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TEXT: 1 CHRONICLES 4:9-10
And Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.
A. JABEZ: THE MAN
- Jabez was the head of a family of the tribe of Judah.
- He was an ordinary Old Testament saint.
- His biography is written in only 2 verses — 1 Chronicles 4:9-10.
- He was an ordinary believer with an extraordinary power with God.
“God granted Him what he requested.”
- He was an ordinary believer whose performance in life earned for him to be called:
“… more honorable than his brothers.”
- But why was he named Jabez?
His mother named him Jabez, saying: “I gave birth to him in pain.”
- Jabez was born during a time when his mother was full of grief. There are many possible reasons for this:
* Perhaps when Jabez was in utero, his father deserted his mother.
* Perhaps his father died.
* Or perhaps the family experienced a great economic crisis.
- But the most important thing for us to remember about Jabez is not the meaning of his name but his power with God.
- He was an ordinary believer with an extraordinary power with God. — As the Scripture says:
“And God granted Him what he requested.”
B. JABEZ: HIS PRAYER
Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that Thy hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm, that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.
Jabez’ prayer can be divided into 2 categories:
1. General Category Prayer
“Oh that Thou wouldst bless me indeed…”
- Jabez was an ordinary believer with an extraordinary perception of God.
- God has a plan for each of us, even while we were still in the womb.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
“‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘plans for your welfare and not your calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
- When Jabez prayed his prayer, he is wanting for himself nothing more and nothing less that what God wants for him.
- He left entirely up to God to decide what the blessings would be and where, when, and how he would receive them.
2. Specific Category Prayer
“and enlarge my border”
- This is the first of the 3 specifics.
- This is a prayer for material blessings.
- The possibilities were:
* Wealth during that time was measured by the number of flocks and herds a person owns.
* His pasture land was insufficient for his growing number of animals.
- In the mind of God, the poorest of His children is stated in Deuteronomy 28:12:
“The Lord will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand: and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.”
- God even decreed that the wealth of the sinners is pledge for the righteous.
“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.” Proverbs 13:22
“and that Thy hand might be with me”
- This is the second of the 3 specifics.
- This is a prayer for spiritual vitality.
* It is a request for an unblemished relationship with God.
* It is a request for a deepening experience with God.
* It is a thirst for God.
- This is a prayer that calls for a moment by moment victory over self, sin and Satan.
“and that Thou wouldst keep me from harm”
- This is the third of the 3 specifics.
- This is a prayer for physical protection and care.
C. JABEZ: A BIBLICAL ANALYSIS
- Aside from the two verses we have just read many times over, there was no other record on the life of Jabez.
- How will we able to know and discern the reasons why he received those he prayed for, to be of help to us?
- When faced with this kind of dilemma, our main recourse is the:
* unchanging character of God
* unchanging standards of God
- This is what we believe characterized Jabez’ life.
1. Jabez’ Economic System
“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:31-33
- There are two kinds of people.
* believers
* non-believers
- They have the same needs.
* what to eat
* what to drink
* what to wear
- These represent the whole material needs of man.
- There are two different ways of meeting the needs.
* The believer seeks the righteousness and kingdom of God.
* The non-believer concentrates his efforts on his livelihood instead of God.
2. Jabez’ Motive in Doing Things
“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31
3. Jabez’ Prayer Habit
- Jabez was in the habit of asking God.
- This habit of asking God conformed to God’s instructions.
“Ask and it will be given to you.” Matthew 7:7
“You do not have because you do not ask.” James 4:2
CONCLUSION
“There’s a little fable about a Mr. Jones who dies and goes to heaven. Peter is waiting at the gates to give him a tour. Amid the splendor of golden streets, beautiful mansions, and choirs of angels that Peter shows him, Mr. Jones notices and odd-looking building. He thinks it looks like an enormous warehouse – it has no windows and only one door. But when he asks to see inside, Peter hesitates. “You really don’t want to see what’s in there,” he tells the new arrival. Why would there be any secrets in heaven? Jones wonders. What incredible surprise could be waiting for me in there? When the official tour is over he’s still wondering, so he asks again to see inside the structure. Finally Peter relents. When the apostle opens the door, Mr. Jones almost knocks him over in the haste to enter. It turns out that the enormous building is filled with row after row of shelves, floor to ceiling, each stacked neatly with white boxes tied in red ribbons. “These boxes all have names on them,” Mr. Jones muses aloud. Then turning to Peter he asks, “Do I have one?” “Yes you do.” Peter tries to guide Mr. Jones back outside. “Frankly,” Peter says, “if I were you… . ” But Mr. Jones is already dashing toward the “J” aisle to find his box. Peter follows, shaking his head. He catches up with Mr. Jones just as he is slipping the red ribbon off his box and popping the lid. Looking inside, Jones has a moment of instant recognition, and he lets out a deep sigh like the ones Peter has heard so may times before. Because there in Mr. Jones’s white box are all the blessings that God wanted to give to him while he was on earth… but Mr. Jones had never asked.” – Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez
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