October 8, 2015
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E-Pistle
FreeWay Foundation October 8, 2015
mentors and role models
(I Samuel :1-22)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons, Joel and Abijah, to
judge Israel; these sons were evil, and the people asked Samuel to
appoint them a king like the other nations; this request displeased
Samuel, so he prayed to the Lord about the situation, vv. 1-6.
2. The Lord told Samuel to do what the people asked, because they
were not rejecting Samuel, but they were rejecting God's rule over
them; the Lord told Samuel to warn the people about the problems
of having a king, vv. 7-9.
3. Samuel warned the people that, under a king, their sons would be
conscripted into military service, their daughters would be forced to
become palace servants, heavy taxes would be levied upon their
property, and someday they would regret their demand for an earthly
king because God would not hear their cry for help, vv. 10-18.
4. The people ignored Samuel's warnings and insisted on having a king;
finally, the Lord told Samuel to heed their voice and appoint them a
king, vv. 19-22.
II. Meditation: on Samuel's sons, Joel and Abijah (vv. 3, 5)
1. They did not walk in Samuel's ways; they neither heard God's voice
nor obeyed His commands.
2. They cheated people in their business dealings: "turned aside after
dishonest gain."
3. They took bribes, which influenced their judicial decisions.
4. They perverted justice, oppressing the poor, needy, and helpless
people.
III. Revelation: on the striking similarity between Eli's sons and Samuel's sons
1. Samuel's role model was Eli, not his own father, Elkanah.
2. Both Eli and Samuel appointed their sons to leadership roles, but
failed to discipline them when they sinned.
3. Both Eli and Samuel were aware of the sins of their sons, but they
allowed them to remain in their positions as spiritual leaders.
4. In both cases, God made a change in the priestly leadership,
by-passing the unworthy sons.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to understand that . . .
1. Each person is a role model to someone else.
2. Each individual has a role model who influences his life.
3. "Absentee fathers", as a general rule, have "at-risk" children; this
is especially true within the families of ministers.
4. The influence of a mentor (or a role model) lies much deeper than
the conscious level; it resides within the heart.
I need to be careful WHO I choose as my role model, and I need
to be careful HOW I model my role.
jabez – "he will cause pain"
(I Chronicles 4:1-43)
Dr. Curt Scarborough
I. Concentration: on the family of this man named Jabez
1. This chapter lists the genealogy of the tribes of Judah and Simeon;
Jabez's name appears unattached in the Judah list, vv. 9-10.
2. The names of his father, mother, and brothers are not mentioned.
3. His mother named him Jabez, meaning "He will cause pain" . . .
perhaps because his was a very difficult, painful birth.
4. Because his lineage is kept secret, possibly the pain Jabez "caused"
was emotional: the shame and embarrassment of illegitimate birth.
II. Meditation: on the character of Jabez
1. His name indicates that his mother placed him under a curse when
he was born by giving him a prophetic name: "He will cause pain."
2. This cruelty exhibited by his mother may have damaged his self-esteem,
yet it also may have been a factor in his strong moral character.
3. According to v. 9, Jabez was "more honorable than his brothers."
4. This refers, not to his place in the family which was dishonorable, but
to his spiritual position . . . he "called on the God of Israel," v. 10.
III. Revelation: on the prayer of Jabez
1. He prayed for God to bless him indeed, including an enlarged territory
as his inheritance; as an illegitimate son, he likely would have received
little or no property from his father.
2. He prayed for God's presence and power to be with him.
3. He prayed that God would keep him from evil . . . asking for protection,
deliverance, and guidance, such as Jesus taught the disciples to request
in the Model Prayer, Matthew 6:13.
4. He prayed that he would not cause pain (not that he would not have or
experience pain) . . . asking that his life and influence would be a blessing
rather than a curse.
So God granted him what he requested!
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Understand that God is no respecter of persons.
2. Know that God hears those who sincerely call upon Him.
3. Pray for the Lord's providential care and provision, His presence and power,
and His protection, deliverance, and guidance.
4. Be assured that God not only desires to bless His people; He also desires
for us to be a blessing to others, I Peter 3:9.
Although the prayer of Jabez has much to commend it, Christians should not use it as
our model. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He did not point them to
Jabez's prayer (although, of course, He was familiar with I Chronicles 4:9-10). Rather, He gave
them Luke 11:1-4, which is a restatement of Matthew 6:9-13. Our prayers, for example, must
always include asking God for forgiveness and offering it to others.
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