I hear that you have shearers. To Nabal, David represents a rebellious servant fleeing from his master and running a criminal protection racket.1 Nabal asks, Who is this David? And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant.. [5] She became known as one of the wives of David in the Old Testament, and she is the only woman in the book described as beautiful and intelligent, according to Jewish Women's Archive. ABIGAIL IN THE BIBLE - King James Bible Online Her early training, and the question respecting the sources whence she derived her wisdom and deep, far-sighted piety--apparently far in advance of her age--is discussed further on in the chapter. She begged forgiveness on behalf of her entire household, and God used that moment to show David how wrong it would be to take revenge in his own way and kill these innocent servants. All rights reserved worldwide. I hear that you have shearers. Similarly, Jesus provided an offering on our behalf so we could be forgiven: And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Abigail stands out for a number of reasons. Nabal treats David as we treat terrorists, refusing to negotiate, and David takes up the role, marching on his plantation to kill all the men. She is beautiful and intelligent, and her wisdom helps pave the way for David's kingship. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. Instead, his lack of understanding led him down a dangerous path! Obviously you learned this information from Bible school? In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. I have heard your words and granted(BB) your request.. And when the Lord has done to my lord according to all the good that he has spoken concerning you and has appointed you prince over Israel, my lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself. More Was just checking out your site and your book on Amazon. Nabal answered Davids servants, Who is this David? She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealingshe was a Calebite. And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. The Old Testament repeatedly uses this phrase to describe men who disregard Gods law, specifically in the context of egregious abuse, including the following: Beyond being an abusive drunk, the text describes Nabal as a greedy fool to whom his servants dont even defer for important business matters. Now this is a Bible study about Abigail, so we might be tempted to say, "Well, that's a little detail about Samuel; why does it matter?" But I think it's worth drilling down there a little bit. At the beginning of the story, Abigail is the wife of a wealthy man named Nabal who lived in a town called Maon in the wilderness of Paran, an area near the Sinai Peninsula. Abigail: An Ezer Ranch Wife Saves Her Household From Disaster (1 Samuel 25) Refusing to be hampered by patriarchal strictures, Abigail defied gender roles in order to keep a workplace dispute from escalating to murder and genocide. Instead of telling Nabal about Davids protection of Nabals flocks from banditry and wild animals, they tell Abigail, explaining that their master is such a wicked man [son of Belial] that no one can talk to him (1 Sam. If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living in the care of the Lord your God. And when the Lord has brought my master success, remember your servant.(1 Samuel 25:30-31). Nabals Dallas Jenkins Both men came out of Egypt with the Israelites through the Red Sea and into the wilderness. Rather than sending a mediator in her place, she courageously met David and foreshadowed Jesus by taking her husbands blame upon herself to save him and her entire household.7 As a peacemaker she employed the diplomatic skills women have used to persuade men for eons, convincing David that she was on his side.8. Abigail Defuses a Crisis Between David and Nabal (1 Samuel 25) Not only does this create stronger relationships, but it may also open the door for life-saving opportunities. Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! Yes, the account isnt PRIMARILY about Esther and her relationship to the king. God bless you! (Y) 19Then she told her servants, Go on ahead;(Z) Ill follow you. But she did not tell(AA) her husband Nabal. Jesus befriends and teaches the group of children who discover His camp on the outskirts of Capernaum. Abigail: 2. Knowing she had saved him from an inevitable disaster, David invited her to join the royal court as his bride a proposal she happily accepted! Now the name of the man [was] Nabal Which signifies a "fool"; one would think his parents should not give him this name, though it is a name proper enough to men in common; and Kimchi thinks this was a nickname, which men gave him agreeably to his genius and conduct, and which is not improbable: And with wisdom and discernment, she asked David for only one thing at the end of her plea, that when God brought him success, he would remember her. She is one of the few named wives of his. Samuel the prophet had just died, and David and his men had traveled down into the Desert of Maon. Davids band of six hundred men were on the run from a crazed King Saul and had become protectors to local shepherds. As God worked through Abigail and spared the lives of her entire household, she used timely wisdom in telling Nabal what had happened. The fact that she does not approach him that night speaks to her years of bitter experience with his drunkenness that taught her when to avoid her husband in her own home.3. Try it FREE. He is just like his namehis name means Fool, and folly goes with him. 3His name was Nabal and his wifes name was Abigail. You can read it in 1 Samuel 25. From the outside, Abigail has it all. Abigail powerfully showed her humility by humbling herself before David and asking him to forgive her husbands reaction to Davids request. She has unquestioned access and authority to marshal the necessary resources to stave off disaster. Nabal was a very wealthy man but is also described as "surly and mean in his dealings" ( 1 Samuel 25:3 ). The Bible describes Abigail as being an intelligent and beautiful woman,but sadly, her marriage was hard (1 Samuel 25:3). So Davids young men turned away and came back and told him all this. Ultimately, Abigail becomes David's third wife, as he is already married to Ahinoam of Jezreel and Michal, daughter of Saul (via Jewish Women's Archive), The pair have a child, Chileab also known as Daniel who becomes David's second son. When they arrived, they reported every word. Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; New Living Translation The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. Abigail had the courage and strength to shoulder the blame for something she didnt do. Come morning light, she revealed what had been done, and his heart became like stone ten days later, death came upon him by the wrath of God. Similarly, Jesus intercession on the cross defeated Satan. Answer Abigail was one of David's wives. animals and servants. how well, and honorably, the servants said David and his men protected the And David said to his men, Every man strap on his sword! And every man of them strapped on his sword. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. Reflection has its place, but sometimes quick action can make all the difference between life and death or missed opportunities and success. Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. Suddenly David is about to commit mass murder, while Nabal cares more about his pride than about his workers and family. Used by permission. 2. Abigail (I Samuel 25:1-44) | Bible.org Who Was Abigail In The Bible? - Rock Solid Faith Abigail fought to protect her husband and her house. At a time when dangers in the desert lurked all around, this was a huge blessing from David to Nabal and his family. This is They had protected them when the servants had cared for their sheep out in the desert, and they were faithful to never take anything from them. Abigail in the Bible, is an extraordinary woman of faith! First, Nabal, a wealthy yet uncouth man who stumbled into controversy when he declined Davids request for provisions near Carmel leading an outraged warrior on the brink of revenge! and who is the son of Jesse? Still, despite this setback in her family lineage, Abigail continued to act honorably and served as an inspirational prophetess throughout history. Pr 20:1; Ecc 10:17; Isa 5:11, 22; 22:13; 28:7; 56:12; Hos 4:11, Dt 32:35; 1Sa 24:12; 26:10; 2Sa 6:7; 12:15, NIV, Verse Mapping Bible, Comfort Print: Find Connections in Scripture Using a Unique 5-Step Process, NIV, Thinline Bible/Journal Pack, Large Print, Leathersoft, Turquoise, Comfort Print, NIV, The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People, NIV, Beautiful Word Bible Journal, Revelation, Paperback, Comfort Print, NIV, Story of Jesus: Experience the Life of Jesus as One Seamless Story. Abigails wisdom was vital in avoiding an all-out battle between David and her husband, Nabal. Abigail: Living with the Difficult People in Your Life, Abigails Story: Biblical Wisdom from a Woman of Strength and Faith. only going to kill Nabal, but all his men too. She had obviously heard of Davids storiesthat Saul had pursued his life, that David had used a sling to kill a giantand spoke in such a way to bring him back to Gods bigger picture. . She used this knowledge to help facilitate an effective conversation and ultimately persuade David. She knows that time is of the essence and uses her wit to prevent David from fulfilling his destructive promise. She foresaw that God would build him an enduring dynasty and concluded with a simple request to secure it: And when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your servant. (2 Sam 25:31). Please give your servants and your son David whatever(L) you can find for them.. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it, that is the cross. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?" No matter how difficult or threatening the situation, Gods power within us is greater than we can ever fully see or comprehend. Abigail: An Ezer Ranch Wife Saves Her Household | Theology of Work He did not leave her on her own but gave her great favor in the sight of David. Abigail and Joshua the Brave | davesandel 25:22 Everett Fox).2 To David, Nabal represents a wealthy potential patron who could care for him and his men. And the Bible says, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. ABIGAIL IN THE BIBLE - King James Bible Online Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. Abigail in the Bible taught us an important life lesson even when its not your fault, sometimes humility is the best course of action. I reread the account through that lens and found many of the types. 3 What can we learn from her story? There is also no information about her final years and death. In fact, this chapter is sandwiched between two chapters of David being tempted to kill Saul, Gods anointed, and his own violent streak scared him.5 But now, faced with a rich, established man who was not anointed by God, David had no misgivings about violence. Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is David? As Birch says, If David was quick to take action for violence, Abigail matches his decisiveness in the effort to avoid violence.6 Taking executive action, she quickly loads donkeys with a feast of supplies for Davids men. Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. In verse 23, when she notices Davids approach, the Bible records that Abigail wasted no time hopping off her donkey and bowing down in reverence.