Issachar and Zebulun Facts for 9-13 Year Olds

Categories: Jacob

• Leah bears a fifth son.
• She names him “Issachar,” meaning either “my reward” or “my hire.”
• She thinks, “God has paid me” for giving her handmaiden to Jacob.
• On his deathbed, Jacob prophesies: “Issachar is a rawboned donkey, lying down between two burdens; He saw that rest was good, and that the land was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear a burden, and became a band of slaves.”
• A “rawboned” donkey is generally thought to be a strong donkey.
• A donkey lying between its burdens is resting.
• It suggests the Tribe of Issachar will have a prosperous life.
• Issachar has four sons.
• They gain over 10,000 men during the wilderness.
• They are given a small allotment of land just north of Manasseh and west of the Jordan that includes the town of Shunem.
• Though small, this is some of the most fruitful land in Canaan.
• They are loyal to David during his difficulty with Saul.
• They “understood the times and knew what Israel should do.”
• Either they are politically astute or learned in science and religion.
• The Tribe of Issachar is part of the northern kingdom.
• The Assyrians conquer them in 722 BCE. The tribe is exiled or assimilated.
• Shortly after the birth of Issachar, Leah gives birth to Zebulun.
• She says, “God has bestowed a great gift upon me.”
• Another meaning for the name, Zebulun, is “honor or exalt me.”
• On his deathbed, Jacob states, “Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be upon Sidon.”
• But Zebulun’s territory is not along the sea.
• It is in the area that becomes known as Galilee, in Northern Israel.
• Some scholars believe that the Tribes of Zebulun and Issachar operate symbiotically.
• Issachar has many scholars; Zebulun financially supports them.
• Zebulun has three sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.
• They gain roughly 3,000 men during the wilderness.
• In the Song of Deborah, they are praised for their army and willingness to fight to the death.
• They are conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE.
• Their leaders are exiled, and their tribe is lost.