The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez THE PRAYER OF JABEZ (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
By W. DON HOCKADAY

“And Jabez was more honorable 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 wouldcst bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou Wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested.” In the inidst of this long chronology, Jehovah stops long enough to tell us that Jabez was more honorable than his brethren and that he prayed unto Him. When Jehovah makes this statement about a man, it is safe for us to make the same compari­son and take knowledge of that man. In this petition, he does not ask to be greater than his brethren, but to be a blessing indeed. The question next arises, what is a blessing indeed? The form of the ques­tion sounds like he did not know and was just leaving it to Jehovah to make of him what Jehovah called a blessing. The man who would pray that prayer would be a man who had submitted his will to Jehovah. The wise man said, “Commit thy works unto Jehovah and thy purposes shall be established” (Prov. 16 3). The man who asks the Father to make him a blessing indeed, and means what he says, has committed his works unto Jehovah, and that means that his purposes, which will necessarily be in harmony with the Father’s purposes, will be established. Have we prayed, “Father, in Jesus’s name, give me the thing that will make me a blessing indeed”? “And this is the baldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he lieareth us, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14-15). What is the thing we need? It might be chastisement. “My son regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art reproved of him; for whom the Lord loveth, he chas- teneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Hebrews 12:5-6). When we are chastened by the Father, that is a sign that He loves us and should be a real reason for rejoicing. The Father is preparing us to be real servants of his own; just shaping the submitted will to his own liking, and making us his powerful agent. Hear Paul rejoicing, “And not only so, but we also re­joice in tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness; and stedfastness, approvedness; and ap­provedness, hope; and hope putteth not to shame Decause the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us” (Romans 5:3-5). We see the wild man of Tarsus spreading perse­cution and death upon the saints in Jerusalem, Judea and on to Damascus and God says, “Stop! Saul’s will sub­mits, the refining fire of God’s chastisement begins; we hear him rejoice, we see his steadfastness; his being ap­proved of God, we see the love of God being shed abroad in his heart and that love radiating from him throughout the world bringing salvation to men.

Jesus’ life was the greatest blessing to the world. He said, “I came not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” Paul’s life was the next greatest blessing. He said, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul said to Christians, ‘‘For ye died and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).. How about Jabez if he were living today and God said he was more honorable than his brethren? "Would we look for a man like King Saul standing head and shoulders above his brethren? or would we look for a man like mighty Solomon sitting upon the greatest throne of the world? or would we look for a man among the poor and needy, ministering to them in their need, living clean and pure and preaching Jesus everywhere? Yes, Jabez himself would be so completely hidden by the blazing light of Jesus, that the world could not see Jabez at all. Is Jesus all that the world can see in you and me? If we ever convert the world to Christ, He must shine brightly in us.

We hear Jabez petition again, “Enlarge my border.” “Lord, give me a larger field of usefulness or enlarge the one where I am working.” Do we really want our border enlarged? “If we ask anything according to his will he heareth us.” Jehovah enlarges us and uses us if we want to be used. 'God said to Isaiah, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” Then Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me.” IJow many of us are really saying, “Lord, send me”? When Jesus stopped Saul on the road to Damascus and told him that he would send him far hence unto the Gentiles, he prepared himself in mind and heart, and when the “Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them”; away they went through storm and persecution everywhere. When Paul was in prison he preached.to the jailer, when tried before Felix and Agrippa, he prcaehed to them. When Paul was in Rome in prison, his bonds became manifest in Christ throughout the whole Praetorian guard (10,000 in number—International Bible Encyclopedia), and all the rest. When he was on his last journey to Jerusalem with the contribution for the poor saints, he stopped at Miletus to talk to the Ephesian elders. In his address he said, “And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, that bonds and afflictions abide me. But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myrself, so that I may ac­complish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God’* (Acta 20:22-24). On the same trip to Jerusalem, when he reached Caesarea, the prophet Agabus came to Paul and taking his girdle, bound his own hands and feet and said, “Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem do to the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gen­tiles. And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusa­lem. Then Paul answered, Why do ye weeping and breaking my heart? for I am not ready to he hound only, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:12-13). Paul’s borders were enlarged because he wanted them enlarged even if it cost his life. Any church will he enlarged in the same way as was Philipp: and Thcssalonioa, if they are ready. What obstacles do we have to the spread of the gospel as compared with Paul and the early Christians? Are we ready to die if need be to give men and women the gospel of Christ?

Now, if we are ready, how may the borders of the church be enlarged? May we suggest that each home be sure that its children are taught about Jesus in their early years so that they will not depart from it. If the Tipton Orphan Home can have one hundred per cent of its children Christians as soon as they reach the age of responsibility, why cannot the Christian home? Will the short Bible class on Lord’s day morning prepare them to be real Christians? Surely the child needs the word of God more than it does arithmetic or any other secular branch. Why cannot a Bible class be taught every day by the church to the children of the homes of the church? If the Catholics can maintain schools to keep their children Catholics and really keep them, why cannot we keep our children Christians? Do the Catholics love their children more than we do?

We can do our best to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and make service the great approach to men. Jesus took five loaves and two small fish and fed five thousand men besides women and children, and then said, “I am the bread of life.” The palsied man was let down through the roof to him, Jesus said, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” and “Arise, take up thy bed and go to the bedside of the sick man, though we have never seen him before, minister to his needs and thereby win his affections and confidence. By so doing, we can then say, “Jesus said, ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved’ ” and the man will do it and be saved.

We can do as the disciples of old, leave our fishing, our tax collecting, and any other business that we have, and spend our time teaching Jesus and getting others to teach him and thus spread Jesus and his love everywhere we go.

Jabez prays again that the hand of Jehovah might he with him. We can have Ihe hand of Jehovah with us too, “if we ask anything according to l^is will, he heareth us.” The Psalmist said, “Except Jehovah huild the house, they labor but in vain that build it” (Psalms 127:1). “For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show' himself strong on the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). Was the heart of Jahez perfect? What else would it take to make it perfect? Is your heart perfect hefore God? Have you completely submitted your life to Him? Jehovah was with Gideon, who in simple, trusting, faith, for only that could do it, with three hundred men put to flight one hundred and thirty-five thousand Midian- ites. When there was not a man in all Israel who was willing to fight the giant Goliath, the shepherd hoy, David, said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God”? “I will fight with the giant.” When the great Goliath, whose height was six cubits and a span and was well trained in the art of war, saw David, he disdained him, for he was ruddy and but a youth and withal of a fair countenance, he said, “Come to me and I will give your flesh unto the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field,” hut David said, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a javelin; but I come to thee in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will Jehovah deliver thee into my hand: and I will smite thee, and take thy head from off thee; and will give the dead bodies of the hosts of the Philistines this day unto the birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a. God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that Jehovah saveth not with a sword and with a spear; for the battle is Jehovah's and he will give you into my hand.” When the apostles and their co-laborers went out to preach the gospel to the whole creation, they ivent in the name of Jesus, knowing that the battle was Jehovah’s, fighting the greatest enemy of the race amid persecution and death. In a few years the enemy said, “These that have turned the world upside down have cOme hither also.” So valiant was the fight that the great­est victory that had ever been achieved by man was won when the mighty sword reached all creation under heaven. Brethren, do we believe in Jehovah? He said to them and He says to us, “Go teach all nations . . . and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” The end of the world has not yet been reached, all men have not been saved, and God is depending upon us to rescue them from the enemy. We must, all of us, go forth in Jesus’ name, realising that the battle is Jehovah’s and knowing that His mighty hand is with us wherever we go to obey His commands.

“That thou wouldest keep me from evil.” Do we want to.be a blessing indeed, do we want our border as a Chris­tian enlarged, do we want the hand of Jehovah with us, do we want to be kept from evil? “If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition which we have asked of him.” How will Jehovah keep us from evil? Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matt 6 13). How many of us are praying daily that we may be free from sin? David said, "Thy word have J laid up in my heart that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11). Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s dainties, nor with the wine which he drank. He used the word of God that was laid up in his heart to sustain him in his hour of trial. When Jesus was tempted in the wilder­ness, instead of performing a miracle to help Him resist the devil, He used the mightiest of all swords and calmly answered, "It is written.” The devil was not able to withstand the attack and fled. The Psalmist said, “Bless­ed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the un­godly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of'the scornful, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law doth he meditate day and night —whatsoever hie doeth shall prosper” (Psalms 1:1-3). And if we add to this, the advice Paul gave to Timothy, "But flee youthful lusts, and follow after righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). If we pray earnestly to the Fath­er to help us overcome temptation, fill our hearts full of the word of God, and ufee it as Jesus did, run from every appearance of evil, chase after faith, love, peace and make chums of those .that call on the Lord out of a pure heart', God will keep our lives clean and pure. We should always remember that nothing hinders the gospel more than sin in the life of the preacher and every other Chris­tian. And Jabez adds that it be not to my sorrow. When the principles of this prayer become a part of my life and yours, it will come not to our sorrow in this life for God has promised us there will be “no temptation, but such as man can bear But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it’’ (1 Corinthians 10:13) “and will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’’ (Php_4:19).
We are sure also that if we faithfully do these things as servants of Jehovah that great inheritance that Peter says, “is incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4-5). And brethren, to me, the sweetest thing of the brief two verses that Jehovah records about Jabez, is, “that God granted that which he requested.” “And Jabez prayed unto the God of Israel saying,' Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to m,y sorrow! And God granted Ithat which he requested.” Are we ready to pray this prayer today and mean it, praying it in faith, in Jesus name? Do we want to be a blessing indeed, if it brings persecution, trial and even death, that we may be approved of Christ? Do we sincerely want our bor­ders enlarged into Africa, India, China and Japan or any other place God wants to use us ? Are we ready to sing, “If Jesus goes visith me, I will go anywhere?” Do we believe that man is lost in sin and that Jesus has trusted us to carry His gospel to the lost and that that gospel has the very power of Jesus in it as we preach it to the lost of earth? Do we want to be free from sin that our life may be no hindrance to the gospel of Christ? He has showed us the way and since we know that God is no repecter of persons, He will answer our prayer too.