I Chronicles 3:1 Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess
Maybe you have looked at old family pictures from generations ago, or maybe you have walked into a Cracker Barrel restaurant and have seen all those old photos of farmers and factory workers from a hundred years ago, usually unsmiling, and from a different era and time. It seems all that remains of those people are just photographs or maybe brief explanations. So many of those names are lost in obscurity and the faces are mysterious. We really don’t know who they are.
First Chronicles 3 and 4 are part of the longest genealogy in the Bible. There is importance to it however. These are old names from far and long ago, and most of them are no more than black and white photos on scratchy tintype. These are people we know almost nothing about, yet there are things that stand out. There are three things that stand out in particular about people as you look at I Chronicles 3-4. As we read, we might ask ourselves, “For what am I known? For what will I be remembered?” In other words, what stands out in your life now and will make a difference in the future?
First Chronicles 3:1 says, “Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron.” Verse 5 says, “And these were born unto him in Jerusalem.” So, these names are obscure, but they are notable because these were sons of a king. One thing that stands out is into what family you were born. Verse 9 says, “These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines.” It is one thing to be the son of a king. It is another thing to be the son of a concubine. I imagine that some of these sons may have had a complex or felt like they were entitled depending on whether they were merely the son of David’s concubine or the son of one of David’s wives.
So, how you were born and where you came from may be what stands out in your life. You had no say over where or to whom you were born. Maybe you have been very blessed by your upbringing. Maybe you feel like you are at a disadvantage. This is something for which you may stand out.
Another thing that may stand out is what you do. I Chronicles 4:14 talks about people who were craftsmen. Verse 21 talks about those who worked with fine linen. Verse 23 talks about those who were potters. Verse 39 talks about those who sought pasture for their flocks. We are often known for what we do. In fact, our families are known for what they do. Names like Butcher, Baker, Carpenter, and so on were names that were vocational and entire families were know for a certain vocation. That is how people stood out and gained their name like Potter, Shoemaker, or Shepherd. I’ve met people who actually have the last name Cowboy. These are names that came from professions and perhaps that is how you stand out.
As C.H. Spurgeon said, “The sluggard may well be ashamed of his sloth, not the diligent man of his industry.” So, whatever you do, if you are honoring God by doing an honest day’s work, that is noble. It doesn’t have to be fancy; that is noble work, not to be sneered at.
The third thing by which we can be known and the one I would commend to you today is whom you ask. If any man stands out in these chapters, it would be Jabez in I Chronicles 4:9. It says, “And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow.” He had a rough beginning, a name that indicated the sorrow into which he was born, but verse 10 says, “And Jabez called on the God of Israel.” Then follows his prayer, and it ends by saying, “And God granted him that which he requested.”
So, to what family was Jabez born? That is part of what this section of Scripture is about. What did he do as far as vocation? There are those who have guesses about that. In I Chronicles 2:55 there were scribes at a place called Jabez. That may give us a hint, but we don’t really know. What we do know about him and why he stands out is whom he asked. You can’t change where you were born and what you do may change, but what is significant, not only to God but to the generations that follow, is whom you ask. Jabez was a man with a poor birth and obscure occupation, but he sought and asked God, and the result was that he got an answer from God.
You are not helpless. Though you cannot determine how you were born and maybe you can’t determine what you do, you are not helpless, nor should you be independent. There is a God in Heaven and though no one may remember your name in a thousand years, God knows you and will remember you. What matters most today and should stand out most is not how you were born or what you do, but whom you trust.