What Does Jabez’ Prayer have to do with Jesus’ birth?

This video was extracted from original audio “The First and Last Christmas“

We rightly love the Christmas Story. We know that God arranged the whole scene, but few know the connection to Jabez’ prayer nearly two millennia earlier. “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were terrified. But the angels said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” The phrase, “living out in the fields” is the word, “Agrueleo,” and is only used in this place in the New Testament. An active participle, it indicates that this was their habitual practice. In other words, they always lived in the fields. That was their home. These shepherds were the shepherds that raised the lambs that were sacrificed in the temple. But again, why was their permanent residence in the field? Even to this day, if you go to Israel and the guides will lead you to the area outside of Bethlehem, and it’s called the Shepherds Fields. Why were they there?

In Genesis 35:19-21, after Rachel died and Jacob buried her, he traveled a little bit further and he pitched his tent in beyond the Tower of Eder.Why is that important? Because “Eder” means the flock, and it’s actually picked up later in a prophecy in Micah 4:8, which says, “O Tower of the Flock, the stronghold of the Daughter of Zion to you, shall it come (or to you he shall come.)” And this, of course, connects with Luke Chapter 8, because as we read later on, Jewish tradition made this tower Jesus’ birthplace this long before Christ came into the world. Who built this tower? We don’t know. But going all the way back now to the time of Abraham, 2000 years before Christ a tower was erected, Jewish rabbis said it’d be the site where the Messiah would come. Jerome, in the fourth century saw in this tower the foreshadowing of the announcement of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ to the shepherds, the ones that kept living in the fields. Today it answers to a place called Khirbet Sara, which is called “The Ruin of the Sheepfold.” It’s very interesting that archeologists have gone to this place, and they have found all kinds of Christian artifacts showing that early on this was a place of worship.

1st Chronicles 4:9 reads, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother called him Jabez saying, because ‘I bore him in pain.’” Kind of a rough name to give to a kid because it basically means he causes pain. “Jabez called on the God of Israel.” Now this is a noble, honorable man, according to Scripture, and he prays “that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.” Basically, he prays “I don’t want to live up to my name.” We have to understand that in Hebrew thought the name your parents gave you was actually the name God already had planned for you before you were born, and it described your character. We see that playing out a lot in Scripture, in the names that were given to people. Jabez did not want to live up to his name. He did not want to be a source of pain. And then it says, “and so God granted him what he requested.” He requested God’s blessing for enlarged territory. Jabez was not praying for literal territory when he prayed that God would enlarge his territory or enlarge his holdings. He was an honorable man. He was a noble man. He was thinking in spiritual terms. Which would you rather have? A big ranch or eternal impact? What would you rather have? Would you rather have holdings in this world? Or would you rather have impact in history and reward and eternity? Jabez was praying for something much, much bigger, than what most people think of.

How do we know that God answered this prayer? And why in the world will this relate to the shepherds in the field? Well, if you just slide over to 1st Chronicles 2:54-55 which says, “The sons of Salma were Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahethites, and the Zorites. And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Suchathites. These were the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.” you know, the Kennites were not Jews. They came from Moses, father-in-law, Jethro, who came from Hamath, the father of the House of Recab. Now, I know you think that we’ve already lost the trail, but we’re just closing in on it. The Tower of Eder, which stood just outside the village that later is called Bethlehem, was the former site of a village of Jabez. Jabez’ Prayer began by a village being named for him near the Tower of Eder. And who were the Kennites? Not Jews, but people who later actually married into the Levitival priesthood. Notice the important words here. They were scribes who dwelt at Jabez. The job of the scribe was to copy the scriptures, to study the Scriptures and to teach the Scriptures.

The beginning of the answer to Jabez prayer was a group of people, not even Jews, but proselytes, who came in because of faith, and they became the leading Bible scholars of their time. It tells us at the end of the verse as well that they were of the House of Recab. 1500 years later, in Jeremiah 35, we see more of the Recabites. Jeremiah wanted to use these people as an example to the children of Israel of what faithfulness should look like. Jeremiah is told, “bring them into the House of the Lord, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” So, Jeremiah said, “I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah. The son of…” who and who….“His brothers and all his sons, the whole house of the Rechabites. I brought them into the House of the Lord, into the chamber of the Sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah.” They really get into the genealogies here. “A man of God, which was by the chamber of the Princes above the chamber,” and so on and so forth. Verse five says, “I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabite bowls full of wine and cups, and I said, ‘Drink wine.’” Jeremiah’s doing what God commanded him to do. “But they said, we will drink no wine for Jonadab, the son of Rechab.” Once again, keep in mind the link back to First Chronicles. “Our father commanded us saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons forever.’” That was not the only requirement he placed on them, however. Verse seven says, “You shall not build a house or sow seed or plant a vineyard, nor have any of these. All your days you shall dwell in tents that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.”

The Rechabites through all their generations, became shepherds and lived in tents. And as we come down to Jeremiah’s commendation of these people, he says in verse 16, “Surely the sons of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them. But this people, meaning Israel, God says, has not obeyed me. Therefore, thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel. Behold, I will bring on Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, all the doom that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard. I have called to them, but they have not answered. And Jeremiah said to the House of the Rechabites, “Thus says the Lord God of hosts the God of Israel, because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts have done according to all that he commanded you. Therefore, thus, as the Lord God of host the God of Israel, Jonadab, the Son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before me forever.“

Can you connect this unique group of people who took a vow that they would always remain nomads and shepherds who were linked to the village that once stood slightly outside of Bethlehem, all the way down to the shepherds that ultimately stood before the Lord. According to this promise. “He will not like a man to stand before me.” By the way, the phrase stand before me has a priestly connotation. My conviction is that these shepherds were living in the same place they had always lived, lived in the same way they had always lived, were doing the same things they had always done, continued to remain students of God’s word. Obviously. And they were the first ones that were invited to meet the Savior as he entered the world. That’s pretty amazing. But it’s not as amazing as what happened and what they witnessed.

You know, Paul captures the first Christmas in a way this the simple story can’t. We love the story in its simplicity, its oriental beauty, and it’s so amazingly beautiful, but it doesn’t come close to capturing what that little child represented. When Paul tells us in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind being you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to cling to or a thing to grasped. But He made Himself of no reputation and came in the form of a man and being found in existence as a man. He humbled Himself even further unto death. Even the death of the cross.” That all began right here. That was that huge step that our Savior took from his throne in heaven down into this world full of sin, sorrow and suffering. For what? To live a life of rejection. A life misunderstood. A life of slander and maligning. And ultimately, to go to the cross. For you and I. to pay the penalty for our sins, and not just for ours. But as John tells us, “for the sins of the entire world.” We should stand as we do today, preparing to celebrate Christmas with the reverence, amazement, humility. Our souls should be struck with the beauty, but also the grandeur and the greatness of everything that our Savior has done for us.

Gene Cunningham - January 28, 2003

Hebrews 06

Five warning sections in Hebrews, each are more severe, five is the number of grace. Heb 1:10-12, Psa 104:4 Joh 1:3 Col 1:16 without Jesus, nothing was made Anyone who things Jesus was a created being, read Joh 1:1-51, Col 1:1-29, and Heb 1:1-14 Psa 45:6-7 we are included in this citation, we must keep quotes in the context they were taken from Psa 45:1-17 the writer of Hebrews knows this Psalm is talking about the Messiah. Queen in psa 45:9 is the bride of Christ. Eph 5:6-7, Rev 19:6-9, Rev 21:2 we will be adorned with the acts we do in faith now Friends of the Bridegroom are Old Testament believers. Friends of the Bride are tribulation believers. Eph 2:7 Jesus received anointing after His resurrection. There are three anointings of Jesus: anointing of Jesus as a prophet isa 61:2, anointed as a priest psa 45:6-7, anointing as King psa 2:2, psa 92:10, psa 110:4 In the receiving of a crown, a crown follows anointing 6th superiority of Jesus to the angels: psa 102:25-27 He is superior to the angels because He is unchangeable. Job 38:4-7 Jesus is the foundation, He is the cornerstone. Physical and spiritual 1co 3:10-11, 1pe 2:6, col 1:17 He laid the heavens by the works of His hands. Isa 40:12 span of His hand, the entire creation. Salvation is the work of His arm, salvation is a greater work than creation isa 51:5, isa 52:10, isa 53:1, isa 59:16 If you are a Christian, and you have no burden for the souls of other people to come to know Christ, then you are apostate. His Spirit is not allowed to work in you because of your hardness of heart. We have great responsibility with the Grace He’s given us. 7th superiority of Jesus to the angels Heb 1:13, Psa 110:1, joh 19:30 it is finished, victory cry Heb 10:10-14 Jesus’ work was done so He sat down. Three postures in Ephesians: Eph 1:23, Eph 2:1-22, Eph 3:1-21 seated with Christ Eph 4:1-32, Eph 5:1-33 walking in the Light Eph 6:1-24 stand firm. Unless you learn to sit and rest in the complete work of Christ you’ll never be able to walk or stand firm. Our work is only of value when it comes from a posture of rest because of Christ’s finished work on our behalf. Heb 2:1 “Therefore” connects these chapters, and it ties into the first warning section. Heb 2:1-4 The danger is to those who received this letter and for us now too, the current day is the great apostasy, experience driven spirituality. It is demonism. Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witness is the Gnosticism of Col 2:8-23 If you are a child of God and you have an attitude of apathy, this passage is warning you that judgment is coming. The danger is casting of your anchor. Heb 6:19-20 Cling to the anchor and you are secure. Hope is assurance, it enters into the veil. The only anchor that works is on you can’t see, it has to go where you cannot see. Our anchor goes above; if our biblical assurance is connected to Jesus then there is nothing that can distract us. The need to give heed: Heb 2:1 dei-spiritual necessity required by the nature of things. It is of upmost importance that we give more attention to the things we’ve heard, to keep them in front of us wherever we go, to the extreme measure. Jesus is out of the reach of the enemy, but we are not, which is why we must cling to our anchor. Lest we drift, this is a daily threat. We can drift away at any moment. 2co 11:25, act 27:9-44 greater grace means greater accountability Heb 2:2-3. If is the lesser, then is the greater. Transgression- a voluntary stepping over the line, and disobedience- hearing and disobeying. Five times in four verses “we” refers to the heirs of salvation. This is a message to believers. Old Testament believers did not escape divine justice, there’s no way we ever could. Do not turn your back on the Word. Where we stand is dependent on where we stand in relation to Christ and if we’ve set aside or neglected the Word. Great Salvation: personally proclaimed by Christ who bought it, confirmed by the apostles who directly heard Jesus, given divine testimony by apostolic miracles. Apostolic miracles are a thing of the past. Heb 12:25 Jesus is speaking to you, do not refuse Him. The only security and hope is in God’s Word? The only way to escape is to not neglect what we’ve heard 1ti 1:18-20 These names were teachers of the word. Our record is kept of our conduct in heaven. The Christian life is a campaign-intense conflict over a long amount of time, just a few victories does not mean the whole life was victorious. You must choose this. We must recognize the terrible end of apathy to the word of God-spiritual shipwreck. You come through with just your life 1co 3:11-15 Constantly pushing away from us that which can stabilize us, the Word of God. We must hold two things to ourselves, clutch to ourselves, hold fast to the faith (which is delivered to us in the Word of God), and hold fast to a pure conscience (good of a divine kind, a conscience cleansed by forgiveness, through living in fellowship with Christ, to confess our sins and enter into His Light 1jo 1:9, 1jo 1:7) Heresy to ignore self-examination and confession. You need to find your spiritual gift so you know what you’re to do while you’re on this earth. It’s the treasure He gave you. The darkling thrush poem by Thomas Hardy: I leant upon a coppice gate When Frost was spectre-gray, And Winter's dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day. The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres, And all mankind that haunted nigh Had sought their household fires. The land's sharp features seemed to be The Century's corpse outleant, His crypt the cloudy canopy, The wind his death-lament. The ancient pulse of germ and birth Was shrunken hard and dry, And every spirit upon earth Seemed fervourless as I. At once a voice arose among The bleak twigs overhead In a full-hearted evensong Of joy illimited; An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small, In blast-beruffled plume, Had chosen thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom. So little cause for carolings Of such ecstatic sound Was written on terrestrial things Afar or nigh around, That I could think there trembled through His happy good-night air Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew And I was unaware. We need to let the world know about Him. Our blessed hope.

Scripture References: Isaiah 51:5, Acts 27:9-44, Ephesians 5:6-7, John 19:30, Psalms 2:2, Ephesians 5:1-33, Colossians 1:16, Isaiah 40:12, Hebrews 2:1, Psalms 45:9, Psalms 110:1, Psalms 45:6-7, Ephesians 4:1-32, John 1:3, Colossians 1:17, Psalms 45:1-17, Hebrews 6:19-20, Hebrews 1:13, Isaiah 61:2, Ephesians 3:1-21, Psalms 104:4, Job 38:4-7, Psalms 45:6-7, Colossians 2:8-23, Isaiah 59:16, John 1:7, Ephesians 2:7, Ephesians 2:1-22, Hebrews 1:10-12, Psalms 102:25-27, Hebrews 1:1-14, Hebrews 2:1-4, Isaiah 53:1, Hebrews 12:25, Revelation 21:2, Ephesians 1:23, Psalms 110:4, Colossians 1:1-29, Hebrews 2:1, Isaiah 52:10, Hebrews 2:2-3, Revelation 19:6-9, Hebrews 10:10-14, Psalms 92:10, John 1:1-51, Ephesians 6:1-24