Abigail Intercedes for Nabal
The Story of a Peacemaker (Part 2)
1 Samuel 25:23-44 NLT
(reread 1 Samuel 25:1-22)
1 Samuel 25:1-22 NLT
The Death of Samuel
25:1 Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah.
Nabal Angers David
Then David moved down to the wilderness of Maon. 2 There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. 3 This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.
4 When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 5 he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: 6 “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! 7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. 8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” 9 David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply.
10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. 11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”
12 So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. 13 “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their equipment.
14 Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went to Abigail and told her, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. 15 These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. 16 In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. 17 You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”
18 Abigail wasted no time. She quickly gathered 200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes. She packed them on donkeys 19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
20 As she was riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, she saw David and his men coming toward her. 21 David had just been saying, “A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
Abigail Intercedes for Nabal
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. 24 She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say. 25 I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests. But I never even saw the young men you sent.
26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is. 27 And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men. 28 Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
29 “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! 30 When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, 31 don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”
32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” 35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
36 When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king. He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. 37 In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone. 38 About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.
David Marries Abigail
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.” Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife.
40 When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”
41 She bowed low to the ground and responded, “I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!” 42 Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David’s messengers. And so she became his wife. 43 David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, making both of them his wives. 44 Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.
Examine the Scriptures
David and Nabal
1 Samuel 25:23-44 NLT
- Abigail Intercedes for Nabal.
One of Nabal’s servants had gone to Abigail asking her to intercede for Nabal.
The servant told Abigail that she needed to know what has happened between David and Nabal and figure out what to do, for there would be trouble for Nabal and his whole family. The servant told Abaigail that Nabal is so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”
23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him.
It took a great deal of courage, boldness, and wisdom for Abigail to take her life into her hands to do what she was doing.
24 She fell at his feet and said,
As soon as Abigail met up with David, she treated him with respect.
“I accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to what I have to say.
Abigail was accepting the blame for something she had not done.
- Abigail displayed qualities of courage, boldness, wisdom, respect, and humility.
25 I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him.
Proverbs 4:19 NLT
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
Luke 23:34
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
He is a fool, just as his name suggests.
Abigail called her husband a fool.
Abigail response may have appeared to be the actions of a disloyal spouse, but in reality her actions prevented the senseless murder of her husband and all of the (innocent) men of his household.
- In a roundabout way Abigail was protecting her husband.
But I never even saw the young men you sent.
Abigail may have acted sooner if she had been aware of what was happening.
26 “Now, my lord, as surely as the Lord lives and you yourself live, since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands, let all your enemies and those who try to harm you be as cursed as Nabal is.
“since the Lord has kept you from murdering and taking vengeance into your own hands,”
- It appears that Abigail knew that the Lord was using her to prevent David from doing something foolish.
At this point in time David was, in fact, on his way to kill Nabal and his men.
In David’s mind, the Lord had not “kept him from murdering and taking vengeance into his own hands”.
- It appears that Abigail understood the sovereignty of the Lord.
- Abigail knew that vengeance should come from the Lord. (More about this later in the lesson.)
Note: Don’t miss the fact that the Lord is using Abigail in amazing ways.
The Lord really is making Abigail the hero of this story.
- God uses common, ordinary, everyday people to change the course of history.
27 And here is a present that I, your servant, have brought to you and your young men.
Verse 18
200 loaves of bread, two wineskins full of wine, five sheep that had been slaughtered, nearly a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 fig cakes.
28 Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way.
- Abigail had good people skills.
The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles.
Earlier in this chapter, Nabal acted as if he did not know who David was.
10 “Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is?
Abigail:
Abigail believed that David would become the King of Israel
Abigail stated:
you are fighting the Lord’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
Abigail would have known about David’s victories over the Philistines.
- Abigail knew some of David’s history.
Husband and wife had two totally different understandings as to who David was.
And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life.
- David had a good “track record” with most of the people of Israel.
1 Samuel 18:5-7 NLT
5 Whatever Saul asked David to do, David did it successfully. So Saul made him a commander over the men of war, an appointment that was welcomed by the people and Saul’s officers alike.
6 When the victorious Israelite army was returning home after David had killed the Philistine, women from all the towns of Israel came out to meet King Saul. They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals.[a] 7 This was their song:
“Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands!”
29 “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in his treasure pouch!
God cares for His own as a man would care for his valuable treasure.
But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!
God flings our enemies away like a stone in a sling.
David and Goliath?
- Abigail had good spiritual insights.
30 When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel,
Abigail was certain that God would make David the leader of Israel.
31 don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance.
Don’t blemish your record by the needless bloodshed of Nabal and the men of his household.
Romans 12:19 NLT
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
Ezekiel 25:17 NLT
17 I will execute terrible vengeance against them to punish them for what they have done. And when I have inflicted my revenge, they will know that I am the Lord.”
Hebrews 10:30 NLT
30 For we know the one who said,
“I will take revenge.
I will pay them back.”
He also said,
“The Lord will judge his own people.”
Matthew 5:38-39 NLT
Teaching about Revenge
38 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.
- The needless bloodshed of Nabal and the men of his household would have been a blemish on David’s record.
And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”
32 David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.”
- David realized that the lord, the God of Israel had sent Abigail to intervene in this matter. Here again we see the sovereignty of God at work.
35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
- David accepted the food Abigail had brought as well as following her advice.
David broke the vow he made in verse 22.
Deuteronomy 23:21-23 NLT
21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin. 22 However, it is not a sin to refrain from making a vow. 23 But once you have voluntarily made a vow, be careful to fulfill your promise to the Lord your God.
Leviticus 5:4-6 NLT
4 “Or suppose you make a foolish vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or for bad. When you realize its foolishness, you must admit your guilt.
5 “When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin. 6 Then you must bring to the Lord as the penalty for your sin a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 5:5
5 It is better to say nothing than to make a promise and not keep it. (NLT)
5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it. (NIV)
36 When Abigail arrived home, she found that Nabal was throwing a big party and was celebrating like a king.
Nabal was not a king.
He was very drunk, so she didn’t tell him anything about her meeting with David until dawn the next day. 37 In the morning when Nabal was sober, his wife told him what had happened. As a result he had a stroke, and he lay paralyzed on his bed like a stone.
Abigail’s words to Nabal had a devastating effect.
38 About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died.
39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise the Lord, who has avenged the insult I received from Nabal and has kept me from doing it myself. Nabal has received the punishment for his sin.”
- Nabal’s death was God’s punishment for his sin. David was not responsible for a “vengeful murder”.
David Marries Abigail
Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife.
David lost no time in asking Abigail to become his wife.
Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. (v.3)
40 When the messengers arrived at Carmel, they told Abigail, “David has sent us to take you back to marry him.”
41 She bowed low to the ground and responded, “I, your servant, would be happy to marry David. I would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants!” 42 Quickly getting ready, she took along five of her servant girls as attendants, mounted her donkey, and went with David’s messengers. And so she became his wife.
- David asks Abigail to become his wife.
43 David also married Ahinoam from Jezreel, making both of them his wives.
Ahinoam was also the name of Saul’s wife.
44 Saul, meanwhile, had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to a man from Gallim named Palti son of Laish.
David most likely had not seen Michal since she had helped him escape from Saul (chapter 19).
After Saul died in a battle against the Philistines, David demanded Michal back as his wife as a condition of his becoming king of Judah. His condition was met (2 Samuel 3:13–16).
FYI
According to the Bible, King David had eight wives. The names of his wives are mentioned in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles. Here are the names of his wives:
- Michal
- Abigail
- Ahinoam
- Maacah
- Haggith
- Abital
- Eglah
- Bathsheba
2 Samuel 5:13 NLT
13 After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters.
1 Chronicles 3:9 NLT
9 These were the sons of David, not including his sons born to his concubines.
Food for thought:
Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT
17 The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord.
