1 Samuel 25
“Now David had said: Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.”
(I Samuel 25:21-22 NKJV)
In the wilderness of Paran, where David fled after Samuel died, roving bands of robbers were very common. And so it is not out of place for groups of men to protect the life and property of wilderness dwellers in return for gifts. It was against this background, that David had sent a request through his men to Nabal to give them whatever is laid upon his heart to give. David was not asking for a handout. He and his men had been protecting Nabal’s work force. Unfortunately, Nabal instead of appreciation, sent an insulting response back to David, thereby provoking an impassioned desire in David to take immediate vegeance on him. Nabal was very rich and in a way, we can attribute part of Nabal’s prosperity to David’s vigilante services, and he could have easily afforded to meet David’s request, instead he rudely refused.
However, God preserved David from shedding innocent blood through the swift and wise intervention of Abigail, the wife of Nabal.
David heeded her advice and honoured her by stating that she had been sent by the Lord to keep him from sin.(vs 32-34)
ABIGAIL
I guess it’s safe to say that some men don’t deserve their wives
Nabal probably got more than he deserved in Abigail- a woman scriptures described as beautiful in appearance and of good understanding (vs 3).Nabal must have taken all these for granted, as he is described as harsh and evil in his doings.
Notwithstanding, the low value her husband placed on her, Abigail made the most of her “skills and opportunities”.
She was an effective counselor. She prevented the two men in her life(so to speak) from making rash moves. By her swift action and skilful negotiation, she kept David from taking vengeance upon Nabal.
She saw past herself, choosing to see the whole picture and leave room for God to get involved (verses 26,28,30,31)
A key lesson from the life of Abigail is for us to always choose to see the whole picture in any situation, rather than the crisis on ground. We must endeavor to use the skills or resources at our disposal to promote peace at all times.
In addition to this, being loyal should not blind us to the truth. Loyalty to Nabal her husband, did not prevent Abigail from seeing the error of his ways. She acted responsibly and it was only at an appropriate time that she told him all she had done, willing to accept any possible consequences.(verses 36-37)
Abigail’s life teaches that even life’s tough situations can bring out the best in people. And one does not necessarily need a prestigious title to play a significant role.
