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content/bible_journal/1chronicles_4:1-23.md

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+title = "1 Chronicles 4:1–23"
+date = "2023-09-06"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1Chronicles4.1-23)
+
+I suppose chapter 4 begins with the end of the genealogy of Judah. Many more
+names are given that we haven't seen before. More families are filled out and
+we find out where various clans come from.
+
+In the middle of the genealogy, we are given a little vignette from the life of
+a man named Jabez. It's been about twenty years, but I remember all the hype
+caused by the book _The Prayer of Jabez_. It's a theological disaster,
+encouraging people to treat the Lord of the Universe as a prosperity-dispensing
+genie. So of course the religious unbelievers jumped all over it and the
+spiritually immature were swept up in the fervor. But that doesn't mean we
+can't learn from Jabez's life and example.
+
+We are told, rather suddenly, that Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.
+I don't see any of his other family members mentioned anywhere, so it's doubly
+strange that we are told about him here. However, he did have a city named
+after him, which showed up back in 1 Chronicles 2:55, where the clans of
+scribes lived. We are also told that the name Jabez was a reminder of the
+extraordinary pain his mother experienced while delivering him, which I can
+imagine was not a fun thing to grow up with.
+
+Jabez's prayer is actually a fine thing to pray. The Lord delights in blessing
+His people. We need His hand to be upon us to guide us through our lives.
+"Harm" could also be translated "evil", which is certainly something we want to
+avoid. The expanding borders are a little trickier. According to [an
+article](https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/real-prayer-jabez) by Steven
+Lawson, Jabez was part of the army that conquered Canaan in Joshua's time. In
+order for Jabez's borders to be enlarged, Israel's enemies would have to be
+defeated, which is something the Lord had made clear He would help them do.
+Altogether, God answered Jabez's prayer not because it was a magic formula, or
+Jabez's faith was so amazing, but because He chose to glorify Himself to do so.
+Prayer is more about changing us to get lined up with what God wants us to have
+and be, rather than changing God to get what we want.
+
+After this we get more names, some of which are famous. Othniel was the first
+judge of Israel, after Joshua. And we finally see Caleb the son of Jephunneh.
+Other names are linked with cities, clans, and trade-guilds.
+
+* * *
+
+Bless us, O Lord, according to Your good pleasure, for we are undeserving
+sinners.