GENEALOGY WAS important to the Israelites. It was the basis for determining who was eligible to serve in the Temple and who was worthy to sit on the throne.

This week, we study the descendants of David, emphasizing his role as the progenitor of the kings of Judah, and then the tribes of Judah, Simeon, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh that lived east of the Jordan River.

In the middle of the list of the Judahites, we find an anecdote about Jabez, two verses that were made famous by the David Wilkerson book, The Prayer of Jabez. We discuss the prayer itself and how it’s been misapplied by some.

As with the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer of Jabez is not a formula that obligates God to respond in the way we want. That’s dangerously close to “magic.” Rather, it’s a template—an example of how we should pray, not a script of what we should say.

JOIN US IN ISRAEL! The Gilberts will be in the Holy Land March 19-30, 2023. This is a tour like no other! We’ll visit Shiloh, Joshua’s altar, Gilgal Refaim, and more. For information and to reserve your place, log on to www.gilberthouse.org/travel.