Jabez's territory

Jabez's prayer that appears in I Chronicles 4:10 has been made famous in a book by the same name by Bruce Wilkinson. The book sold more than 9 million copies and created a sensation among many people, including many Christians. In the prayer, Jabez cried out to the Lord, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." This prayer was in a way very appropriate because his mother had given birth to him in pain and that was why he was named Jabez, meaning 'pain.' So he prayed that he would be free from pain, probably both the pain that he may cause on other people and the pain that he may suffer himself.

The other part of his prayer was that the Lord would bless him and enlarge his territory. This prayer request was granted to him by the Lord (I Chronicles 4:10). So we know that Jabez's territory was enlarged in some way. But the Bible is not very specific on how that happened, except for a few hints here and there. Because Jabez is mentioned in the genealogy of the tribe of Judah, we can surmise that he was himself probably of the tribe of Judah, although his father's name is not mentioned. Furthermore, his name appears among the descendants of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah and the (grand)father of Bethlehem (I Chronicles 4:4). So it might be that Jabez's territory was in or near Bethlehem, which was, of course, the town of Jesse, of David, and later of our Lord Jesus Christ. In I Chronicles 2:54, there appears a place named (after) Jabez, where some of the descendants of Salma, son of Hur and father of Bethlehem, lived. These people were scribes and of the house of Recab. The Recabites may be the same clan that was singled out and complimented by the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 35), because they followed their forefather's commands. The Lord blessed the Recabites that they "will never fail to have a man to serve Me." (Jeremiah 35:19).

Putting these all together, I think that enlarging Jabez's territory amounted to expanding the domain of the Lord's reign, where people follow His commands and serve Him. In New Testament terms, it amounts to the kingdom of heaven "forcefully advancing" (Matthew 11:12). At the individual level, the kingdom of heaven is upon a person, when the Holy Spirit comes into him (Matthew 12:28)

In many ways, it is most appropriate that the name Jabez is associated with expanding the kingdom of heaven. To establish His church, our Lord endured the pain of the cross. Similarly, Paul wrote to the Galatians that he is "in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you" (Galatians 4:19). To find a lost soul and restore him to peace with God may take the painstaking efforts of childbirth, but just as a woman forgets the pain of childbirth because of the joy that follows it (John 16:21), the pain in gaining a lost soul is incomparable to the joy of welcoming a new member to God's household, His kingdom of heaven. Jabez's life and prayer is an embodiment of pain turning to joy because of God's redemption and blessing.

Lord, thank you for forbearing the pain and shame of the cross to give me a new birth and a new life. Enlarge your territory and may Your kingdom come into my life and may You be my King and my Master. Let me share in Your joy and be free from pain. In Jesus' name. Amen.