Call Upon the Lord Like Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

Posted on by

Call Upon the Lord Like Jabez (1 Chronicles 4:9-10)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, January 18, 2026

Many years ago, it was a beautiful summer evening, and I took Mercedes and Abigail through an old graveyard. The sun was setting, and I wanted to point out the old tombstones. I wanted to show the dates on them; you know, the tombstones that were well over 100 years old. You know, at one time, each of those names was important to someone. At least I would hope so. Think about, every time you see names in a phone book, each name means something to someone, actually, a group of people. We gloss over a list of names, but each name represents people. Each name represents an important person. Each name represents people created in the image of God. Think about that whenever you see a name.

Today, we come to a name in 1 Chronicles. This passage is listed within the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. Many people may skip over these genealogies, but remember that these represent people. Sometimes, as we read through the genealogies, we see extra detail about people, and that is the case with Jabez.

We are in a year-long focus on prayer. Today, I want to look at Jabez.

My theme:

Learn from Jabez and seek the Lord.

Look with me at:

1 Chronicles 4:9–10 (ESV)

9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” 10 Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.

  1. Jabez was a man of honor.
    1. First, let’s think of where we are in the Bible.
    2. The ESV Study Bible helps us out: The genealogies of 1–9 are intended to show the Chronicler’s own generation, now existing as the small province of Yehud (Judah) in the Persian Empire, that they are still God’s people Israel and retain their central place in God’s purposes for humanity. The identity and legitimacy of this people are traced in a line beginning with Adam (1:1) and extending through the tribes of Israel (chs. 2–8) down to the community of Judean exiles restored from captivity in Babylon (9:2–34). This community is depicted not as the sum total of the people but as the representative nucleus or focus to which “all Israel” may join in God’s work of restoration.[1]
    3. This says that Jabez was “more” honorable than his brothers. We really do not know anything else about his brothers, but Jabez was more honorable.
    4. Looking at the names around Jabez, it seems that he lived during the time of Joshua. This would be around 1300-1400 BC.
    5. Swindoll helps us out with that word, “honorable.” “The Hebrew word for honorable literally means “heavy.” We use that same concept in English when we say, “This is a weighty matter.” When used of a person, it conveys the idea that he or she is impressive or noteworthy.”[2]
    6. Another source adds: The reputation of an individual is of central importance in these usages. Thus the person of high social position and accompanying wealth was automatically an honored, or weighty, person in the society (Num 22:15, etc.). Such a position, its riches, and long life were commonly assumed to be the just rewards of a righteous life (I Chr 29:28, etc.). While one would be honored automatically if one attained this stature, it is also clear that one was expected to merit the honor and the glory.[3]
    7. Do we seek to be honorable?
    8. Do we care?
    9. Do we care about our reputation?
    10. Next, it says that his mother named him Jabez because she gave birth to him with pain.
    11. Once again Swindoll helps us with this: The English rendering is Jabez, but the Hebrew is pronounced yah-betz (the second syllable sounds like the word baits.) His mother had the Hebrew word ah-tzav in mind when she chose her son’s name. The term ah-tzav refers to anguish, intense sorrow, or pain. To arrive at his name from the Hebrew word, you transpose two letters. So it’s a pun based on sound play. This would be like someone who hates cottage cheese, which is made from milk curd, saying, “I don’t prefer milk crud, thanks.” Somehow, his birth was associated with intense pain, though we have no idea how or what that pain might have been.[4]
    12. Swindoll goes on to make the case that it could likely be that the family was going through financial distress.
    13. We all know how much stress a family can go through with a new baby.
    14. Actually, the prayer in verse 10 is not the prayer a rich person would pray.
    15. Further, we don’t see his father mentioned. Maybe his father died in one of the wars under Joshua.
    16. Imagine being a single mother during that day and age.
  2. Jabez prayed.
    1. Jabez called. But who did Jabez call? Jabez called on the God of Israel.
    2. In a polytheistic day and age, when people worshipped many gods, Jabez called on the One Lord and God.
    3. So, who do you call?
  3. Jabez made 4 requests.
    1. Jabez made 4 requests:
    2. “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.
    3. Jabez asked for blessings and that the Lord would enlarge his border.
    4. I believe it is okay to ask God to bless us if we do so with the right motivations.
    5. If we are not being greedy and desire to serve the Lord with His blessings, it is okay.
    6. He asked for God to continually be with him.
    7. That is a good thing.
    8. John 15:1–5 (ESV) “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
    9. Do we pray for God’s presence?
    10. Jabez asked the Lord to keep him from all harm so that it would not bring pain.
    11. It is okay to pray for safety. We should. But we must understand that sometimes the Lord permits, or causes, us to go through hard times. However, we are not alone.
    12. God answered his prayer.
  4. Let’s talk more about prayer.
    1. Jabez is seeking the Lord in petitionary prayer.
    2. He is going before the Lord with his requests:
    3. Philippians 4:6–7 (ESV)
    4. 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
    5. We are called to do that.
    6. There is also a prayer of thanksgiving. We see that in Phil 4:6.
    7. There is also a worshipful prayer.
    8. Acts 13:2–3 (ESV)
    9. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
    10. There are prayers of intercession. This is when we intercede on behalf of someone else.
    11. 1 Timothy 2:1–2 (ESV)
    12. First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
    13. There are other types of prayer as well.
    14. Meditation should be part of our prayer life in which we meditate on Scripture.
    15. Psalm 119:97 (ESV) Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.
  1. Let’s Apply:
    1. Jabez was honorable, are we pursuing being honorable?
    2. It is important that we call upon the Lord for help as well.
    3. Success only comes from the Lord; we must remember that.
    4. It is okay and quite good to be successful in what the Lord calls us to.
    5. We must, we actually should, ask the Lord that we would be successful.
    6. What types of prayer are you focusing on?
    7. Try to stretch yourself in prayer.

Now, I want to share some applications that Chuck Swindoll makes:

“First, a small, struggling start doesn’t necessitate a limited life.”

“Second, no measure of success is safe without God’s presence and power.”

“Third, when God prospers and blesses a life, no place for guilt remains.”[5]

The Challenge: Dream God-Sized Dreams

Let me make all of this personal. Could it be that your current vision, your present paradigm has been shaped by the restrictive demands and limitations of your original setting? Could it be that the influences that give your life order and comfort are the very things that hold you hostage, bound to a certain way of life or a certain way of thinking? Could it be that you have not broken free simply because the thought of breaking free hasn’t occurred to you? Have you asked the Lord to give you a vision far beyond your current borders? Why not?[6]

In his book Beyond Jabez, Bruce Wilkinson shares the story of an old African woman who demonstrated faith in God’s power to provide. Although she lived in a tiny mud hut, she had taken on the responsibility of caring for 56 orphans.

A small group of Wilkinson’s “Dream for Africa” volunteers had arrived in this grandmother’s native Swaziland to plant gardens. On the final day of their visit, they came upon her tiny home, surrounded by the many children in her care. A number of little gardens had been dug up all around the hut, but oddly, no plants were growing in any of them.

The volunteers learned that, earlier on the same day, the woman had told the children to dig lots of gardens. When the children asked her why—since they had neither seeds nor money—she responded, “Last night I asked God to send someone to plant gardens for us. We must be ready for them when they come.” 

Wilkinson’s volunteers had come with hundreds of ready-to-plant seedlings. God sent them to the very place where one of his servants had begged for his intervening hand. The faithful grandmother and her children were ready when the answer came.[7]

Confess, Believe, trust, commit: Firmly make the decision to be with Him in order to become like Him and to learn and do all that He says and then arrange your affairs around Him. 

 

[1] https://www.esv.org/1+Chronicles+4/

[2] Excerpt From: Charles R. Swindoll. “Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/fascinating-stories-of-forgotten-lives/id614832271

[3] John N. Oswalt, “943 כָבֵד,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 426–427.

[4] Excerpt From: Charles R. Swindoll. “Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/fascinating-stories-of-forgotten-lives/id614832271

[5] Excerpt From: Charles R. Swindoll. “Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/fascinating-stories-of-forgotten-lives/id614832271

[6]

Excerpt From: Charles R. Swindoll. “Fascinating Stories of Forgotten Lives.” Apple Books. https://books.apple.com/us/book/fascinating-stories-of-forgotten-lives/id614832271

[7] https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2005/december/16259.html

Leave a comment