Articles
Understanding the Times
A rather obscure Old Testament text refers to one of the tribes of Israel who chose to support David as their king: “Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do . . .” (1 Chronicles 12:32 NASB).
They understood the times in which they lived. How well do we understand our own? Skewed news aside, what is really going on? What forces are at work to alter our world into something radically different from anything we’ve ever experienced—or could possibly imagine?
What direction is our society heading? Is it good or bad? Who are the people orchestrating these changes—and what’s their agenda? For us to know what we should do, we must, like the men of Issachar, understand the times.
We hear so many conflicting things from every direction. What should we believe? Whom can we trust? Accurate information is hard to come by. But the truth can be discovered if one is willing to invest the time and effort.
Without correct understanding we are at risk, caught off guard, and highly vulnerable to a very unpleasant surprise.
Jesus warned His apostles, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Wolves don’t always look like wolves, but inwardly that’s what they are. And then Jesus prepared the disciples for the hard road ahead.
No one was more innocent as Jesus, nor shrewder. Although many followed Jesus because of His miracles, He understood their “allegiance” was shallow and fleeting. “But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25).
When Jesus first met Nathanael, He exclaimed, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” (John 1:47). Quite a compliment to Nathanael, but what an indictment of the majority.
In these troublesome times can we afford to be blissfully ignorant, naïvely gullible, ill-equipped for the challenges ahead? As Christians let’s do whatever it takes to understand the times so we can know what we should do.
