this whole Jabez thing
You know, the Prayer Of Jabez isn't one that guarantees your life's emulating his. Neither does it make you "more honourable than your brethren". I am so tired of reading tweets, FB posts, blog posts and chain-emails which claim in a myriad ways that if Christians would only be brave enough to believe God and pray that prayer, they would find (that same) favour with God and man, and be counted as honourable.
I've read these 2 verses (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) in more than 7 different translations and in none of them, I repeat, none of them, was Jabez's being "more honourable than his brethren" said to have been a result of his prayer.
The Bible states that Jabez was more honourable than his brothers.
It gives the reason for his name.
It relates an incident where Jabez cried out to God for grace and blessing, and it records that God decided to give him what he wanted.
That's it.
In fact, you could argue that in the telling of this short tale, one might understand that Jabez strove harder to live more honourably than his brothers because his birth brought pain to his mother and she probably treated him just as she named him. I doubt he had a much better growing-up compared to his siblings. And that's why he called on the Lord--and God, being the way that He is, always somehow seeming to enjoy throwing great blessing on the least expected individuals, decided to give Jabez what he asked for.
It isn't even about rewarding Jabez for being more honourable. If you see what he asked, he was pleading with God for blessing. What he did boldly ask for was mercy and protection. What he expressed was his need for a Saviour. And there you have my conclusion--God answered Jabez's prayer because this was a man who acknowledged his need for Him.
Read the contextual verses (no, why not the contextual chapters?) and tell me again if this is about how one man became more honourable in God's eyes, or if it's about how a man of honour put aside his human effort and cried out to God in acknowledgment of his need.
I've read these 2 verses (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) in more than 7 different translations and in none of them, I repeat, none of them, was Jabez's being "more honourable than his brethren" said to have been a result of his prayer.
The Bible states that Jabez was more honourable than his brothers.
It gives the reason for his name.
It relates an incident where Jabez cried out to God for grace and blessing, and it records that God decided to give him what he wanted.
That's it.
In fact, you could argue that in the telling of this short tale, one might understand that Jabez strove harder to live more honourably than his brothers because his birth brought pain to his mother and she probably treated him just as she named him. I doubt he had a much better growing-up compared to his siblings. And that's why he called on the Lord--and God, being the way that He is, always somehow seeming to enjoy throwing great blessing on the least expected individuals, decided to give Jabez what he asked for.
It isn't even about rewarding Jabez for being more honourable. If you see what he asked, he was pleading with God for blessing. What he did boldly ask for was mercy and protection. What he expressed was his need for a Saviour. And there you have my conclusion--God answered Jabez's prayer because this was a man who acknowledged his need for Him.
Read the contextual verses (no, why not the contextual chapters?) and tell me again if this is about how one man became more honourable in God's eyes, or if it's about how a man of honour put aside his human effort and cried out to God in acknowledgment of his need.