So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died. And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept His servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. (1 Sam. 25:35-39)
When Abigail approached David after Nabal disrespected David and his servants, she did so to protect her household from the reaction of David against Nabal. David heard her plea and stayed his hand against Nabal. When Nabal recovered from his drunken feast and Abigail told him all that had transpired his heart gave out and soon thereafter the LORD took his life. God had used Abigail to give David pause and protect those who were with him and the families and servants of David and Abigail from a hasty response in reaction to Nabal. After the events were all settled, David took Abigail for a wife, Saul having taken Michal and given her to another.
Abigail, being very much in fear for her household, took the bold step of approaching David directly. Nabal was not in any mind to see the folly, as his name is, of his actions, and David was feeling very dismissed and disrespected. Saul had continued to pursue him all over Israel, and now Nabal rejects him and his men as liars and thieves. David was prepared to go to battle over this slight and over his rights and the LORD moved Abigail to intervene, not only with gifts and sustenance as requested, but also with a plea not to blame all for Nabal’s discourteous words. Her words and actions soothed David and caused him to relax and allow God to work. God followed Nabal’s reaction to Abigail’s recounting of all that had transpired with the end of his life and David, seeing the hand of God in the end of Nabal, soon received Abigail as his wife in place of Michal, whom Saul had sent away from David to break the connection to himself.
When we are challenged or disrespect comes from others as a challenge to our position or actions, our first reaction is often to fight back. God warns us that vengeance is His and we should stay our hand and let Him fight our battles. While there may eventually come a time where action is required because of the actions of others, love and mercy are to be our first responses. The eye for an eye requirement is for governments in making the punishment commiserate with the crime and in equal measure, but the children of the LORD are to be gracious and kind one to another. When God moves His people to an action, we can be sure, if we have not already responded in the flesh, that His purposes are pure and perfect, and He will accomplish His will in protecting His ministries and the mission He has for the church to reach the lost with the Good News of His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, to teach all nations all that He has commanded, and to preach the Word, in season and out, until all have heard and He is done with us.
While we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
Abigail, being very much in fear for her household, took the bold step of approaching David directly. Nabal was not in any mind to see the folly, as his name is, of his actions, and David was feeling very dismissed and disrespected. Saul had continued to pursue him all over Israel, and now Nabal rejects him and his men as liars and thieves. David was prepared to go to battle over this slight and over his rights and the LORD moved Abigail to intervene, not only with gifts and sustenance as requested, but also with a plea not to blame all for Nabal’s discourteous words. Her words and actions soothed David and caused him to relax and allow God to work. God followed Nabal’s reaction to Abigail’s recounting of all that had transpired with the end of his life and David, seeing the hand of God in the end of Nabal, soon received Abigail as his wife in place of Michal, whom Saul had sent away from David to break the connection to himself.
When we are challenged or disrespect comes from others as a challenge to our position or actions, our first reaction is often to fight back. God warns us that vengeance is His and we should stay our hand and let Him fight our battles. While there may eventually come a time where action is required because of the actions of others, love and mercy are to be our first responses. The eye for an eye requirement is for governments in making the punishment commiserate with the crime and in equal measure, but the children of the LORD are to be gracious and kind one to another. When God moves His people to an action, we can be sure, if we have not already responded in the flesh, that His purposes are pure and perfect, and He will accomplish His will in protecting His ministries and the mission He has for the church to reach the lost with the Good News of His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary, to teach all nations all that He has commanded, and to preach the Word, in season and out, until all have heard and He is done with us.
While we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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