“Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
In March of 2020, to say that life as we knew it changed is a bit of an understatement. I know we are not the first generation to face these types of challenges, but for this generation, the social distancing and isolation coupled with fear and anxiety really turned lives upside down.
Fast forward 15 months to June 2021. While businesses are slowly getting back to normal – or the new normal and kids are enjoying a summer break before going back to their actual classrooms in the fall, many are finding it hard to step out of the comfort and safety of their homes and reconnect with people – in person.
While this past year gave us time and ample opportunity to have quality time with our families, it also limited the time we could spend with other people. Which brings me to the prayer of Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.
Jabez’s prayer contains four distinct requests that I believe are a timely reminder for us.
The first request is that he asks for God’s blessing. This is something that most of us ask for and seek on a daily and sometime a moment-by-moment basis. We ask God to bless our families, our jobs, our country, our food, our health…. the list goes on and on. Jabez was not only aware that all blessings come from God, but he also understood his need for God’s blessing.
Some people think that “God helps those who help themselves”. My husband would interject at this point, “that’s not scriptural” and he would be correct. Others think that blessings are equated with tangible wealth. That too is not scriptural. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes and can be anything that brings joy to our spirits. James 1:17 reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
God’s blessings are not something we should ask for out of habit or a memorized prayer. Our request should be born out of a deep knowledge that apart from God we can do nothing. Every success and victory we enjoy belongs to God.
The second thing that Jabez prays for is that God would enlarge his territory. Some people think that this was a request for more land and more power, but keep in mind, the verse starts out that Jabez was more “honorable” than his brothers. An honorable man would not seek power and wealth just to have it. Consider instead that Jabez was asking God to increase his circle of influence. Increase his impact for the Kingdom of God to more people. Increase his capacity to love and care so that it would be apparent to anyone he encountered.
The third part of Jabez’s prayer was “let your hand be with me.” In this request Jabez acknowledges his reliance on God’s direction, favor and power. He knew that he needed God’s help and wasn’t afraid to ask for it.
Jabez ends his prayer in asking that God keep him from harm so that he will be free of pain. The Hebrew culture places great importance on the meaning of names and in some cases those names and their meanings have influenced the person’s entire life. The name Jabez, means “sorrow or pain”. He did not want his name to be his legacy. Here he acknowledges the protective power of God. This concept is repeated when Jesus taught his disciples to pray that God would deliver us from evil.
The passage ends with “And God granted his request”.
Today, we have the same opportunity as Jabez. The book of 1st Chronicles, was probably written by Ezra, the prophet. It was written specifically to the people of Judah who had returned to their country after being exiled in Babylonia. Ezra chronicles the lives of the rulers of Israel; reminding the readers of the God’s covenant and plans for them as a nation.
Now it’s our turn. Today we are returning from an exile of sorts. We have the same opportunity that the people of that time did. We can let the last year overshadow the present, or we can turn our face towards God and remember who is in control.
Prayer is the key here. Jabez prayed and God responded. When we pray God still responds. James 5:16 states:
“Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.” (The Message)
Ezra was reminding the people that God had a plan and a purpose for their lives. Yes, their lives had been changed by the exile. They had lost family and friends and were now trying to rebuild what they had lost. Today, I hope to do the same for you. God isn’t finished with any of us. There is work to do and we are the people He has called to do it.
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