times. No, the men of Issachar were not naive evangelicals either, indifferent to the times, all because the rapture is coming soon anyway, or because this world is not our home, and we shouldn't trouble ourselves, right? No, they were not naive evangelicals.

The men of Issachar had a clear eye and a sober mind. They could see that David was the true shepherd of Israel. They could see that God had rejected Saul for his unfaithfulness. They could see that God was supernaturally blessing and keeping David despite all of Saul's efforts to kill him. Issachar, in distinction from the rest of Israel, the men of Issachar had an understanding of the times.

Well, dear listener, have things changed? Is anything more required of us than to sit and wait for the rapture or ignore time in favor of eternity because this is not our home after all, right? Oh, I would submit to you that today, as it always has been, that the church and the country need men of Issachar who understand the times as much as David needed men like those of Issachar. It has been like this throughout the history of the church, and many in America need to get over their reluctance at getting their hands dirty and applying the gospel to the times in which we live.

One of my favorite examples from history is the great deacon and scholar of the medieval church, a man named Alcuin, who became an advisor and confidant to the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne in the late 8th and early 9th century. Oh, I love Charlemagne. The Englishman Alcuin had earned a reputation as a scholar and developer of the Great Library at York in England, and Emperor Charlemagne eagerly sought advice from all over his empire as to how to most effectively rule as a Christian prince. That's one of the reasons I love Charlemagne, is because he was dedicated to being a biblical Christian prince.

And Alcuin, a close student of the times, was more than eager and ready to oblige Charlemagne. I quote the medieval scholar, Bianca Marska-Kunz, and she says about Charlemagne, and I quote, Charlemagne saw a trusted advisor in Alcuin, and besides his teachings, he also had a vast influence on political issues. Even though he grew up at the monastic school at York, he was not a monk, and he was always concerned with worldly matters just as much as with the religious ones.

He combined both and played a huge role in forming and bringing forward the ideal of rulership, on the one hand as a ruler with certain attributes, and on the other as a preacher who spreads Christianity, the ruler that is Charlemagne. Well, he goes on, she goes on to say, in Alcuin's eyes, a king should guide and rule his realm, ensure justice, renew the church, and unify the people under his rule. Being the person who decides in a just way, defends against oppression, make laws, takes care of strangers and pilgrims, and spreads the word of Christ everywhere, unquote. Oh, Alcuin advised Charlemagne, he should be that kind of emperor.

Well, in our own day, we require those who understand the times in which we live, like Alcuin, are we ready to abandon all of God's good creation and all of this life under the sun to the world and the devil? Because we're only pilgrims here when we have no lasting home. Oh, our world, and the United States of America in particular, stands at a crossroads in history, dear listener. We have opportunity to staunch the flow of blood in America from the evils of abortion and war. We have the opportunity to end modern slavery from human trafficking of women and children across the border and rather bring liberty to the people.

We have the opportunity to end the worldwide tyranny that sucks the wealth from the average working man and funnels it to the wealthy lords of the earth. We have the opportunity to spread the gospel across the world and in our own country by standing tall in the public square for our First Amendment rights. Yes, dear listener, but it requires men who know the times. It requires men who know the times. Because, dear listener, as goes the church, so goes the nation.

That's a rule that's always been obtainable here in this church age. As goes the church, so goes the nation. That's why we need men of Issachar who know the times and know what to do as well. And no one, really, when you think about it, think about this. No one should know the times better than a Christian because we live in our age.

We have a great impact upon our age and culture and politics, all of us. And when I say no one should know the times better than a Christian, it's not so that he can obsess over red heifers and raptures and the Antichrist. No, that is 180 degrees opposite of the men of Issachar. If you are obsessed with Bible prophecy, you're not a man of Issachar. You're a man of cul-de-sac.

Yes, you're irrelevant. You are useless to God's kingdom. Indeed, there is information out there to gather from a lot of different reliable sources so that you can be informed as to what is actually transpiring in our age. I would recommend sources like the Epoch Times, for example, or online Revolver News. All have reliable information in terms of knowing what is transpiring today.

Mike Adams, as well, is another reliable sources of news. Tucker Carlson, since he was fired from Fox, he has a great broadcast, great website. These kinds of sources, not mainstream news, not mainstream media, you will never get a good idea of, indeed, what are the times and consequently knowing the times and then being able to extrapolate what needs to be done. As goes the church, so goes the nation. Dear brother and sister, you are a Christian and no one should know the times better than a Christian.

To compare to the times, we have the Word of God, the Scriptures, and we are better able to apply the Scriptures to our own day and time so that we might build a better world for our families, for our children. Indeed, covenant inheritance depends on creating the circumstances for handing to your subsequent generation, to your children, a better world and not just sit around and wait for the rapture and excuse yourselves because you think. Once again, I have an entire lecture on this, on what is the rapture and precisely when is it supposed to be, et cetera, et cetera.

But in short, if you're obsessed with Bible prophecy, you are men of cul-de-sac, not of Issachar. Be men of Issachar, dear listener, men of Issachar who know the times and then subsequently and consequently know what to do in order to save the United States of America. We are poised to be able to do just that. We have leadership in place, in government, that can go a long ways to doing that. But these men of leadership in government also need men of leadership in spirituality, too, dear listener.

Politics is downstream from culture. That's a well-known truth, isn't it? A well-known truism that indeed politics is downstream from culture, but culture is also downstream from religion, from a religious faith. And even prior to that, we can say that religious faith is downstream from the Lord God himself, for he gives us in revelation. He gives us the true faith, the true religion.

So we need men of Issachar who know their scriptures and also know the times and then consequently know what the United States of America should do. Oh, dear listener, this has been Pastor David Bass at New Geneva Orthodox Presbyterian Church. We are trying to become men of Issachar who know the times and consequently know what the United States should do. Come and visit us. Perhaps you've been thinking of crossing our threshold.

We meet on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street. We'll continue this broadcast next week, part two next week. But in the meantime, please come and visit us. We meet for holy worship at 10 a.m. at 101 4th Street on the corner of 4th and Boulevard. And you can call us for more information or some feedback at area code 208-523-0196. Area code 208-523-0196.