JABEZ

Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers; and his mother named him Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." For Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh, that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, and that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from harm!" And God granted him what he asked. The Prayer of Jabez - 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 This simple prayer marks the first time we hear about Jabez: his name is not mentioned in the Gospels, the apostle Paul does not mention him in his writings, nor do Peter, John, Luke, or James. In "Jabez," Thom Lemmons clears up the mystery and explains the moving story of this largely unknown biblical character and his prayer that legitimizes material gain and the blessing of money. The Bible states, in verse 9, that Jabez was a good and honorable man, more honorable than his brothers. The historical record tells us that Jabez was one of the pillars of the fledgling nation of Israel. History records that Jabez encouraged the study of the scribes of that time, and a city where the scribes congregated to work and live was named Jabez in his honor. Thus, in the book of 1 Chronicles 2:55, we read, "And the families of the scribes who dwelt in Jabez were the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. These are the Kenites, who came from Hamath, the father of the house of Rechab." Jabez was apparently born to be defeated. At a time when children's names were symbolic of what was expected of them, he received a disturbing name: "My mother named me Jabez, meaning pain. I was born of a father I never knew. The absence of that face set the limits of what I could become." Lemmons follows this biblical hero's journey in a simple and disturbing way. This is because it reveals the truth that we can overcome even the most negative prognoses. Overcome them to the point of transforming our lives into something meaningful. THOM LEMMONS is a bestselling author of historical fiction. His novels, based on meticulous biblical research, include Daughter of Jerusalem, Woman of Mean, Mother of Faith, Daniel: The Man Who Saw Tomorrow, Jeremiah: He Who Wept, and Once Upon a Cross. A graduate of Abilene Christian University, Thom serves as director of ACU Press. He and his wife, Cheryl, have three children and live in Abilene, Texas.