After Judah, Zebulun comes in. Verse 13 says, "Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon." This verse says Zebulun is a haven for ships. The method of transportation here has been changed from asses to ships. We cannot understand the poetry in this verse without referring to the New Testament. The fulfillment of this verse is in Matthew 4:15, which says, "Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations." Christ began His ministry from Zebulun in Galilee, and it was the Galileans who brought the glad tidings of Christ to all the earth. The Galilean disciples were a haven of ships. They brought forth the good news of Christ as the fighting, resting, and producing lion to every part of the world represented by Zidon.
Deuteronomy 33:18 says, "Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out." According to this verse, Zebulun had to go out. And Zebulun did go out. All the Galileans went out with the glad tidings of the victory of Christ, bearing the word of the victorious, restful, and productive Christ. These Galileans went forth with Christ's victory, Christ's satisfaction, and Christ's productiveness. This is the glad tidings.
Although Zebulun went out, Issachar stayed in the tents (Deut. 33:18). Thus, Zebulun rejoiced in going out, and Issachar rejoiced in his tents. One had to go out, and the other had to stay.
Genesis 49:14 says, "Issachar is a strong ass couching down between the sheepfolds." In interpretation, this is linked to the foal and the colt, the young ass, in verse 11. The young ass there is tied to the rich harvest; hence, the strong ass is couching, resting, here. Issachar is not working; he is couching, that is, he is lying down and resting between the sheepfolds. Are you today's Issachar? Are you couching or laboring? Some think I am always working. But they are wrong. They do not realize that my working is my couching. There is a hymn which says that as we work, we rest. If I do not work, I have no rest. The more I work, the more I rest. As I am working, I am couching. In the Lord's recovery there is no need for laboring asses. Although we need strong asses, they should couch, not work. According to the picture portrayed in this verse, Issachar is couching between the sheepfolds. Although the strong ass does nothing, the sheep produce the milk. I can testify that I am a strong ass couching down and watching the sheep produce milk. While you are producing the milk, I am resting.
Verse 15 says, "And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under taskwork" (Heb.). Issachar saw that the rest was good and that the land was pleasant. Issachar, the strong ass, is resting and enjoying the pleasant, rich land, which is Christ. At such a time, he bows his shoulder to bear burdens and thus he becomes a servant under taskwork. This means that he serves in order to have something to offer to the Lord. Instead of "under taskwork," the King James Version says "unto tribute," which is a payment given as an offering. Without experience, we cannot understand this matter. According to Christian experience, proper Christians do not labor as hard-working asses. Rather, they rest as strong asses. While they are resting, they enjoy the riches of Christ. Through the enjoyment of these riches, they become willing to bow their shoulder, take up a burden and serve for tribute rendered to the King. In the proper church life, we do not labor as common asses. Instead we lie down to rest and enjoy both the finished work of Christ and the riches of Christ. By this enjoyment we are willing to bow our shoulder and lift up a heavy burden, serving to gain tribute to render to our Master, our King. Although this will be completely fulfilled in the millennium, we have a foretaste of it in the church life today.
In the church life we experience our Christ as the fighting, resting, and producing lion. Due to His victorious work, there is a rich produce, a rich harvest. Thus, there is no need for our labor. But there is the preaching of the glad tidings concerning Christ; for Zebulun, the haven of ships, sends out the good news of the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We also have the experience of Issachar. We are not laboring; rather, we are resting and enjoying the riches of Christ. As we rest and enjoy Christ in such a way, we are willing to bow our shoulder to bear a heavy burden to do the taskwork, the work assigned by our King-Master, so that we may be able to render tribute to our King. Thus, today's church life is a miniature of the coming millennium. If you pray over all the points covered in this message and digest them, you will see that in this portion of the Word we have a portrait of the coming millennium. This portrait reveals that we may now participate in a miniature of the millennium. By considering this picture, we shall know where we must be today.