4-28-23

Abigail-Beauty and Brains

In 1 Sam 25 we learn that while David was out in the desert with about 400 of his men, he encountered some shepherds with their sheep. David heard that they belong to a very wealthy man named Nabel.  Nabel brought the sheep in for shearing and David sent his men to ask him if they could share some of the food and drink they would be enjoying during the shearing.

1 Sam 25:7 “‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. 8 Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore, be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’”

Well, Nabel was a mean, surley man that no one liked. His answer to David was basically, I don’t know you, I am not sharing.  Of course, this angered David, who then told his men to pick up their swords because they were going to address this brutish man. 

Nabel’s wife, Abigail, was described as intelligent and beautiful. When she heard how disrespectful her husband was to David, she got together a feast for David and all his men. She set out and met them long before they got to Nabel. She knew that she would need to impress David to calm him down or her husband and children would be in mortal danger.

David was happy. He was also impressed with Abigail.

When Abigail returned home, Nabel was very drunk so she waited until the next day to tell him of her dealings with David.

7 Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.”

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. 40 His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.”

 Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.

Don’t you just love a happy ending? David seems to have lots of them. God was ALWAYS working in his life. I think this story just shows how even somewhat unimportant things worked out for David as part of God’s plan.

He’s always working in our lives too. Thank you Lord, for being the God of details and always wanting the best for our lives. Amen.

Shirlene Peterson