Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
As you have watched marriages during your lifetime, have you found some of them seem to reflect really good teamwork, especially those marriages that have survived a long time? For my wife and me it’s been 53 years. But yesterday my wife showed me an article about a couple, age 103 and 101, who are celebrating 80 years of marriage! WOW! I don’t know how many years Nabal and Abigail were married but today let’s look at how their teamwork actually saved their lives! The story is found in 1 Samuel 25.
Perhaps you notice the first verse of 1 Samuel 25 tells us a very sad event was casting a dark cloud over the nation of Israel. The old and beloved prophet Samuel had died, leaving no specific prophet identified as the spokesman of God for king Saul or the people of Israel. As we’ve seen in recent chapters in the story of 1 Samuel, king Saul was a miserable failure as a leader and young David, though anointed by Samuel to someday be king, was continually on the lookout, for jealous Saul was seeking to kill David.
In his wanderings David was down in the extreme southern part of Israel and encountered a wealthy rancher named Nabal and his wife Abigail. This verse describes them: “She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings…” (1 Samuel 25:3) Wow, what an interesting description of this couple. I wonder what images come into your mind with those words about the character and personality of both of them. Does it remind you of anyone you know today?
David and his men were evidently a battalion of king Saul’s army, serving as the southern protective barrier for any marauding enemies who might terrorize the people of Israel in the south or even venture into the central Israel area seeking to kill Saul and conquer Israel. David was a man of God honoring character and made sure his men respected the property and possessions of all Israelites as they wandered the region giving protection.
David and his men were evidently content receiving food & water from those in the region, as they offered it, in their gratitude for their protection. Seeing the vast wealth of Mr. Nabal, David sent some of his trusted men to request some food from Nabal in appreciation for the protection they had rendered his vast herds and flocks which could easily have been stolen or killed by marauders in the recent past.
As today we read in 1 Samuel 25, sadly Mr. Nabal responded to David’s men with a sarcastic and offensive refusal which stirred up David to consider attacking and taking what he felt his men deserved. Word came to Nabal’s wise wife Abigail that David and 400 of his men were on the prowl and both Nabal’s vast herds and possibly Nabal himself were in danger due to Nabal’s ingratitude. Nabal’s servant who was informing Abigail had personally experienced the valuable protection of David’s men and he described it this way: “These men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. Night and day they were a wall of protection around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them…” (1 Samuel 25:14-16)
Reputation is a big deal isn’t it my friends? We frequently encounter people, both in the Bible and in real life where you and I are living today, who live in the shadow of the reputation they’ve built with their choices, attitudes, words and behavior. I wonder how often Abigail needed to intervene trying to make amends for the mess her husband Nabal created with his offensive words and behavior. Pause. What does that look like in your extended family, my friends, maybe even your marriage and mine?
As you see in 1 Samuel 25:18-22 Abigail acted quickly and wisely. She gathered up some food and urged the servant to lead her quickly to David before it might be too late and disaster may strike. As she approached David she apologized for her husband’s bad behavior. She thanked David and his men for their faithful protection of she and her husband, their flocks and workers. And she offered to David food which she had brought them. So, she also urged David to NOT take revenge on her foolish husband. Abigail then pronounced a prophetic blessing over David: “The LORD your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my Lord, because you fight the LORD’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you…” (1 Samuel 25:28-31)
David was stunned, amazed and greatly relieved! In fact, David responded with very significant words: “Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.” (1 Samuel 25:32-34) Pause. Have you ever been confronted by wisdom from someone who cared deeply about you and helped you avert a disaster? Young David recognized God at work in that defining moment, and he relented from his attack plan.
Amazingly, the record says Abigail, a few days later, confronted her husband with the truth of this experience and “his heart failed him, and he became like a stone.” (1 Samuel 25:37) I don’t know exactly what that means but it sounds to me like Nabal had a stroke which left him paralyzed and unable to speak, but still alive. Was this God’s way of giving Nabal time to silently reflect on his life? Then the record continues: “About 10 days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died.” (1 Samuel 25:38) Now that causes us to pause for some serious reflection as we consider how God views our attitudes and behavior!
This amazing story concludes with David, once hearing about the death of Nabal, inviting Nabal’s widow Abigail to come and join David’s family as his wife. You’ll remember we’ve seen the powerful truth of the Israel concept of “kinsman redeemer”, but this is David potentially rescuing Abigail from living any longer under the tyrannical domination of Nabal’s family and coming instead into David’s household as David’s wife.
It’s a remarkable and beautiful story, isn’t it my friends? It leaves us with much to think about, and some additional reflection notes are available at the “Grand Narrative” link just below, and as always, I’ve sought to find a wonderful worship song for us to close our time together today.
I hope you have a great weekend and worship of our Lord Jesus is an important part of your weekend, and I’ll be waiting here for you on Monday.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 25.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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