INTRODUCTION
The previous message in this series examined the trait of the Zebulun tribe as people who rely on ‘worldly wisdom’ as opposed to “Godly wisdom”. It showed how the Zebulun people become “Satan’s merchants” and blaspheme against God. Although this brethren type may dwell in darkness, God’s faithfulness is revealed in the gift of his salvation and repentance.
This message analyses the trait of the Issachar people as ‘burdened servants’, who claim to worship God (i.e., the ‘faith burden’) yet also serve Idols (i.e., the ‘works burden’). It shows that only God can deliver the ‘burdened servants’ from religious obligations, idolatry and pagan customs to give them rest in the faith of his son Jesus Christ, by the Holy Ghost.
1. BRETHREN OF BURDENS
Jacob’s prophecy describes Issachar as “a strong ass couching down between two burdens… and became a servant unto tribute”. (Genesis 49:14-15). Issachar being “a strong ass”, depicts their disposition to carry heavy burdens. But the Issachar brethren are “couching down between two burdens”:- the burdens of ‘Faith’ and ‘Works’.
1.1. BURDEN OF ‘FAITH’
The ‘burden of Faith’, is the worship of God by faith including belief in the Christ, His promised ‘seed’ unto righteousness; “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe…” (Romans 3:22; 5:1). The “faith burden” is also known as the “burden of the word of the LORD”. This burden “shall be the rest [to nations]: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD. (Zechariah 9:1).
1.2 BURDEN OF ‘WORKS’
The ‘burden of works’ generally signify the ‘labour of man’ or reliance on human strength in the observance of religious laws, traditions and customary practices, including the worship of idols. A man is not justified in God’s sight by the “deeds of the Law” or “works burden” but by the faith of Jesus Christ, the seed of God. (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16). And, unlike the observance of religious laws, customs and idolatry which needs human effort, the ‘burden of faith’ is like a seed planted that requires trust in God for its increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
2. COUCHING BETWEEN TWO BURDENS
Issachar brethren by nature are people who halt or hedge between two opinions or belief systems – worshiping God and serving idols. On the one hand they will claim to have the fear the Lord and faith in God. Some will claim to believe in Jesus Christ by faith, and pray in his blessed name.
On the other hand, they will also trust in performing religious obligations, customary rites and serving idols including, rituals for wealth or other material lusts. In fact, they will seek to place their ‘works burden’ on others. The Pharisees are said to “… bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers”. (Matthew 23:4).
This trait of Issachar couching between two burdens led Elijah to ask the children of Israel, saying “How long halt ye between two opinions? If the lord be God, follow him: but if baal, follow him.”; and Joshua charged the people saying “…choose ye this day whom ye will serve.” (1 kings 18:21; Joshua 24:15).
Similarly, the works of the church which halt between the burdens of worshiping God and serving Idols, was deemed to both “live and art dead”; and to be “neither cold nor hot” (Revelation 3:1,15). The election between burdens is necessary because, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. [One] cannot serve God and mammon” – i.e., material wealth. (Matthew 6:24; Revelation 3:17).
But according to Jacob’s prophecy, the Issachar brethren, couching between two burdens “… saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed [their] shoulder to bear and became a servant unto tribute” (Genesis 49:15). Let us examine the burdened servitude of the Issachar people.
3. BURDENED SERVANTS UNTO TRIBUTE
Brethren, ‘faith’ through Christ, is the “goodly heritage” and the “pleasant land” that God promised his people that should deliver them from burdened works. But by pretending to have faith in God while adhering to ‘works burden’ of religious obligations, keeping traditions, idolatry and pagan customs, they become burden bearers and tribute servants. (Jeremiah 3:19; Psalm 106:24; Numbers 14:31).
3.1 RELIGIOUS OBLIGATIONS
The religious duties and obligations of the Mosaic laws and its traditions imposed on others including the “service and burden” which priests appoint of others to tend to the holy things exemplify burdened servitude. (Numbers 4:15; 4:19; 4:31-49). Under the law for instance, there was a levy of tribute for battle, of the men of war which went out to battle, of persons, of beeves, of asses, of the sheep, of heave and freewill offerings. (Numbers 31:28;41; Deuteronomy 16:10). According to Peter, the religious sects would tempt God, to put a yoke upon the neck of believers which neither their fathers nor they were able to bear. (Acts 15:5 &10)
3.2 TRADITIONS OF MEN
Burdened servants of Issachar trait, are those who blindly follow “ordinances”, “commandments and doctrines of men”, after the “tradition of men”, and “the rudiments of the world” and not after Christ. (Colossians 2:8,20-22). For example, the parents of the man born blind could not acknowledge their son’s miracle by Christ, “because they feared the Jews: [who] had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue” (John 9:18-22). Those who inherit or adopt traditional practices out of a desire to belong to the sect, or for the eye-seeing of men, or not to offend the adherents, become servants unto tributes. (Galatians 2:12,13).
3.3 SERVING IDOLS AND PAGAN CUSTOMS
Another trait of the Issachar brethren of the ‘works burden’ is serving “graven images” and idols. Both their children and grand-children will indulge in these practices after the former customs as did their fathers, unto this day. (2 Kings 17:40-41). “They [are] defiled with their own works, and [go] a whoring with their own inventions”. (Psalm 106:39).
These are people who eat sacrifices made to idols and the dead, eat blood, sacrifice their sons and their daughters unto devils and observe the pagan customs of nations. (Psalm 106:19,28, 37-39; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 10:28; Acts 15:28-29). For instance, although the Israelites had the torah, they still served pagan goddesses and gods of other nations, such as “Baals”, “Ashtoreths” “Chemosh” and “Milclom”. (Zephaniah 1:5; 1 king 11:5-6, 33; Judges 10:6). Isachar people make gods of gold and silver and fall down and worship it. Yet their burdened works cannot deliver them but lead them into captivity. (Isaiah 46:7,12).
Brethren even today, there are several traditions and customary beliefs and practices that hold the people of God hostage, deriving from family and tribal lineages, communities and organisations, to which people belong. There are other material lusts or “idols”, including riches, and relationships that do distract them from obeying and serving God and putting faith in the redemptive grace of Jesus Christ.
4. GOD DELIVERS FROM BURDENS
Brethren only God can deliver our Issachar folks from burdened servitude. God can deliver from bondage, remove their “shoulders from the burdens” and their “hand from the pots”; and he shall take away “the yoke from off [their] neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing”. (Exodus 6:3,6-7; Psalm 81:5-6; Isaiah 9:4; 10:27.).
The symbolism of the ‘burdened servant’ is like the ark of God which the Priest and Levites carried on their shoulders, as Moses commanded them. (1 Chronicle 15:14-15). It signifies carrying the word of God “upon the shoulder” (outward appearance), rather than believing in the word of God from the heart by faith. In other words, they observe the laws without the Spirit of God that gives understanding and discernment thereof.
God does not want our Issachar folks to undertake ‘work burdens’ towards servitude. The ‘works burden’ distract people from believing in Christ by faith and worshiping God in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24). Thus, is the symbolism in directing that the ark of the Lord be placed in the house that the son of king David built saying:” it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God and his people Israel”. (2 Chronicles-35:3).
God’s salvation is free and without price or bondage tributes that do not deliver. When God delivers his people by the power of His salvation by in Christ, “… [they will] not pay toll, tribute, and custom, and so [they] shalt endamage the revenue of the kings” that held them captive. (Ezra 4:13; Isaiah 26:13;). To this end God says, “I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you”. (Isaiah 46:3-4).
5. ‘REST’ TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE BY FAITH
People of God, the ‘works burden’ of the Mosaic laws, was the medium of fulfilling all righteousness until God offered his promised atoning sacrifice for righteousness and salvation, by his son, Jesus Christ. (Jeremiah 23:5-7; Isaiah 46:13; John 3:16; Matthew 3:15; Luke 1.68-75).
Believing in Jesus Christ by ‘Faith’, according to the promise of God, can deliver our Issachar brethren from burdened servitude and give them rest. This is “the burden of the word of the LORD [that] …shall be the rest thereof: when the eyes of man, as of all the tribes of Israel, shall be toward the LORD”. (Zechariah 9:1). Hence, God warns his people saying, “in returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” (Isaiah 30: 15).
And Jesus assures all of this rest, quietness and confidence saying: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”. (Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 46:13).
Brethren, to turn away from the burden of works and enter into the rest of God’s promise requires faith in the promise, (i e. the word of God), which is Christ. “For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his” (Hebrew 4:2-3,10).
When one hears the “word of the gospel” of Christ and believes, God which knows the hearts will bear witness and “purify their hearts by faith” by giving them the Holy Ghost. (Acts 15:8-9). And the Holy Ghost does not lay “greater burden” upon God’s people who believe by faith. (Acts 15:28)
PRAYER
Almighty Father, I thank you for your word.
We praise you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ, to deliver mankind from the “burden of works” to give us rest in your powers by faith.
Gracious Lord, have mercy on our brethren who are couching between burdens and claiming to know you.
Inspire their hearts to believe that no man knows the Father God, save the son Jesus, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. (Matthew 11:27).
Holy Father, draw them unto Jesus and deliver them from the “burden of works” of religious obligations, traditions of men, idolatry and pagan customs.
Grant them a meek and lowly heart, to learn of Christ and find rest unto their souls by the power of the Holy Ghost.
I make this prayer in JESUS NAME.
Have a blessed month of February.
Lots of Love, P. Schwartz (SOG) 30 January 2022.
