Village Schools of the Bible

THE PRAYER OF JABEZ
By Max Frazier
PART 1: JABEZ, AN HONORABLE MAN
A Four Part Series

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 2000, Dr. Bruce Wilkinson wrote a small book describing the experiences he had over the many years of his ministry with praying a very simple little prayer - the prayer of Jabez. Suddenly this little 92-page volume rushed to the top of the New York Times best-selling list. Millions of copies were sold. The prayer of Jabez could be found emblazoned upon tee-shirts, sweat shirts, coffee mugs, and notecards. Soon, a teenage version of the prayer was published, followed by a devotional version and one for small children. It seemed that everyone with whom you talked had either read or heard about the prayer of Jabez. Now, a biographical novel of the life of Jabez, written by Thom Lemmons, is available.

So, is there need for anything further to be written about Jabez and his prayer? Last July I was approached by a church leader here in the Twin Cities and was given an invitation to teach a four-week class on this prayer. I asked myself, "What can I offer that has not already been given?" Yet I consented and dedicated myself to studying the above passage during the month. The more I studied, the more God revealed to me the heart of the man Jabez. The result was not only a Sunday school class presentation but a Village School Saturday School offering as well. In the next four issues of the Philogian I would like to share with you the heart of Jabez so that you can better know his prayer.

Some of the most uninteresting passages within Scripture are those that deal with genealogies. For most of us reading them is about as exciting as watching paint dry on a hot summer's day. Now there are several reasons for this. First, these genealogies are full of names that we cannot pronounce. There sure are not many Andersons, Nelsons, Smiths, or Joneses mentioned. Second, we are becoming a people who have separated ourselves from our past. We are lax in our attendance at the cemeteries. We are careless about our own family heritage, so why should we be concerned about some long list of Bible names that mean nothing to us? So, we would hardly expect to find a blessing in a genealogy.

Yet, here in the midst of the genealogical history of the tribes of Israel, we find a man who grabs our attention. His name: Jabez. Verse 9 informs us of two things we need to know about this man if we are to properly understand his prayer.

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers

My study of this first statement about Jabez led me to ponder and reflect upon three words. The first was "brothers." I found that this Hebrew term could mean one of two people groups. It could refer to his own immediate family members, e.g. his brothers by birth, or it could refer to his extended family, namely the family of Israel, more probably the family of the tribe of Judah of which he was a member. Perhaps it is best to interpret the word as relating to both groups.

The second word was "honorable." Its basic meaning in the Hebrew is "to be heavy, weighty" and came to refer to someone who was "weighty" in society, worthy of respect and honor (see Genesis 34:19, Numbers 22:15, Isaiah 23:8-9). The reputation of an individual was of central importance if a person's life merited the receiving of honor. I found three passages in Proverbs that helped me to understand what lay behind the receiving of honor:

1. Proverbs 21:21 - He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor. The honorable man was one who actively pursued doing what was right in God's eyes. He also pursued love. Because the text tells us that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, we can state with a measure of certainty that Jabez pursued those things that were right and pleasing before God and also pursued giving of love.

2. Proverbs 22:4 - Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life. Two other traits of the honorable man include being humble - not thinking about yourself but looking out for the needs of others, and having the fear of the Lord - a deep sense of respect and awe of God. Again, because he was honorable, I believe Jabez modeled these aspects as well in his life.

3. Proverbs 26:1 - Like snow in summer or rain in harvest, honor is not fitting for a fool. This verse tells us what Jabez was not - a fool. Jabez was wise in his living. His priorities were honorable before God.

The third word was "was" which implied a repeated action. Jabez made being honorable something that happened everyday. He practiced being honorable...it was a way of life for him. It truly marked him as being different than his brothers. I believe it also helps us to understand the relationship that he had with his God.

I think I could liken Jabez to three other men in the Bible who had unique relationships with God. Enoch was a man unique in his time. In Genesis 5:24, in the midst of a chapter of death (the phrase "and he died" is used 8 times) we read this concerning Enoch, Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him . Then, in the very next chapter of Genesis, God described how violent and wicked the whole world had become and it grieved Him that He had made man. Thus God planned to destroy His creation, but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). Noah was certainly different than those of his generation. We could easily proclaim of him that he was more honorable than his brothers. Finally, there is this recorded of Job, In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil (Job 1:1). In that verse we find two of the four traits for being honorable. I would say that Jabez was in pretty good company, wouldn't you? Yes, Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. He had a heart for God and God's ways.

The birth of Jabez had been a painful experience for his mother.

Jabez was named by his mother. This was the usual task for the father, although on rare occasions the mother did name the child: Eve named Cain, Hannah named Samuel, and the women friends of Naomi named Obed. Where was Jabez's father when he was born? This is a question that we can not answer conclusively because the Bible gives us no hint of an answer. Yet, I thought it fun to speculate as to the reason for his absence. Perhaps he was off to war or away with the sheep. Perhaps he had died or maybe had deserted his family for another.

His mother named him Jabez. Now this name implied "pain, sorrow." The root of this word is found in the following verses:

Genesis 45:5 (words of Joseph to his brothers as he revealed himself to them) - Now therefore be not grieved (pained), nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

1 Samuel 20:34 (concerning Jonathan as he approached his father concerning David) - Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger; on that second day of the month he did not eat, because he was grieved (pained) at his father's shameful treatment of David.

Nehemiah 8:10-11 (words concerning the dedication of the walls of Jerusalem) - Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve (do not be pained) for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve (do not be pained)."

1 Kings 1:6 (KJV - of David relationship to his son Adonijah) - And his father (David) had not displeased (had not pained - had not disciplined) him (Adonijah) at any time saying, Why have you done so? And he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

Psalm 139:24 (David's prayer) - And see if there by any wicked (painful) way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Why did his mother give him this most unusual name? Again the Bible does not tell us. We are only left to conjecture which might lead us to ponder some of the following possibilities:

Jabez might have been an unwanted child, just another mouth to feed.

Jabez's mother might have been depressed, experiencing a case of the post-partum blues.

Perhaps she had had a difficult pregnancy and delivery.

Might the very presence of Jabez have reminded her of a painful time with her husband.

Perhaps it was because of the burden of his name (one who caused pain) that Jabez worked harder and was more committed than others might have been. It is often when we are immersed in the realm of pain, of suffering, of difficult experiences, of trials that we learn to become all that God would desire of us.

Let me share with you, in closing, a little article that first appeared in 1977 in a publication written by Paul Evans, founder of the Haven of Rest ministry. It is titled, "Seeds Sown in Tragedy."

Seeds, as seen in nature, are among the world's most fascinating subjects. The seed of the knobcone pine is activated by tragedy or disaster. It takes a fire to release the seed of the knobcone pine. Seeds are held in the knobcone pine from fire to fire. When a blaze sweeps through the tree's habitat, heat expands the cone. The seeds are exploded into the ashes of the fire. Thus nature re-seeds the scorched land from a seed that is only activated by what appears to be a disaster. The Seed of God's Word is sometimes sown that way - in tragedy - but with long-lasting results.

Conclusion

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers...and the Lord granted him his request. God is much more interested in our hearts than in our words. I am reminded of that scene Jesus describes in Luke 18:9-14. A Pharisee entered into the temple to pray. He prayed an eloquent prayer in an eloquent way. But it was mere words because his heart was not in touch with God. On the other hand, the publican (one of those hated tax collectors) stood behind a pillar so no one could see him and prayed a very simple prayer that moved the heart of God. It was not the words but the heart of the man that moved God. I believe strongly that this was the case with Jabez as well. It was the heart of this very honorable man that touched God's heart. It is my desire that in this series of studies that we get to know Jabez's heart and ask God to make us like unto him.

In our next study our focus will be upon the very first part of Jabez's prayer where he desires God to bless him indeed. Until then, may God cause us to become honorable before Him.

Introduction Return to The Philogian Archive Part Two