May the mumbling commence!
Abigail is a wonderful example of a
peacemaker. Around her, we have two
stubborn men who refuse to understand each other. Both David and Nabal are too busy talking to
take time to listen. It is far easier to
come to blows than do the hard work of communicating.
Thank God for Abigail. She is beautiful to the very core of her
being. Read how she intercedes between
Nabal and David from First Samuel chapter twenty-five:
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. She fell
at his feet and said, "I
accept all blame in this matter, my lord. Please listen to
what I have to say. 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 messengers you sent.
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 be as cursed as Nabal is. And here is a
present I have brought to you and your young men. Please forgive me if I have offended 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.
Even when you are
chased by those who seek your life, you are 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! When the Lord
has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, don't let this be a
blemish on your record.
Then you won't have to carry on your conscience the staggering burden of
needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you,
please
remember me!"
David replied to Abigail, "Praise
the Lord, the God of Israel, who
has sent you to meet me today! Thank God
for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murdering the man and carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 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 be alive
tomorrow morning."
Then David accepted her gifts and told her, "Return home in peace. We will not kill your
husband." (Verses 23-35)
When the pride of a person has been
wounded, it is best err on the side of the deepest respect possible. Abigail bowed low before David. When someone has been wronged, Abigail did
not slough off the blame to another more guilty – her husband, Nabal. She accepted her part of the blame… and more.
And Abigail’s clear head reminded
David of the prerogative of the Lord for judgment – something David recognized
in his conflict with King Saul. David
did not remember the Lord alone takes vengeance. Abigail reminded him. Thank God.
Abigail also reminded David that
the Lord kept him secure in His treasure pouch.
How’s that for an image! We are
secure from all lasting harm in God’s treasure pouch. David did not need to defend his honor. David’s honor was safe in the Lord’s keeping.
And David recognized the good sense
of Abigail. David knew that she turned the
tide of male pride and violence. Praise
God! May we learn to understand our
possessions, unlike Nabal, as our brothers and sisters in the early church did…
sharing to those who have need. Read
from Acts chapter four:
All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they
felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they
had. And the apostles gave powerful
witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great favor was upon
them all. There was no poverty among
them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the
money to the apostles to give to others in need. (Verses 32-35)
May it be so in our midst!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
No comments:
Post a Comment