Dedicated to Arame Fanica Droma and her extended family

The Lessons of Judah and the Pain and Victory of Jabez

(1 Chronicles 4:1-23, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 2, 2017)

[1] The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. [2] Reaiah the son of Shobal fathered Jahath, and Jahath fathered Ahumai and Lahad. These were the clans of the Zorathites. [3] These were the sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazzelelponi, [4] and Penuel fathered Gedor, and Ezer fathered Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem. [5] Ashhur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives, Helah and Naarah; [6] Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah. [7] The sons of Helah: Zereth, Izhar, and Ethnan. [8] Koz fathered Anub, Zobebah, and the clans of Aharhel, the son of Harum. [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. [11] Chelub, the brother of Shuhah, fathered Mehir, who fathered Eshton. [12] Eshton fathered Beth-rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, the father of Ir-nahash. These are the men of Recah. [13] The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai. [14] Meonothai fathered Ophrah; and Seraiah fathered Joab, the father of Ge-harashim, so-called because they were craftsmen. [15] The sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah: Kenaz. [16] The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel. [17] The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. These are the sons of Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married; and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah, the father of Eshtemoa. [18] And his Judahite wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. [19] The sons of the wife of Hodiah, the sister of Naham, were the fathers of Keilah the Garmite and Eshtemoa the Maacathite. [20] The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-hanan, and Tilon. The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-zoheth. [21] The sons of Shelah the son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the clans of the house of linen workers at Beth-ashbea; [22] and Jokim, and the men of Cozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and returned to Lehem (now the records are ancient). [23] These were the potters who were inhabitants of Netaim and Gederah. They lived there in the king's service.

The lessons of Judah

By the time that 1 Chronicles was written, the events of Israel's history had fulfilled the Lord's ancient words about the tribe of Judah. They were the people of royal hope, the chosen tribe within the larger assembly of God's elect. As we conclude the genealogical story of this most important tribe, we should highlight one very important conclusion with two points: The elect were real people in two senses. First, they were historically real, just as real as you and me. This chapter tells us about the source material for some of this information that “the records are ancient.” Yes, ancient, but real, not invented by the author. This is more broadly the case regarding the Bible and the true Christian faith. But secondly, the elect were real in that they were like all people on the face of the earth who were subject to common grace and common curse. They did not float along on clouds with harps. They were men and not angels.

Even the good guys of Judah were not without problems, but also not without heroism. On the problem side, we have the story of their patriarch, Judah, whose flaws recorded in the book of Genesis. When we read of Perez or Shelah, two of the sons of Judah, we know that there is a larger account there which is found in the first book of the Bible. We also read in 1 Chronicles 4 about men having two wives, and is not hard for us to consider that they too faced challenges that all people face in a world of pain, discord, and death.

On the heroism side, we recognize the names of Othniel, the first deliverer in the book of Judges, and his more famous uncle, Caleb, a man of great bravery who set his heart to finishing his life well. He was the one who said in Joshua 14:10-12 regarding his part in the conquest,

“Behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said.”

We also hear of the more anonymous goodness of those who worked hard in their families and clans. There were people who distinguished themselves by building up towns or in working with their hands as “craftsmen,” “linen workers,” “potters,” and surely many other honorable pursuits. Our passage ends with a delightful description of the best in Judah that we could emulate today as servants of Jesus in our own towns and cities: “They lived there in the king's service.”

The pain of Jabez

In the middle of tying up the loose ends in the record of Judah we have two very unusual verses about a man named Jabez who had a story that could help us to remember the point here of pain and victory in a fallen world. Regarding pain, the mother of Jabez named her son after one of the Hebrew words that has to do with pain and sorrow. Our translation says that Jabez was more “honorable” than his brothers, but that word translated “honorable” can mean many things, most commonly “heavy.” Connect that with the mention of pain at birth, and we are justified in assuming that Jabez was a very big baby. Yes, even among the elect of Judah, there were painful birth experiences as God had promised for all people in Genesis 3. Most were not immortalized.

The victory of Jabez

So what to do? Jabez, when he was older, “called upon the God of Israel.” He prayed. What was his prayer? “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!” We are told that “God granted what he asked.” What does it all mean? I am personally intrigued that the idea of God “granting” this request includes the word of Him “coming” or “bringing” the answer, and that somehow He Himself was the ultimate answer to the longing of Jabez to have a life that was more than just a pain. The victory of Jabez of the tribe of Judah was in God.

The prayers of Jesus

Jesus of Judah is the most powerful Man of Prayer in the midst of all God's troubled elect. There is no guarantee for those who know the Lord that they will have no trials in this life. Quite the opposite. It is in our tribulation that we have opportunity to shine. One day heaven will come upon the earth, but today is a day for Calebs to find strength in Him despite our emptiness and to do the work of our King. He has prayed for us, and He is Himself the answer to our prayers.

Human beings are born into a world of sorrow and opportunity. We all desire to be more firmly established in a better existence. Our hearts yearn for eternity. Jesus has prayed for us, and His prayers will not be denied. We too learn to ask and to receive according to His will. One day we will see plainly that God will grant us all that Jesus has asked. More than anything that we ask for, we have Him, and He has us. He is more than enough for us during our days of pain, but He who carried our griefs and sorrows will surely wipe away every tear. May we taste His healing mercies even today, and may we gain a far greater appreciation for Him, for He is our healing.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 20 – Now I know

Gospel Reading—Matthew 8:5-13 – [5] When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, [6] “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” [7] And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” [8] But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. [9] For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” [10] When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. [11] I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, [12] while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” [13] And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.