Last week, we began looking at a story found within the genealogies of 1 Chronicles. It is a powerful little two-verse story tucked away in the fourth chapter of the book about a man named Jabez.

As far as we can tell, Jabez lived in southern Israel after the conquest of Canaan and during the time of the judges. He was born into the tribe of Judah and eventually became the notable head of a clan. Yet his story really begins with his name:

“…and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.” (1 Chronicles 4:9)