Heyyy! This is a new series that I will be starting this month.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 25 – David, Nabal and Abigail

Key concepts: Humility, Courage, Kindness, Integrity and Wisdom

• Questions: Where can we apply the characteristics of Abigail in our life? Where might we have a harden heart at like Nabal? How does David’s forgiveness and mercy demonstrate how we can extend it to others?

Background: There was a man named Nabal who was a Calebite, a descendant of Caleb, whom was very wealthy and owned many goats and sheep.

💡The history of Caleb was that he was noble and favored. Caleb was from the tribe of Judah and was one of the men that was sent by Moses to explore the promise land that had been occupied by Canaanites [Numbers 13:6]. When they came back all the men, despite Joshua and Caleb, fearfully reported how fruitful the land was BUT how powerful the city of people were too. Despite the Canaanites being more qualified, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones that still believed in the promise that God sent about how they will be given the land [Numbers 13:26-33].

💡 Years later when Joshua was in leadership and they were in the promise land, Joshua blessed Caleb with the land of Hebron as his inheritance for following God wholeheartedly [Joshua 14: 13-14].

So, Nabal had a wife named Abigail who was beautiful and wise, while Nabal was mean and surly with others. During this time David was in the wilderness still running for King Saul but he had previous dealings with Nabal. David and his men had kept Nabal’s Shepards safe and didn’t steal from them all the while they were in the wilderness. Due to history, David sent his men over to Nabal to request any food and drink that was left over from Nabal festivities but Nabal denies the men selfishly not wanting to share his harvest with them.

David’s men reported back to David and told him about Nabal’s rejection to help, so David prepared to go to war against him and all the men under him. Word gets back to Abigail by one of Nabal’s servants of her husbands harsh insults and defiant stubbornness, and the servant pleads with her to see what she could do for they said, “disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household”. Without telling her husband, Abigail quickly prepares food and drink to intervene the situation.

💡1 Corinthians 7:12-15 Paul writes, “To the rest I say this (I, not the LORD): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieveing wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.

💡 In Matthew 5:9 Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God”.

💡Matthew 5:23-25 Jesus commands, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; m then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. DO it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary my hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer., and you may be thrown into prison.”

💡Proverbs 31:1, “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.”

As she was making her way to make peace, she met David and quickly bowed at his feet, asking for forgiveness on the behalf of her husband’s mindlessness. She acknowledged God, David’s right standing with Him and reprimanded Nabal’s wicked actions. She gave them two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs (60 pounds) of roasted grains, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs.

David praise God for her, so that there would be no bloodshed for the LORD will avenge him and Abigail’s wisdom to make haste for peace. He accepted her offering and sent her back home. When she arrived home Nabal was throwing a banquet and was very drunk, completely oblivious to the situation at hand so she waited for the next day to tell him. When he heard about what happened her heart failed him and he died about ten days later.

Hearing of Nabal’s death David gave praise to God, for avenging against him Nabal for they way he treated him with contempt. He sent his servant for Abigail to be his wife, and Abigail humbly accepted the offer and quickly got moving on her donkey, servants and David’s messengers and then they were married. ( Mind you, 1 Samuel 16:12 let you know she got that upgrade! Amen? Amen!)

Abigail demonstrated courage by taking action to make peace for the whole household on the behalf of her husband. David had a powerful reputation of conquering during battle. It could have easily dissuade her to move towards him with the fear that his wrath for her husband may overtake him and as a result have her stolen or worse, killed.

Being that Nabal was described as mean and surly, she showed humility by still thinking of her husband’s well-being even though he put her and the whole household in danger. She is also wealthy through marriage but still when she sees David she bows before him with her face to the ground. She shows kindness by bringing David and his men the food and drink that he request for. She traveled towards him with a heart of generosity. She considered her servant instead of punishing them and turning them into Nabal.

She also showed wisdom by reconciling with David and recognize her husband’s merciless ways. In the end, David asked her to be her wife because of all her Godly character traits. I think of how this is also an example for God’s love for his daughters because though Abigail was sent back home, the LORD didn’t have her stay in the marriage of a cold hearted husband.

In reading this, it challenges me to considered how to be more like Abigail and seek kindness, wisdom and courage in the face of challenging situations. What did it teach you?

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