1 Chronicles 3:1-14; 1 Chronicles 4:9-10
These genealogies have another reason for their inclusion: when Messiah should come, the question "whose son is he?" must have an incontrovertible answer. In tracing the course of time, we see God setting apart the following from the midst of the human race: the family of Abraham; from out of this, the tribe of Judah and later still, from the midst of this tribe the kingly line of David. That is what ch. 3 is occupied with. And we may consider with what care and attention God followed, from generation to generation, the line which was to result in the bringing forth of "Jesus, who is called Christ" (Matthew 1:16).
The brief story of Jabez, who was more honourable than his brethren, is included in the list of the sons of Judah. Feeling the weight of the sorrow which is the consequence of sin, this man calls on the LORD to remove evil from his pathway. His prayer is answered. Let us consider the four requests he made and imitate him in claiming them fearlessly:
– 1st. For the enjoyment of abundant spiritual blessing
– 2nd. enlarged coasts for our intelligence and our heart to be occupied with
– 3rd. for the "hand of God" to be over us in all that we undertake
– 4th. to be sheltered from sin and kept from temptation (Matthew 6:13).