TCN's Biblical Journey March 14th

Today's Reading is 1 Samuel 25-29

Have you ever been cheated? In David’s day, men would help guard herds and shepherds for their owners. The common practice was to share something with those who had helped guard your property. David and his men though didn’t plunder any Nabal’s goods nor, as it would appear to allow anyone else. Nabal’s servants point out that since David and his men were there they hadn’t lost anything. Yet, at the time of the festival, a time of generosity, Nabal was greedy.  Nabal used the division between David and Saul as an excuse to keep from sharing anything with David and his men even though they had earned it.

David began to do what most of us want to do: take vengeance. It is clear he seems to have forgotten God’s word’s in Deuteronomy 32: 35a,36a, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay... The LORD will vindicate his people.” David acted in the heat of the moment in anger. His son Solomon would later write, Proverbs 14:29 (NIV) Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.  David was heading for great folly and an action which would never have been forgotten. Thankfully for David and for the people of Nabal’s family there was a woman with wisdom.  

Abigail was stuck in a bad marriage, she was a good looking and intelligent woman stuck with a man who was mean and bad-tempered. She did what was needed to turn David away from his anger and save her household. She knew one day God would deal with her husband but did not want David to hold the guilt of having killed him in anger.

David saw later that God did deal with Nabal. Could it be that in remembering this encounter David wrote Psalms 37:8 “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.” 

For Abigail, she was vindicated by God and made the wife of a king. She had no promise that any of this would happen, but she trusted God and did what was right. She placed herself in harm's way and shown as a beacon of light to those around her. 

Photo by Peter Forster on Unsplash