A divine encounter (Part 5)

In sharing the parables concerning the lost (lost sheep, lost coin, lost son), Jesus revealed the state of the Father’s heart when a sinner repents and returns to the Lord. In Luke 15:7, Jesus sharing the parable of the lost sheep mentioned that, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” Similarly, Luke 15:10 states that “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” In the parable of the lost son, Jesus revealed that the turning point was when the son made up his mind to return to the father. The son got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (‭Luke 15:20). Our Father in heaven’s desire is that none should perish. However,  humanity, operating with our free will, constantly turns away from Him and becomes an enemy of God. In the case of Saul in the book of Acts, his opposition to God was fueled by ignorance and religiosity. He thought  fighting the believers was the best way to defend God. He was rather doing the opposite.

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (‭Acts 9:31)

Thus, when Saul had a divine encounter with Jesus, his life was transformed and he became a new person. Instead of driving believers into hiding, he became a channel for many more people to hear the word of God. Saul had single-handedly put fear and panic in the church. He received approval from the religious leaders to go and do more harm in Damascus. Backed by his temple police officers, Saul heeded for Damascus. This journey was interrupted by Jesus Himself. From there, Saul returned to Jerusalem as a committed follower of Jesus. As a result of Saul’s divine encounter, there was rejoicing in both heaven and on earth. The great change in Saul brought about peace in the church. Acts 9:31 states that, “the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” One person’s salvation brought territorial peace for some time. The church, encouraged by the conversion of Saul, was strengthened,  and this also attracted more people into the church. Imagine all the followers of Saul, many of them would have also changed trajectory to follow Jesus.

If we ever think no one is worthy enough to be saved, Saul’s divine encounter should encourage us to pray for all people irrespective of their background. No one is too sinful for God to show mercy. Some individuals control territories and their continued presence as agents of evil is detrimental to the church and the society. Instead of desiring their death, we should pray for their salvation as well. Leaders of nations, territories, groups and institutions with influential powers to cause societies to conform to their standards can be hindrances to the church if their purposes are to crush the church. Instead of hating such people and wishing them evil, pray that they have a divine encounter with Jesus. The transformation of one of such people will result in the reformation of the whole society. The church of God will experience peace, stability, growth, strength and many more goodness if it operates in an enabling environment. Keep praying for individual and societal transformation.

Don’t let your pain define your existence!

Some of the weird names I heard as a child were names of people who were born after their parents had suffered a great deal of loss in relation to childbirth. One might think that after losing a couple of babies, the one that survived would be named to signify the victory the parents have had over their painful experiences. However, according to the culture of the society I grew up in, the best way to let these children remain was to give them unpleasant names to ensure their survival. I heard names translated as “refuse dump”, “vulture”, “the land is finished”, “struggles” among many others. In most cases, as these name bearers grew, they tended to shun their names and some even refused to respond to it, only making use of their English or Christian names. As ridiculous as this sounds, this practice is not new to humanity. Thousands of years ago, some women also named their children according to their pain. Let’s look at some examples from the Bible:

Rachel on her death bed named her son “Ben-Oni” meaning “son of my trouble” but Jacob changed it to Benjamin, “son of my right hand”.
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭35:18‬: As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.

The wife of Phinehas named her son “Ichabod” which means “no glory”.
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭4:21‭-‬22‬: She named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The Glory has departed from Israel”—because of the capture of the ark of God and the deaths of her father-in-law and her husband. She said, “The Glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”

Jabez’ name means “pain” and it was given by his mother because she gave birth to him in pain.
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭4:9‬: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.”

Jabez was more honourable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” ‭‭(1 Chronicles‬ ‭4:9‬)‬‬

For Benjamin, his father was quick to change his name but for Ichabod and Jabez, their painful experiences became part of their existence. How do we live beyond the pain of our past? Should the meaning of your name (if bad) define the quality of your existence? Let’s consider Jabez and how he refined his life beyond his mother’s painful experience.

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭4:10‬ ‭states this: Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “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.” And God granted his request.

Pray to God: Jabez being aware of the spiritual implications of his name came to understand that only God can change his destiny from that of pain to gain. Jabez’ cried to God, not to his mother who gave him the name. He knew that any spiritual connection to the name can be broken through the power of God. Whenever our painful past or a traumatic experience is influencing and affecting the quality of our lives, we should cry unto God through prayer. He made us and He has times and seasons in His hands. He can make our pain stepping stones for greatness.

Be specific in your prayers: Most times, when we are in pain, we turn to pray in circles just crying and complaining without even mentioning what we want God to do for us. Jabez knew what he wanted. As the chronicle of Israel was being given, the author gave a brief pause and brought in the powerful prayer of Jabez. This was his prayer: “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.” Jabez knew that pain can bring a ripple effect. His prayer was for God to bless him and enlarge his territory. He knew pain can cause stagnation. He prayed for God’s protection and freedom from pain. He didn’t ask for fire to fall on his mother and his mockers. He didn’t ask for the death of his enemies. He prayed for himself. Specificity in prayer is necessary because when we ask to satisfy our whims and caprice, most times, we don’t get results. ‭‭James‬ ‭4:3‬ ‭mentions this: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Enlargement is from God: Jabez understood that only God can cause his life to move beyond his current state. Every pain defining territory is subjected to God and so when Jabez prayed for God to enlarge his territory, he plea was to move beyond his pain defined territory to a God-defined territory. When we are stagnated because of a painful past experience, moving beyond that to possess bigger blessings is not automatic. Like Jabez, we need to identify with the pain-breaker to also enlarge our territories.

Freedom from pain: When we go through pains, the only thing that can make us free is for the yoke of the pain to be broken. Unlike Ben-Oni that was changed to Benjamin, Jabez didn’t change his name. However, a request from Jabez was this: “keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain”. Freedom from pain can be both physical and spiritual. For people going through physical pain, freedom is to be rescued from their oppressors. For Jabez, his freedom from pain was the breaking and the demolishing of the yoke of pain that held him down for years. Pain can make you forget God and even leave church. Job’s wife was in so much pain that her only request was for her husband to curse God and die. Therefore, whenever we go through any sort of pain, it is important to pray for God to grant us the freedom from both the physical and spiritual implications of the pain.

The last part of 1 Chronicles 4:10 makes this profound statement: “And God granted his request.” Jabez, the man who was named Pain because of a mother’s painful experience, had a total turnaround. God answered Jabez prayer. The story changed to this:
“And the Lord blessed Jabez and enlarged his territory. The hand of the Lord was with Jabez, and kept him from harm so that he was free from pain.” The prayer of Jabez is still relevant today. Whatever you might be experiencing, go before God like Jabez and pray for a life-changing, transformational prayer. If you don’t give up, this will be your story: “And God granted [your name] request.”

Rhoda: Responding to our answered prayers

There are times when we have such expectations that when we receive what we want, our first reaction is to verify whether we are daydreaming or if it is real. The question is, “how can we be so expectant for our prayers to be answered and yet, so fast to doubt when we receive mind-blowing answered prayers?” From the previous post, we see how Peter and the rest of the disciples prayed for the release of Peter from Herod’s prison. However, when God sent an angel to release Peter, his first reaction was that he was seeing a vision. How could that be? Peter was overwhelmed by the manner at which the Lord chose to rescue him. You would expect that the church that was earnestly praying to God for Peter (Acts 12:5) would have also been in expectations of seeing him while they prayed. Neither Peter nor the church was prepared for the miraculous release of Peter. In this post, we shall consider the release of Peter and how Rhoda and the disciples bring to light what we pray for and what we really expect.

Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” (Acts 12:13‭-‬14)

As the disciples prayed earnestly in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, God sent an angel to release Peter from Prison. Peter’s release wasn’t conventional. He wasn’t set free by the judge or Herod. Peter’s release was miraculous. Peter was kept in a maximum security prison and any attempt to stow away Peter wasn’t going to work. Therefore, right in the maximum prison, the God who is not bound by doors and prison guards miraculously rescued Peter by leading him through the gates. The angel of God rescued Peter and the angel didn’t vanish with Peter. In fact, “they passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him” (Acts 12:10). All this time, the church was in prayer trusting God for Peter’s release. God answered their prayers speedily. When this had dawned on Peter that he had been saved by God, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying (Acts 12:12). When Peter arrived, he knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door (Acts 12:13).

What would you expect? The church was praying for Peter’s release and right at the entrance of the prayer meeting was Peter. He had been released! Rhoda was definitely mesmerized. She was overwhelmed and couldn’t believe that their prayers had been answered speedily. Instead of letting Peter into the house, Rhoda did the least expected: “When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!””Acts 12:14). In case Rhoda was young and inexperienced, you would have expected that the people praying for Peter’s release would have jumped at Rhoda’s statement and rushed to the door. Well, the opposite happened! The expectant and prayerful disciples blatantly told Rhoda: “You’re out of your mind” and “when she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” (Acts 12:15). How ridiculous? I don’t know how long the disciples had prayed for Peter’s release but were they not expecting to see him? Were they expecting a different approach to Peter’s release? Rhoda was overjoyed to hear Peter but the rest of the disciples were not even expecting an immediate answer to their prayer.

Before you condemn either Rhoda or the disciples, know that for most of us, our first response to answered prayer is doubt, surprise and unbelief. When we receive the same thing we spend hours, days, months and sometimes years praying for, our first response is, “hope this is real” and our second response is “hope I am not dreaming.” While Rhoda was insisting that she heard Peter, the disciples were sure that Rhoda was out of her mind or had seen Peter’s angel. The answer to their prayer request was the release of Peter. This same Peter kept on knocking, and when the disciples opened the door and saw him, they were astonished (Acts 12:16). Imagine the joy on their faces, the delight they had and the fulfillment of knowing that their prayers had been answered faster than they expected. While they rejoiced for Peter’s release, Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place (Acts 12:17). 

Peter’s last statement before he left seems to imply that this prayer meeting was organized by the lay members of the church. James (the brother of Jesus), the other brothers (possibly the apostles) and sisters (possibly the influential women in the church) were not at this ‘hot fire’ prayer meeting. One lesson we can learn from this is the fact that the call to prayer is not the special duty of the church leadership. We are all expected to pray in the good times and bad times. 

When we pray, we should be expecting feedback. When God answers our prayers faster than we expect, instead of expressing doubts and concerns about the reality of the answered prayers, we should be discerning enough to know that with God, all things are possible. Rhoda’s overjoy closed the door to the answered prayer. The disciples’ unbelief delayed in opening the door to their answered prayer. There are doors that God had already opened for us, but our immaturity and doubt have led us to wander around for years. Today, let your response to your answered prayer be, “Lord, I believe.” 

The persistent widow: Understanding the power of persistent prayer

Widows are vulnerable people in most societies across the world. In certain cultures, the death of the husband leaves so much void that renders the widow and the children helpless. Although developed countries have systems and structures that allow the spouse and children of a deceased person to live in a free and fair society, the case is different in developing countries without laws that postulate what should be done if a spouse dies without a Will. If widowhood still has attendant challenges in the 21st century, imagine 2000 years ago. The widows who lived in the time of Jesus and even before Jesus was born, faced similar challenges of vulnerability, loneliness, poverty, rejection and (sometimes) societal stigmatization. Jesus understood all these challenges and ceased the opportunity to be a blessing to some widows such as the widow of Nain. This post will consider the story (parable) of a widow that the Lord Jesus shared with His disciples to show them that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1).

Parables were one of ways Jesus taught profound truth to His disciples and followers. Luke 18:1-5 records the parable of the persistent widow:
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ”

First, the focus of this parable is to teach the disciples that “they should always pray and not give up.”

The main characters in this parable were a judge and a widow. The judge, according to Jesus, “neither feared God nor cared what people thought.” We can consider the widow’s attributes from the introductory paragraph. Thus, on the levels of power and authority, the judge was powerful and the widow was powerless. To even make matters worse, the judge was fearless of God and careless of what society or people thought of him. How do you approach a man who has no regard for God and man? The widow depicted the people with no power nor influence. She had no one to help her and she didn’t have money to probably get a lawyer. From the face value of the case, the widow stood no chance of winning. How can a helpless woman convince a Self-centered, careless and godless judge? All odds were against her. The case could have been just closed because there were a lot of barriers that prevented the widow from assessing the right judgement. Most of us would have given up. How do you fight a pointless battle? How do you win a case when the odds are against you?

The hearers of Jesus would have expected the widow to give up on the case. The adversary could have taken what was rightfully hers. However, this widow did not give up and her persistence gave the story a new dimension. According to Jesus, “there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’”. The widow did not stop after the first, second, third or even the tenth attempt. She made it a habit. She “kept coming to him” for as long as the judge had not given her the answer. The judge kept putting her off as he did and “for some time he refused” to help. But the rejection and refusal did not deter this widow from going to the judge over and over and over again. The widow’s persistence was visible and even the wicked judge could not hold back. Finally the judge said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!” The wicked judge had a change of heart because of the widow’s persistent visits.

What lessons do we learn from this parable? Let consider Luke 18: 6-8:
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

According to Jesus, God (who is a just judge) will bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night. We need to understand what Jesus said, the chosen ones cry day and night. This also implies that prayer is a lifestyle for the chosen ones: day and night. There are also specific prayer topics we pray for a long time. Sometimes, we tend to believe that God does not care because we have prayed for that thing for such a long time. We need to know that God cares and He always answers us. Sometimes, His answer is YES, sometimes, His answer is NO and sometimes, His answer is WAIT or LATER. Usually, we expect a YES so whatever comes other than YES is not considered.

Another lesson Jesus teaches is that God will see that the chosen ones who cry to Him get justice, and quickly. Now the question we tend to ask is how soon is “quickly?” The truth is God will always grant justice to His children. Sometimes our perception of justice is limited to the here and now. Definitely, we will be vindicated while on earth, but better still, we will have an eternal glory that far outweighs the pain of the present.

The other lesson we will draw from this post is the faith to persevere. Jesus asked His disciples, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Are we ready to go the extra mile in PUSHing (Pray Until Something Happens)? The widow was not deterred by the judge. She kept going and going believing that the judge would hear her out. The widow had faith in an unjust judge. What about the worshippers of a just God?

Prayer is not a quick fix to humanity’s problems. Prayerfulness is the lifestyle of the believer. We need to develop consistency and persistence in our prayer lives. We need to also understand that when we pray, the answer is not always YES. Remember, YES, NO and WAIT are possible answers. WAIT doesn’t mean God loves you less. While you wait, continue to pray, continue to build yourself and continue to hold on to your faith.

Anna the prophetess: A great Intercessor

The Israelites were given several regulations by God. These included the purification rites. The books of Exodus and Leviticus give details about this regulation.
Exodus 13: 12, 14-15- You are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. “In days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’
Leviticus 12:1‭-‬4- The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period. On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised. Then the woman must wait thirty-three days to be purified from her bleeding. She must not touch anything sacred or go to the sanctuary until the days of her purification are over.
Mary had to go through these rites after the birth of Jesus.

There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage (Luke 2:36).

Luke records that “When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:22‭-‬24). While in the temple, Mary and Joseph met two people who confirmed the Messiahship of Jesus: a man named Simeon and a woman named Anna. We shall focus on Anna in this post. This is how Luke’s gospel describes Anna: Luke 2:36-37 – “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

First we are told that Anna operated in the prophetic ministry. The prophetic ministry demands a deeper intimacy and relationship with God. Anna spent years developing and shaping her ministry. Anna was from the tribe of Asher and was the daughter of Penuel. At the time Anna met baby Jesus, she was eighty-four years and had been a widow most of her life because her husband died seven years after marriage. You might consider Anna as a sad woman, but she was not. Scripture says that Anna occupied herself day and night in the temple. She was fasting and praying even at eighty-four years. She was busy with matters of God’s agenda. She wasn’t sad and melancholic. She wasn’t bedridden. She wasn’t seeking to be pitied. For most of her life, Anna was interceding for the nation of Israel. She was just an old widow but she fasted and prayed until God answered her prayers.

At the same time Mary went to the temple for her purification, Anna was also at her post doing what she does best. Anna didn’t leave the temple until she met the Saviour she had been praying and longing for. Luke 2:38 (NLT) states that “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.” Imagine how long Anna prayed for the Saviour. Anna and Simeon saw what the priests could not see: that Jesus is the Messiah. Intimacy with God opens one up to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Anna never saw herself as too old to pray. She kept doing the same routine (prayer and fasting) over and over again until she saw God’s redemption.

Dear reader, Intimacy with God is not a Sunday affair. It is a lifetime experience. Don’t give up because you prayed for a year and what you wanted to see didn’t happen. Keep pushing. The whole nation of Israel looked forward to their redemption but only two intercessors were actually in the temple praying and expecting their prayers to be answered. You might be that person God is counting on to pray for the redemption of your family, your community and your nation. Don’t stop praying!

Elizabeth: The barren shall conceive

Elizabeth is a popular household name in many homes. Different variants of the name are used by both Christian and non-Christians. The late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom bore this Biblical name and through her, the name became a household name across the British colonies and territories. Many Christians can associate with the name Elizabeth on a personal level. She was no Queen in the Bible. She wasn’t a beauty pageant contestant like Queen Esther. She was a woman who had a big challenge. The challenge stayed with her for a very long time until her miracle arrived when she least expected it.

This is how the book of Luke presents Elizabeth and her husband: “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” (Luke 1:5‭-‬6). It is important to know the date of this story, the occupation of the Zachariah and their family line. Both Zachariah and Elizabeth were considered as righteous in the sight of God. They observed all the commands and decrees of God. They were blameless in keeping up with the commands and decrees. However, they had a challenge: “But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.” (Luke 1:7).

But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:7)

Childlessness is an agelong challenge. Since the very early years of the world, couples have had to battle with this challenge for a long time. Elizabeth and the husband worshipped God faithfully but they were childless. One day, Zachariah had an encounter angel Gabriel while fulfilling his duties as a priest:
“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:11‭, ‬13‭-‬17)

Zachariah’s doubtfulness of the words of the angel caused the angel to make him mute until the appointed time. In the meanwhile, after this angelic encounter, Zachariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:24‭-‬25). Indeed, God came through for Elizabeth at the time she least expected: Zachariah was an old man and Elizabeth was well along in years (Luke 1:18). The one declared barren became pregnant. Elizabeth’s shame and reproach was taken away. She received favour from God. All who heard about her miracle baby glorified God.

Elizabeth knew that her baby was no ordinary baby. He was on assignment to fulfill God’s purpose. How God chose the least expected woman to become an agent for His purpose is still a miracle. However, we know that Elizabeth and Zachariah positioned themselves at a vantage place. Their righteousness and obedience to the Lord was visible to all.

When we are at the lowest point of our lives, we shouldn’t compromise on our righteousness and obedience to God. The story of Elizabeth teaches us patience in waiting. It teaches us the value of righteousness and the fact that God is always seeking for someone to fulfill His purpose. We cannot compromise on our Godliness because of our situation in life. Zachariah received his prophecy in the house of God. Be intentional not to abandon church and the meeting of the brethren because you are hurting. God still does miracles in the house of God. Tomorrow could be your turn to encounter the angel that has been commissioned to meet your needs.

The mother of Jabez: The woman who named her son “Pain”

Naming patterns in the Bible mostly reflected a state of mind, a situation (good or bad), a blessing, a divine direction among many others. While it seems that most names were given by the fathers, there are also instances in both the Old and New Testaments where mothers gave names to their children.  We saw how Rachel named her son Ben-Oni (son of my trouble) but Jacob, the husband of Rachel changed the name to Benjamin (son of my right hand). Similarly, the wife of Phinehas gave birth in deep distress and named the son Ichabod (the glory had departed from Israel). These examples show mothers who transferred their pain and distress to their newborn babies. On the contrary  mothers such as Hannah cried to God for a child and when she finally became pregnant and gave birth to a son she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.” Samuel became a great prophet of the Lord. In this post, we shall consider another mother who got the opportunity to name her son but gave the son a name according to her current situation. 

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” (1 Chronicles 4:9)

The Bible does not give the name of this woman. We shall call her the mother of Jabez or Mama Jabez. We are not informed of the occupation of Mama Jabez, nor do we know the nature of trouble or pain Mama Jabez faced. However,  the story of Jabez was so important to the chronicler that in the list of different names being mentioned, there was the need for a break. The break was necessary because of the unusual story of Jabez. The descendants of Judah included Jabez. Now this is the story of Jabez as presented in 1 Chronicles 4:9, “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” First,  we identify that the name Jabez means Pain and this pain was experienced by the mother. Mama Jabez went through a situation that made life uncomfortable. It could have been birth pains, losing a loved one, or even the difficulty of having another child, husband maltreatment among many others. It is highly unlikely that the baby brought all the pain on Mama Jabez. However,  the best name Mama Jabez could give to a newborn is PAIN. This definitely sounds ridiculous and is quite unfortunate. It is like saying that you went into labour while seated on the potty so the child born should be called Potty. The reason behind Mama Jabez’ intentions is flawed. She was only interested in herself, not the destiny of the baby. She passed on her pain to the child. 

Imagine the boy Jabez growing up and being called Pain. The pain of hearing that your name is Pain in itself is painful. Jabez must have been mocked, ridiculed, and rejected by many. Afterall, who wants to be associated with Pain. The emotional trauma of bearing a name that only brings pain is unpleasant. Mama Jabez left a good son in the destiny of pain and for many years, Jabez had to deal with the pain of his name. We are not told whether Mama Jabez was alive as at the time Jabez prayed his prayer of liberation. Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. He was obviously a fine gentleman and a lover of God. Jabez knew that the curse of his name had become a snare on his life. So, Jabez prayed. He cried out to the God of Israel, “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” (1 Chronicles 4:10a). Jabez knew that to advance beyond his painful experiences and name, he needed the blessing of God. He prayed for blessing and enlargement; pain brings sadness and stagnation. He prayed for the hand of God to be on him; curses invite evil spirits and unfortunate incidents. He prayed to be kept from harm; pain makes one liable to more pain and resentment. Jabez also prayed that he will be free from pain; names have powerful effects to influence one’s life and destiny. 1 Chronicles 4:10b states that, “And God granted his request.”

Mama Jabez was definitely in error to name her son Pain. However, Jabez did not glorify the mother’s error. He nullified it. The prayer of Jabez is an indication that we can change evil destinies by prayer.

Hannah’s prayer

If you have ever wanted something so bad and you know someone who can give that to you, the first reaction would be to go and plead with the person who has possession of it to give it to you. For example, in our study of Rachel, we realized that she so much needed a child that when Rueben brought mandrakes (known for fertility power), Rachel willingly allowed her sister Leah to have Jacob for the night in exchange for the fertility plant. People are willing to go the extra mile to get what they really want. If you do not know the pain of such people,  their actions might look “stupid” to you. Until you get to that position of need, you might not desire to go an extra mile. Our study of the wives of Elkanah revealed that Hannah was mocked by her rival Peninnah because Hannah was childless. If there was one thing Hannah desired and would go the extra mile for, it was to have a child. Hannah was bruised emotionally and no amount of love from Elkanah could replace the pain she felt.

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:10‭-‬11)

Such deep anguish might have reflected on her demeanor. In 1 Samuel 1:8, we noticed that even her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” Elkanah truly loved Hannah and cared for her but what Hannah really needed was a child. Her rival kept provoking her until Hannah wept uncontrollably. “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:10‭-‬11). 

All Hannah wanted was a child but in her anguish she prayed that if God gives her the son, she would return that son to the Lord. This kind of vow could only come from a woman with a bigger need. Hannah’s heart was not just to get the son and use him to reply to her rival’s taunts. Hannah’s request was to have a son who will be dedicated to God. She identified her need for a child and she was also aware that the word of God was rare during those times. If she gets a son, then that son could be God’s instrument to communicate to the people. In other words,  Hannah is satisfied and the work of God is done. Hannah might have discerned that if God’s work needs to be done, then God should give her a son to do that work. This son will satisfy Hannah’s heart desire and also accomplish the work of God.

Hannah’s prayer was so intense that the priest mistook her for a drunk woman. “As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.” (1 Samuel 1:12‭-‬14). Hannah’s response to Eli the priest was this: “Not so, my Lord, I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” (1 Samuel 1:15‭-‬16). Upon hearing this, Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” (1 Samuel 1:17). Hannah  said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” (1 Samuel 1:18).

After pouring her heart to the Lord, Hannah’s demeanor changed. She found something to eat and her face bloomed. Hannah knew that God had heard her heartfelt prayer. As we go through Hannah’s life, one thing stands out. She knew that only God could satisfy her need for a child. Unlike the women before her who looked for alternatives, Hannah went to the Lord in prayer. She did not complain about her situation and how that has affected her life. She told God that I need a son and You need a prophet, therefore give me a son who will be Your prophet. Hannah committed to ensure that the son is dedicated to the Lord. God looked at her, this was a different woman. She knew the right buttons to touch to get God to move in her favour. She was not selfish but ready to give the only son back to God. 

Whenever we pray for our greatest need, we should consider how the answer to our prayer would fit in God’s bigger story. How would my prayer request advance the kingdom of heaven? Would the answer to my prayer fulfill a kingdom need? What commitment am I ready to make to ensure that the answer to my prayer becomes an answer to the nations? 

Hannah needed a son, God needed a dedicated servant. They all had needs. Hannah’s approach to this was; “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

An answered prayer: Rebekah is going to have babies

Eliezer’s journey was successful. Rebekah gladly followed him to become the wife of Isaac. As they approached Isaac’s home, “Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?” “He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself. Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.” (Genesis 24:64‭-‬67). Rebekah’s presence took away the pain that the death of Sarah brought on Isaac. She comforted him and he loved her. But Rebekah had an issue. The same issue Sarah had and battled with it for years. Rebekah was childless. It might have been quite frustrating for the new couple as they had to revisit pain of the past. However, this time, the approach to resolving the issue was different. 

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. (Genesis 25:21)

Sarah’s resolution was to have Hagar to have a baby with Abraham. The implications were not so desirable. Isaac and Rebekah had a better approach. They prayed! Genesis 25:21 states that “Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” Such a joy! It was not a straightforward pregnancy. Rebekah had the most unlikely situation in her womb, “the babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord. The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.” (Genesis 25:22‭-‬23). Rebekah’s pregnancy was no ordinary pregnancy. She was carrying two nations who will ultimately separate. How did Rebekah deal with this news? Was Isaac aware of the fact that they were going to have two separate nations in the house? As ridiculous as it sounds, Rebekah’s womb was the practice grounds for the rivalry. Right there, the babies refused to cooperate.

Rebekah’s delivery was no ordinary one. “When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them. (Genesis 25:24‭-‬26). Remember that Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah (Genesis 25:20). Thus, the couple waited for twenty years until Esau and Jacob were born. Rebekah might have been so happy to become a mother. As she looked into the faces of her sons, she also knew that, in the future, she would see two rival nations out of her sons. Rebekah was aware that Esau (the older) would serve Jacob (the younger). As they remained babies, she might have relished every moment spent with them. But deep in her heart, she knew that the future would be a bit messy. Rivalry and hatred might erupt and this would possibly lead to separation. 

What do you do when faced with a future with uncertainty? Whenever we are faced with uncertainty,  we should go back to God and He will show us the way forward. 

Rebekah: A speedy answer to prayers

Have you ever experienced a fast answer to prayer? How was your reaction? In our previous posts we saw Sarah whose desire to have a child lingered for years even though God had promised her a child. The child was born at God’s appointed time. The delay was not a pleasant experience and Sarah became impatient in waiting. Until you find yourself in a difficult situation, you might be the first to accuse Sarah of impatience. But if you go through a similar situation and stay till the end, then you are a real warrior. Isaac was old enough to marry but Abraham didn’t want his son to marry among the Canaanites. He told Eliezer, his senior servant, “I want you to swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” (Genesis 24:3‭-‬4). How is that possible? Eliezer had lived with Abraham and understood that God’s hand is with his master. He had learned from experience that his master Abraham had a special covenant with God. Eliezer had encountered how God miraculously blessed his master with Isaac. With this knowledge, even though the current task looked daunting,  Eliezer was certain that the God of his master would give him victory. 

Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. (Genesis 24:15)

As Eliezer and his entourage got to the city of Nahor he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” (Genesis 24:12‭-‬14). Eliezer’s faith was based on what he had experienced through Abraham. “Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my Lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” (Genesis 24:15‭-‬19). Indeed Eliezer received rocket speed response to his prayers. 

Rebekah was no ordinary woman. She was very beautiful, a virgin and a hard working young woman. A typical camel can drink at least 20 gallons of water at a time. Eliezer and his entourage had 10 camels and Rebekah gave them water until they had had enough. In simple mathematics,  Rebekah might have fetched water worth about 200 gallons for the camels. Fetching the water from the well to the feeding troughs for the camels to drink was a whole work. Rebekah gladly did it without complaining. In fact, she volunteered  her services willingly. Rebekah was not just beautiful, but she was strong, determined and willing to go the extra mile. If Isaac needed a wife, certainly Rebekah is the perfect match. Eliezer was stunned and “without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful. When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?” She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.” And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night.” (Genesis 24:21‭-‬25).

Eliezer must have been super excited. God led him to the right person. Rebekah was homely, she informed Eliezer that  we have straw and fodder for your camels and a place for you to sleep. Her kindness, goodness and determination to help was outstanding. Rebekah was an answer to a prayer and she demonstrated her readiness with her character. God wants the best for His children. If you want God to bless you with His very best, be ready like Rebekah to go the extra mile in service. The answer to your prayers might be your willingness to go the extra mile.