PRAYER........... holygospels@yahoo.com
The Prayer of Jabez
And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called
his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called
on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed,
and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that
thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God
granted him that which he requested.—1 Chronicles 4:9, 10
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The brief history of Jabez is dropped into the genealogy of Judah by
the ancient Hebrew archivist. Frequently these short cameo appearances
by seemingly unknowns reveal deeper insights into the word of God. We
know virtually nothing about Jabez except what appears in these two
verses, yet they reveal aspects of prayer and God’s character seldom
examined.
The Birth of Jabez
All we know about the birth
of Jabez is that he is from the tribe of Judah and that his mother named
him because his mother "bare him in [her] sorrow." The Hebrew word here
translated "sorrow" is not the usual word for this concept. In fact it
is only used three times in the Old Testament, here and in Psa. 139:24
and Isa. 14:3. The Psalm reference reads: "And see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Professor
James Strong gives as the definition: "an idol (as fashioned); also pain
(bodily or mental.)" Cognate words are translated "idol" in Isa. 48:5
and Jer. 22:28. The thought therefore seems to be that of wickedness,
especially connected with an idol; and, secondarily, the pain or guilt
that comes from such an experience. Since the pain, or guilt, is
associated with his mother’s birthing experience we may reasonably
speculate that the pain was caused by the circumstances associated with
his birth, perhaps illegitimacy. Analyzing his three requests this seems
further borne out.
The first blessing he requests is the
enlargement of his coasts. If we were illegitimate he would have no
claim to an inheritance but would be dependent on his father’s
generosity for sustenance. (Note Gen. 25:6 for a parallel example.)
The second request was that the Lord’s hand would be with him. If he was
not a legal child he had no claims to protection under the law.
Therefore this plea is also especially meaningful under such
circumstances.
But it is the third request that seems to specially
revert back to the circumstances of his birth: "that thou wouldest keep
me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" The word "grieve" here is
directly related to the word "pain" in the preceding verse which
described the circumstances of his birth. The logical deduction is that
he wished to avoid the pain and grief of guilt which his mother
experienced over his birth.
More Honorable
Whatever the
circumstances that attended his birth, they evidently did not dictate
the course of his life. Rising above the past, he gained a reputation
for being "more honorable than his brethren." We are not informed as to
the acts which demostrated this honorableness. They may have been acts
of courage, or of simple honesty in everyday dealings, but they yield a
sweet perfume wherever his name is mentioned.
Only too frequently do
the instances of our past lives affect the course of the future. It is
frequently said, "nothing can change the past." The Bible paints a
different picture. Sincere repentance and conversion if we are the
erring one, and forgiveness if we are the one sinned against, both have
the power to alter our perception of the past. Thereby they also change
the direction of our future.
It was the honorableness, in the case
of Jabez, which brought about the favorable answer to his prayer. The
same is true with us. Our course of conduct in life has a definite
bearing on the answer to our prayers.
Enlargement
While
the circumstances of Jabez’ birth may have made his inheritance
questionable, it was perfectly proper for him to beseech an inheritance.
Supported by the body language of a "more honorable" lifestyle than his
peers, his request was granted.
So it is with mankind. Because they
were born under a death penalty they have no right to claiming sonship
with God. Yet those who seek it (Rom. 2:7) and back up their prayer with
repentance, conversion and a "more honorable" life may receive
"adoption as sons" whereby they may call God "Abba, Father" (Gal. 4:5,
6). Now, instead of receiving the opportunity for eternal life in the
Millennium as a "gift," they, as sons, may lay claim to an inheritance,
"the inheritance of the saints in light" (Col. 1:12), "joint-heirs with
Christ" (Rom. 8:17).
Prayers for enlargement may include much more
than larger borders. As the Christian progresses he needs growth in many
lines. ENLARGED HEARTS: "O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you,
our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are
straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompence in the same, (I
speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged."—2 Corinthians 6:11-13
A large heart is an open heart, an honest one. As Paul had opened his
heart to the Corinthians and beseeched that they open theirs to him, so
every Christian should pray for an enlarged heart, one that communicates
freely and honestly with all.
"I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."—Psalm 119:32
ENLARGED VISION: "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."—Proverbs 29:18
Each of our journeys toward the Lord began with a vision. We saw an
ideal in Christ we could find no where else. We saw a beauty to his plan
that showed a breadth of love in his character. We desired to become
more and more like him. As we progress in the ways of Christ we need to
constantly expand that vision. The more we study his word to find the
treasures hidden there the more we will react as the poet, "and still
new beauties do I see, and still increasing light."
ENLARGED SCOPE OF ACTIVITY: "Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds."—Luke 19:24
As the most industrious servant in the parable of the pounds was given
the stewardship of his more idle peer, so each faithful steward of the
Lord is rewarded with further responsibilities. To successfully pray for
increased service the Christian must accompany that request by
zealously fulfilling then privileges he already has. "He that is
faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is
unjust in the least is unjust also in much" (Luke 16:10).
Divine Guidance
The second request of Jabez was "that thine hand might be with me." As
aliens in a strange land, how we need the guiding power of Jehovah in
our lives. Knowing not what he expects from us, how earnestly we must
pray for a revelation of his will for our lives. The entrance into the
Christian walk is with the same commitment made by his Lord and head, "I
delight to do thy will, O my God" (Psa. 40:8). It becomes tempting
afterwards to spend all our time deciding what the Lord’s will should be
for us instead of seeking his guidance, "that thine hand might be with
me."
That nobility of heart and life which commended Jabez to his
God will also secure for the earnest Christian the desired guidance and
protection. These go hand in hand. The more we follow his guiding
direction the more we are assured of his constant protection. As we grow
in the ways of Christ and in the paths of prayer our assurance of his
guiding and protecting hand leads to the confidence which says, "And we
know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to
them who are the called according to his purpose". (Rom. 8:28)
Kept from Evil
How reminiscent is the last part of Jabez’ prayer, "that thou wouldest
keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me," to the conclusion of the
prayer which Jesus taught his disciples to pray, "lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt. 6:13).
The word
translated "evil" in the case of Jabez is the Hebrew ra, a very general
word for bad experiences, whether caused by a moral lapse or not, as in
the case of calamities. The word translated "grieve" is, however, from
the same root as "pain" in the previous verse, referring to the trauma
his mother went through at his birth. It is unclear whether Jabez is
praying to be kept from the guilt and chastisement that his mother went
through, or from committing a similar type of sin himself.
The
latter thought, especially, holds a strong lesson for the Christian. The
Jewish proverb, "the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s
teeth are set on edge" (Ezek. 18:2), is true in more than a theological
sense. Children are strongly affected in a practical way by their early
environment and tend to copy the behavioral patterns of their parents.
Studies have shown that our image of God is influenced greatly by our
image of our natural parents. Not only do we need to be free from Adamic
sin and condemnation, but to be kept from the wrong things we have
learned from having imperfect family environments.
How necessary
it is, therefore, to pray, like Jabez, for God to show us a better way
and to keep us from duplicating the mistakes that we learned in our
youth. The best way to avoid the pain of guilt is to avoid the act that
causes the guilt. Seeking to do this without divine help is to attempt
the impossible. As the hymn phrases it, "when I think of self I tremble;
when I look to thee I am strong." "I can do all things through Christ
which strengtheneth me" (Phil. 4:13).
The Final Assurance
If we, then, pray the prayer of Jabez and if we live the nobility of
life of Jabez, that we can expect, as with Jabez, "and God granted him
all that he requested."
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."—John 15:7.
