You might recognize today’s blog title from a Grateful Dead song. Clearly, the woman in this episode in the life of David is smarter than her husband and the man destined to be king of Israel.
If David’s story were a TV series, last week’s episode would have ended with him strapping on his sword and gathering 400 men to head to Carmel. They planned to take food from Nabal, who had refused to show any kindness. David’s troops had protected Nabal’s shepherds, and Nabal had plenty to share, but he was stingy.
After watching several commercials, we would then catch today’s episode of David meeting Nabal’s wise wife, Abigail. She was generous, unlike her stingy husband. She was willing to ride alone into a group of 400 armed men to turn away the anger of David.
Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves, two skins of wine, five sheep ready dressed, five measures of parched grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs.
She loaded them on donkeys and said to her young men, “Go on ahead of me; I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
As she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them (1 Samuel 25:18-20).
Earlier, David asked Ahimelech the priest for five loaves of bread or whatever he could find. Now, Abigail gives him two hundred loaves of bread and an impressive list of food for David and his men.
There is a big difference between Abigail and her husband. To Nabal, David is just a servant. But to Abigail, he is a master. Nabal is so wicked that no one can talk to him. Despite this, Abigail asks for a chance to speak to David.
When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from the donkey and fell before David on her face, bowing to the ground.
She fell at his feet and said, “Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt; please let your servant speak in your ears and hear the words of your servant.
My lord, do not take seriously this ill-natured fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him, but I, your servant, did not see the young men of my lord, whom you sent” (1 Samuel 25:23-25).
In the Old Testament, the term “fool” doesn’t mainly refer to someone who is stupid, ignorant, or even naive. Instead, it describes someone who is morally lacking.
For fools speak folly,
and their minds plot iniquity:
to practice ungodliness,
to utter error concerning the Lord,
to leave the craving of the hungry unsatisfied,
and to deprive the thirsty of drink. (Isaiah 32:6)
The name Nabal means fool in Hebrew, and it fits him well. He acts just like Isaiah describes a fool. He had the chance to be kind to someone who helped him before, but he chose not to.
Abigail’s Wisdom – David’s Foolishness
David was acting foolishly, planning to take the Lord’s vengeance into his own hands by executing Nabal and his household. God used Abigail’s reasoning to turn him away and prevent him from shedding innocent blood.
“Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, since the Lord has restrained you from bloodguilt and from taking vengeance with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be like Nabal.
Please forgive the trespass of your servant, for the Lord will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live” (1 Samuel 25:26 and 28).
Although David was on his way to destroy Nabal’s household, Abigail’s repeated mention of Yahweh might have reminded him of the spiritual aspect of his mission. He sees Abigail as the Lord’s messenger and admires her good judgment.
Reflections
In our videos, Rudy Ross explains that there are various ways to hear from God. Sometimes, God speaks through a dream or an intuitive feeling. Other times, He communicates through someone else.
This time, God’s messenger was Abigail, who later married David. We’ll study how Abigail became David’s wife in tomorrow’s lesson.
Today, let’s focus on the idea that God is always communicating with us. He doesn’t want to be a silent partner in our lives, only listening to us without speaking back. Let’s seek out God’s voice in different ways through dreams, intuitive feelings, Bible readings, or wise advice from someone God sends our way.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 