1 Chronicles 4:9-23: a reflection

9Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him with sorrow.” 10Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my border! May your hand be with me, and may you keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” God granted him that which he requested. 11Chelub the brother of Shuhah became the father of Mehir, who was the father of Eshton. 12Eshton became the father of Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir Nahash. These are the men of Recah. 13The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah. The sons of Othniel: Hathath. 14Meonothai became the father of Ophrah: and Seraiah became the father of Joab the father of Ge Harashim, for they were craftsmen. 15The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam. The son of Elah: Kenaz. 16The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. 17The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon; and Mered’s wife bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. 18His wife the Jewess bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. These are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took. 19The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. 20The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben Hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth, and Ben Zoheth. 21The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who worked fine linen, of the house of Ashbea; 22and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. These records are ancient. 23These were the potters, and the inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah; they lived there with the king for his work.

In the middle of a long genealogy, a single man's prayer is preserved. Jabez, whose name means sorrow, called on the God of Israel with a simple, honest request: Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain. And the text adds, quietly: and God granted what he asked. Amid the list of names, one man's dependent prayer, and God's answer, are set down.

Notice the character of Jabez's prayer: honest, dependent, and asking for good things from God, including to be kept from harm and from causing pain. He does not pray a lofty or elaborate prayer; he simply asks God to bless him, to be with him, to keep him from harm. It is the prayer of a man depending on God for his good, bringing his honest desires to him. And God, the text says simply, granted it. God heard and answered a simple, dependent request.

That simple prayer, and God's answer to it, encourage us to bring our own honest requests to God. We can think our prayers must be lofty or eloquent, or hesitate to ask God simply for his blessing and help. But Jabez prayed a plain, dependent prayer, asking God for good and to be kept from harm, and God granted it. Bring your honest desires to God, as Jabez did, simply and dependently: ask for his blessing, his presence, his keeping from harm. You need not dress your prayers in eloquence; God hears the honest, dependent request. Ask him simply for what you need, depending on him as Jabez did, and trust that the God who granted Jabez's plain prayer hears yours. Do not hesitate to bring your simple, honest requests to a God who answers dependent prayer.

Lord, in the middle of a genealogy, one man's prayer is preserved: Jabez called on you with a simple, honest request, that you would bless him, enlarge his border, be with him, and keep him from harm; and you granted what he asked. Let his prayer, and your answer, encourage me to bring my own honest requests to you. I can think my prayers must be lofty or eloquent, or hesitate to ask you simply for your blessing and help. But Jabez prayed a plain, dependent prayer, asking you for good and to be kept from harm, and you granted it. Help me bring my honest desires to you, as Jabez did, simply and dependently: to ask for your blessing, your presence, your keeping from harm. I need not dress my prayers in eloquence; you hear the honest, dependent request. Help me ask you simply for what I need, depending on you as Jabez did, and trust that you, who granted Jabez's plain prayer, hear mine. Keep me from hesitating to bring my simple, honest requests to you, Lord, who answer dependent prayer.