Life of David – Post 10 – Scripture Supply

“David, tempering our temper”

1 Samuel 25:1-22

Vs. 1-13 I’ve had all I can stand.

Vs. 14-22 The work of Joy in dealing with a fool

Intro.

The Bible does not write puff pieces concerning those people who grace its pages. There are no perfect people recorded in the Bible, and there are no perfect people in this church. What the Bible does record is God’s perfection and His greatness, which is made most visible in His ability to transform that, which is so visibly flawed. Even more amazing to me as I consider this truth is that God’s greatness and confidence in His ability to perfect the imperfect is seen in the fact that He uses that which is still flawed as an instrument to help perfect others. It is like a master painter painting the Mona Lisa with a stick found in the forest. Paul spoke of such truth in 1 Cor. 10:11, saying, “All these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Simply put, God uses our failures and frailties as lessons to teach others, as He did with those who again grace the pages of scripture.

The chapter before us is another such lesson for those of us who scum so often to our tempers and are so prone to try and take things into our own hands. I’m so easily provoked to let my anger rule my life, and as I look at this passage, I come to some startling truths, both about the root of my lashing out at others as well as the keys to tempering my temper.

Vs. 1-13 I’ve had all I can stand.

Vs. 1 simply records the death of a great man, Samuel, who was the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. He is perhaps one of the least appreciated of God’s servants, but a quick look at this life reveals some very interesting points:

Dedicated to God from birth
Faithful to God while serving under an apostate judge, “Eli.”
Faithful to God while serving a backslidden nation that didn’t want God to rule them but rather a man.
Went through the disappointment of his children not walking with God as well as the nation’s choice for king being self-serving.

Yet there are several verses that speak to the heart of Samuel no matter what he faced:

1 Sam. 12: 20-23 “Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things, which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing. For the LORD will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you His people. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.”

Ps. 99:6 “Moses and Aaron were among His priests, and Samuel was among those who called upon His name; they called upon the LORD, and He answered them.”
Jer. 15:1 “Then the LORD said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward these people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.”

It appears based upon these scriptures that Samuel was a great man of prayer, a real intercessor on behalf of those people he was called to serve, even if they did not call on the Lord he did on their behalf. Another indication of the type of man he was is found in two statements found in this verse, and would it be that they could be said of us upon our graduation into the Lord’s presence?

“The Israelites gathered together and lamented for him.” Both here as well as 1 Sam 28:3 state that “all of Israel” mourned his loss. It is also worthy of note that Saul, who had not seen Samuel for 7+ years, still will seek him out after his death by way of the “medium at EnDor” for his council. What’s my point? Simply put, these people may have feared Samuel, but they respected his heart towards the Lord even if they did not choose themselves to head God’s word through him.
“Buried him at his home in Ramah”: Though the nation, Saul, and others highly honored Samuel, the location of his burial suggests that he had not read his own press clippings. In 1 Sam 15:12, we are told that Saul “set up a monument for himself,” but not so Samuel.

Putting these two thoughts together indicates what kind of servant Samuel was: “He was a man who brought people before God and never thought much of himself, and all knew him that way!” We are not sure if David attended his mentor’s funeral, and it is believed that he did not because he understood that Saul would most likely become more aggressive now that the nation’s conscience had departed. At any rate, we are told that David traveled far away all the way down to the Sinai.

Vs. 2-3 As we consider the elements that will lead to David losing the battle over his temper, I believe that it is important to recognize that this was perhaps a buildup. I think as we see the context of the passage, namely David being chased by Saul and his 3,000 men and his staying his hand from killing Saul, then the death of his mentor and friend Samuel, we can see that David was perhaps at wits end. I say this not to justify David’s actions but rather to identify the times in my life that I need to be aware that I’m ready to blow. In the words of that great prophet, “Popeye,” “It’s all I can stand, and I can’t stand any more!”

Now we are told three things about this fellow that is going to push David’s buttons:

Position: He “was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.” Nabal was not the kind of fellow who didn’t have much money; he was very rich, and David, well, he was a fugitive just trying to get by. You have the classic haves and have-nots!
Person: Nabal’s name means “fool,” and I’m of the persuasion that this was not what his mother or father named him but rather over the years that his personality dictated his nickname.
Personality: “The man was harsh and evil in his doings. And he was in Caleb’s house.” The word “harsh” in the Hebrew means cruel and hard, and “evil” means bad and hurtful. There you have the personality of Nabal: “cruel, hard, bad, and hurtful.” Furthermore, we are told that it was from the house of Caleb; now Caleb, his relative, was a great man who, along with Joshua, was one of the only two spies who gave a good report of the promised land.

The land where Nabal was now living was the very area in which Joshua had awarded Caleb from the Lord. Ah, but there is an interesting point that is made by the name Caleb, as it means “doggish.” Doggish or snappy—you get the picture now of Nabal—he was a fellow who got off on pushing people’s buttons and, as such, made his home in the “dog house.” He had power and wealth, a good family name, and his descendants settled the land.

Why, he even has a beautiful wife, whom we are told had the exact opposite characteristics. Abigail’s name is made up of two words: “Aba,” or father, and “Gail,” or joy, and so her character was the Father’s joy. She was intelligent and beautiful, and based upon her humbleness, she had the trifecta of qualities that any fellow would be looking for.

Yet we must wonder what she ever saw in old Nabal that made her want to marry the fellow? Clearly she did not think much of him, as verses 19 and 25 indicate that she didn’t tell him what she was up to, and then in verse 25 she says that he is living up to his name and is a scoundrel, or, as King James puts it, “Belial,” “son of the devil.” It is believed by most that this was an arranged marriage by her parents, who saw his wealth and not his heart. I’m afraid that far too many people have made choices about who they would marry based upon evaluating the wrong type of wealth. The wrong type of wealth? You bet, you see a person can be wealthy in four different ways:

Wealthy in what you have: Possession
Wealthy in what you do: Talent
Wealthy in what you know: knowledge
Wealthy in what you are: Character

Oh dear Christian, don’t settle upon the wealth that will pass away but rather one that will only improve with time. Proverbs 31:30 reminds us that “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”

Vs. 4-9 Here we have recorded for us the situation that led to David flying off the handle:

Vs. 4 David had waited until the shearing of sheep. The shearing of sheep was always a great time of celebration, and David, having spent his youth being a shepherd, knew it well. It was a time when the ranchers would get together, thanking God for His protection and provision. There would be great feasting and even the giving of gifts to the less fortunate. So David waited until this time to approach Nabal for a gift for the services he provided according to verse 7, as well as Nabal’s servants in verses 15-16, who were quite exceptional. David had the right heart in doing what he and his men had been doing, but he still had 600 men to take care of, and they were fugitives.
Vs. 5-6 David sent only 10 young men with verbal blessings to Nabal and his house: Had David himself come or several hundred, it would have been seen as a strong army, and David wanted Nabal to give not as an act of compulsion but from a right heart.
Vs. 7-8a David sent his ten men with an itemized list of services rendered and with recommendations from Nabal’s own men. In other words, David was not asking Nabal to take his word for it but rather to ask his own men if they had not been blessed by David and his men’s protection, setting up a wall around them (verse 16).
Vs. 8b David was just asking to join the party celebrating the Lord’s blessing. “You’re being blessed by more sheep to shear because of our service. Can we come in for some refreshment as well?”
Vs. 8c-9 Finally, David made no specific demands as to Nabal’s generosity, just whatever Nabal thought was worthy. They were also willing to wait until Nabal made the determination of what he wanted to give.

It is clear from this that David had the right heart in all that he had done in serving Nabal’s men as well as his herds. But something was about to change, as clearly what David had thought was normal protocol was about to be slammed in his face.

Vs. 10-11 Here we are given Nabal’s threefold response, which was clearly designed to push David’s buttons:

Vs. 10a: “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?” It is clear that Nabal knew who David was, as he calls him the son of Jesse. So what these words are is a snub, saying you’re a nobody. “I don’t care if you married into the king’s family, killed a giant, saved a city, or made me money.”
Vs. 10b “There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.” Nabal just calls David a runaway slave, and he ought to be treated no better than that.
Vs. 11 Seven times Nabal refers to what God had blessed him with as mine by using the words “I, my.” As far as Nabal was concerned, all he had received was because of his own work, not the Lords or David’s.

Vs. 12-13 David reacts exactly as Nabal wanted him, greatly insulted, and he snaps angrily. I can only imagine David hearing that the ten young men were returning but noticing that they had received no provisions. Perhaps he thought, “Well, how nice they are inviting all 600 hundred of us to the party!”

Then to hear the report of Nabal’s words, David’s response is quite predictable. “Every man strap on your sword!” or, as we all would say in Montana, “Lock and load.” Man, can I ever relate to David’s reaction, can’t you? One minute we are in the spirit of man just trusting the Lord doing things in God’s power, not our own, and some “old fool” just comes right out and pushes my buttons.

He instructs his men, 200 staying with the supplies and 400 going out to take out Nabal. I have read this passage all week long and wondered why I’m so easily brought to this place by “Old Fools.”.

Think of this a minute. Christian, David wasn’t going out after the Philistines; he wasn’t delivering a city, and he wasn’t even defending himself against Saul. No, he was going to go out and kill a fool without thinking about how foolish he would look doing so. Can you just see those 400 hundred commandos in full camos, asking what mission we are on? All of David’s restraint was gone, and at the words of a fool, I tell you I can see me in David’s reaction. Last week we saw David pass the test of opportunity, but here we see him fail at the test of temptation, and it shows a valuable lesson: “The men God uses are at best men.” Where does such anger come from? Well, it seems to me that David felt he deserved better, and his ego was bruised, as it was one thing to take this from a king and a far other to take it from a spoiled little rich boy!

Vs. 14-22 The work of Joy in dealing with a fool

Vs. 14-17 The words of Nabal’s servants to Abigail confirm what David sent his men to say to Nabal, and apparently they were there during Nabal’s tirade, as they said he reviled them. In the N.I.V., the word is rendered “hurl insults,” and in the Hebrew, it is “to swoop down” and is used to describe a bird of prey “swooping down” upon a rodent.

These servants of Nabal tell Abigail that David sent his men with gracious words, and the “Old Fool” just swooped down insults upon them. Furthermore, his insults were not deserving, as the servants say that David and his men acted well towards them, never hurting them, as well as taking nothing from them and traveling along with being our protection day and night.

These servants are at wits end as to what to do, as they could see that David’s men were going to report back Nabal’s words, and this was going to mean harm against them, and furthermore, they could not even talk with Nabal because he was such a “worthless man.” Prov. 17:12 says, “Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.”

Vs. 18-20 Here in Abigail’s actions, I see four ways in which she dealt with David’s anger, and indeed, it is the same way in which we can deal with our own temper.

Vs. 18a, “Abigail made haste”: She wasted no time and dealt with the situation quickly. Most of the time our anger is a buildup, and the Holy Spirit would deal with our anger quickly rather than waiting until it overwhelms.
Vs. 18b “took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys.” Several things come to mind in her actions:

She had a ready blessing: Jesus spoke of us blessing those who curse us, and at Abigail’s disposal were 200 loaves of bread and five sheep ready for roasting. Simply put, it was prepared to be a blessing, and I think that goes a long way to stave off our temper.
She was willing to give up what rightly belonged to another. There was no hindrance in giving ground up to what belonged to another. Here is how this works in our hearts: admit your own wrongs, own your own stuff, and deal with what you have done wrong.

Vs. 19-20a Here I see that Abigail didn’t heed the flesh’s demands but instead operated in the Spirit’s power. I can so often see my temper flare up when I stand up for my rights instead of following the Holy Spirit’s lead and not consulting or feeding my foolish flesh.
Vs. 20b “There were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them.” Finally, she met anger head-on and did not avoid it. Hey Christian, we have to deal with our tempers head on not giving our flesh any wiggle room.

Vs. 21-22 In David’s response to meeting Abigail, I gain some insight as to why I so often fail in containing my temper, as David does the math concerning the equation but leaves out one very important person in every temper tantrum.

Vs. 21a “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him.” David declares that Nabal’s actions and words hurt his feelings. He is right on the money here; Nabal was in the wrong and David is in the right. David has a right to have hurt feelings, but it seems as though David was imprisoned by his feelings.
Vs. 21b “And he has repaid me evil for good.” David declares that he has the right facts concerning the situation. Ah, but right facts don’t necessarily guarantee right actions, do they?
Vs. 22 “May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belongs to him by morning light.” David makes the assumption that right feelings plus right facts equal right actions. But listen up, dear saint, David has left out something in his math equation, and that is a right heart!

You see, we can have legitimate feelings and true facts and still miss the mark when it comes to our actions if we don’t have a right heart. Next we will pick up the story as we see Abigail acting as a type of the Holy Spirit protecting our hearts from ourselves.

“David, bound in the bundle with the Lord.”

1 Samuel 25:23-44

Vs. 23-31 Ten things to recall from our dad’s joy

Vs. 32-35 Adoration for Abigail

Vs. 36-44 Married to Joy

Intro.

In the 22nd verse of the 25th chapter of 1 Samuel, we have a good indication of how mad David was at Nabal. You see, the colorful King James version records David’s angry oath by saying that “by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall” would be killed, and it is accurate in Hebrew as the word means to urinate. Now you know where we get our phrase saying that we are pissed off. David was in that Popeye syndrome, and he had all, “He could stand and he couldn’t stand any more!”

I’ve thought a lot about my anger and the lack of yielding to the Holy Spirit over the last week looking at David. You see David, as a young boy, took nothing off the hill but an empty sling and even had to stop by the brook to pick up five smooth stones as he went out to face a giant. In the 17th chapter, verse 45, David declared to Goliath, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

As a young man, he needed no sword, spear, or javelin to face a giant who “defied” the Lord, but now he needs 400 men with their swords on. Furthermore, I can’t help but see the irony that he has at his side the sword he took by faith from Goliath. I see in looking at this a direct correlation between operating by faith while defending the Lord and operating in my own strength while defending myself. I do not think it is possible for me to defend myself in faith, something Abigail herself concludes in verse 28 where she says, “My Lord fights the battles of the LORD.” She didn’t say that David fought his own battles but the Lord’s, and that can be done both in the energy of the flesh and the energy of the Spirit, but we cannot fight our battle in the energy of the Spirit; defense of ourselves will always be done in our flesh.

Vs. 23-31 Ten things to recall from our dad’s joy

Vs. 23 The first thing I notice is Abigail does three things concerning her position the moment she encounters David. Now, upon personal reflection, I see that these three attitudes would go along way in me not giving into my anger towards the Nabals that come against us:

“Dismount from the donkey”: She came down from her position, and in so doing she is respecting David and his position as being at least equal to hers. I think it is important, Christian, when we are dealing with folks that we are in disagreement with that we do so from the same level and not one that suggests that our position is above theirs.
“Fell on her face before David”: She put the interest and hurt of another before herself. I think this act reveals an attitude that says, “You are more important to me than I am to me.” The heart of the problem is always a problem of the heart, and Abigail demonstrates that she values David above herself. So much of our inability to reconcile with others comes from a self-righteous “I’m better than you” attitude.
“And bowed down to the ground”: Finally, and most importantly, she put herself under the Lord’s authority above her rights. It is not about our rights; it’s about God’s honor and rights. Far too often I have insisted on my rights at the price of God’s over me. God is far more interested in our hearts being right than our rights being wronged. You see, we are either people who are trying to be over other people or people trying to always be under God.

Hey, Christian Listen up, the only “old fool” that is in season is the one you faced in the mirror, and that one must die daily!

Vs. 24-31 In Abigail’s words to David, 13 times she calls him lord and 5 times she calls herself maidservant. Furthermore, she does all of this publicly in front of not only David but his 400 men. What this suggests to me is that she viewed herself not as superior or even an equal but rather as a servant.

Now think of a moment when you have been really angry at someone. How did you see yourself compared to them? Well, if you are like me, I didn’t see them as better than me, which is why I was upset to begin with. In the words and phrases of Abigail to David, I believe there are ten things that the Holy Spirit would try to say to our hearts before we act foolishly chasing an old fool.

Vs. 24 “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be!” Take responsibility for your own sins! The Holy Spirit would have you and I start with self-evaluation and taking inventory of our own wrongs. I have found that the Lord does not have nearly as much of a problem as it relates to my heart with old fools as he does with this fool! And when I start with my heart first, at least 50% of the problem is already better. We can be so stubborn and proud as it relates to this, can’t we?
Have you ever noticed how much more difficult it is to say the three-word phrase “I was wrong” compared to the phrase “You were wrong”? Abigail is so broken that she even asks permission to speak. I’m reminded of James words in James 1:19-20. “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
Vs. 25a “Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel, Nabal. For as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and Folly is with him.” Consider the source! Now this may seem like a contradiction to the above point; I believe the Holy Spirit would have us consider it, but it isn’t. You see, we start with our own hearts, and after that is corrected, we move to that which offends us.
Abigail reminds David, “Fool is his name, and folly is his game!” Perhaps you remember these words from the movie “Forrest Gump”: “Stupid is as stupid does!” We don’t need to get all worked up when someone pushes your buttons when we first consider the source: “Hey, no big deal; they have an issue, and I don’t have to make their issue my issue!”
Vs. 25b “But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.” I was not aware! “Man, if I had known, I would have made it right!” Abigail says. There are many times that our problem is just a misunderstanding that needs to be clarified and that what has happened though may have still caused hurt or heartache was a lack of information, not a lack of caring. It is amazing how just communicating that to the person hurt will go a long way in causing separation.
Verse . 26: “Since the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand.” See the bigger picture! It wasn’t too late; for David, if he halted his flesh now, he wouldn’t regret it later. Abigail reminds David that this was far more important than about him being right and Nabal being wrong; it was about the Lord being in control of David’s heart. God will take care of those who are out to get us if we just allow the Lord to take care of us.

David’s anger shows a lack of trust in the Lord. You will recall David had written Psalm 59, where he repeatedly proclaimed that “God was his defense.” We so often fail to see the consequences of our actions beyond the immediate, and Abigail is causing David to look beyond the temporary hurt feelings to what his actions would put on his resume. The world is full of people who failed to consider the consequences of their actions and are paying for such over a lifetime! If only we would have heeded the Holy Spirit instead of the flesh.

Vs. 27 “Now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.” What can I do to make it right? If there is a wrong that we are responsible for, it is not enough to take responsibility; if there is a debt owed, we need to make restitution. Now not only are these acts of Abigail pertinent for every situation, but they are good to go through, as they will place our hearts in the right place. In all of these, we see that the secret of David’s kingdom will be what throne his heart is bowed towards, his earthly one or God’s heavenly one.
Vs. 28a: “The LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house.” Don’t lose perspective. God had promised David the throne, and the Lord was going to accomplish that which He promised. David was hurt as Nabal was withholding that which was his, and Abigail reminded David that his kingdom, if established by the Lord, would be firm and not taken away. Oftentimes we get caught up in the tyranny of the urgent at the cost of our future. It is as if Abigail says to David, “You’re better than this!” If we are going to get into a fight with a fool, people aren’t going to be able to distinguish between the two.
Vs. 28b “Because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil is not found in you throughout your days.” Is this the Lord’s battle or wounded pride? If it is a case of wounded pride, then our fight will end in our own sin. God has not called His children to defend themselves or to fight their own battles. I have a statement on my wall that says, “He has not commanded you to be admired or esteemed. He has never bidden you to defend your character. He has not set you to work to contradict falsehoods about yourself. If you do these things, you will do nothing else. You will be at work for yourself and not for the Lordd.”

Vs. 29 “The life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God.” Don’t let the enemy rip you off. Abigail reminds David of three truths as it relates to this:
“Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life.” Don’t make a bad situation worse. Abigail is speaking of Saul and is reminding David that he has enough problems without adding another. Satan often would seek to spread us thin, and this would have given Saul an opportunity to justify his actions against David.

“The life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God.” Don’t you know God loves you? This expression came from the practice of wrapping up, which was valuable in a bundle to protect from injury. Thus Abigail is reminding David that his life is secure and safe in the Lord’s love. The Lord has placed you and me in the napsack of His love in his front pocket near His heart, and to get us, they are going to have to go through Him.
“But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.” Don’t you know God will protect you? No doubt, as Abigail said this phrase, David’s mind rushed back to when he hurled that stone from the pocket of his sling at Goliath. The Lord was perfectly able to protect David, and He didn’t need David’s help then or now.

Vs. 30: “And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you and has appointed you ruler over Israel.” This is only temporary. Abigail reminds David that with the Lord, His promises are not “IF” but rather “WHEN,” and this refinement was going to lead David to exactly what the Lord had promised.
Vs. 31: “This will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord.” Will your action not cause you to have regrets later? Abigail uses two things to cause David to think along these lines:

To himself: “This will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord.” Will this cause your conscience to bother you later? Man, that is a great question to ask ourselves when our blood is boiling and we are about to say or do something, “Am I about to say or do something that I’m going to eat crow over later?”
To others: “Or that my lord has avenged himself.” Will my words or actions cause others to think that I’ve fought my own battles instead of trusting in the Lord?

Vs. 32-35 Adoration for Abigail

Vs. 32 David and the 400 men had heard the words of Abigail, and her heart had melted David’s hot temper. He recognizes that the Lord is the one that sent her to stop him from sinning. He has realized that hurt feelings and right facts apart from a right heart don’t guarantee right actions, and Abigail has just been used to straighten out his heart. Again, as a typology of the Holy Spirit, it is his guidance that enables us to keep our heads when all are losing theirs. David does not see gender, nor is he afraid to admit he was wrong even in front of 400 men.

Furthermore, Abigail didn’t come empty-handed, and David received what was his. David now decides to leave Nabal alone for the sake of his wife. We do well to heed the voice of our Abigail, who speaks such words, keeping us from our own flesh. Hey Christian, being forgiven of our sin is a great thing, but being kept from sin is a greater thing still.

You see the Lord has not only taken upon Himself the penalty of sin; He has broken its power as well, as we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Spurgeon once said, “We will need to seek forgiveness of our sins far less often if we would but heed the Lord’s words more often, which will keep us from sin’s grasp.” The strength God has given you and me yesterday is not enough for today.

Vs. 36-44 Married to joy

Vs. 36 Nabal is truly living up to his name as he throws a party and gets plastered, not realizing that David was going to come and plaster him. Note as well as it says that he threw a party fit for a king as he thought of himself as one.

Again, Abigail shows her wisdom as she does not try to talk with a drunk but waits until the morning, and then Abigail comes to him and tells him what was about to happen, and he blows a gasket. We are not told whether it was anger or fear that hit his heart, but it looks as though his heart of stone turned to stone, and he dies ten days later. Now I see the Lord’s mercy on old Nabal as he gets 10 days to ponder his life before he dies, and perhaps he gave his heart to the Lord. I’m amazed as well at Abigail, as she stayed with this old coot and did not seek to leave him, but man, she was certainly set free.

It is remarkable how the words of Abigail calmed David’s heart but pierced Nabal’s soul, and such is the work of the Holy Spirit; our hearts can be broken by the word of God or become hard and it be the same words. Nabal is like so many in the world today that spend their lives trying to get everything and in the end have nothing.

Vs. 39 David hears that Nabal is dead and praises God. Now I’m sure that is because he did not take matters into his own hands and instead trusted in the Lord. Nabal had sowed to the wind and reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7).

Vs. 40-42 Along with David’s praising the Lord for sticking his hand against Nabal comes a proposal for Abigail’s hand. And she is very quick to take David up on his proposal of marriage and continues to show her heart to be a servant.

Polygamy was not as yet specifically spoken against, as yet it was certainly not God’s intention. In Gen. 2:24, God spoke at the creation of the first man and woman and said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” It does not say “wives” plural, nor does it say fleshes. Furthermore, in Deut. 17:17, Moses spoke to the nation, saying that they should not “multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away.”.

Perhaps David thought, “Hey, I’m not multiplying; I’m just adding.” Looking at David’s life and all the wives that he ends up with and the family problems this creates, it is quite obviously not God’s plan. No matter whether or not Saul had given Michal to another. Palti’s name means deliverance of God, and looking at Michal, perhaps it was a blessing. Ah-in-oam means grace, and so David married Grace and Joy. It appears that he first married Ahinoam, as her name appears before Abigail’s.