Unlike the kind and gentle "Beast" in the classic Disney story, Abigail's husband Nabal was a wealth, foolish scoundrel who was harsh and overbearing.
1 Sam 25:3 "The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings".
Right from the beginning of the story we are told by the author the characteristics and personalities of these two individuals. After all, Nabal's name means "fool". Who names their son "fool" anyways? The same verse in the KJV uses the word "churlish" to describe Nabal, which is not found anywhere else in the Bible. It means "rude", "hard-hearted", "difficult to get along with", "mean", "vulgar" according to various dictionaries. It's hard to imagine having to be married to such a man that is defined by such terms, so much that he is the only man in the Bible to be described in such a way. On the other hand, Abigail had "good understanding and [a] beautiful appearance", or as the KJV describes, a "beautiful countenance". I imagine she reflected Christ and radiated a beauty in her appearance and behavior which only God can give; a beauty that no woman can have from within apart from Him.
(1 Samuel 25:4-13):
"When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, "GO up to Carmel, go to Nabal and greet him in my name. And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: 'Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David". So when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.
Then Nabal answered David's servants, and said, "Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?"
So David's young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. Then David said to he men, "Every man gird on his sword." So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.
Nabal lived up to his name in these verses. The presence of David and his men likely protected Nabal's men and flocks from attacks from robbers; making David's request not unreasonable. David was full of wrath and infuriated after hearing what Nabal had said.
1 Samuel 25: 21-22: "Now David had said, "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. And he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light".
Meanwhile back at the house...
1 Samuel 25: 14-17:
Now one of the young men told Abigail saying, "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him."
Nabal was certainly no Prince Charming! He displayed no integrity or hospitality and rudely insulted the future king of Israel and his men. David reacted swiftly, with intent on vengeance. Abigail was intelligent enough to know her household was in danger and she moved with perception and precision to try to avert the extermination of the entire household. She intercepted David with humility and warm hospitality. She also knew the way to a man's heart- food!
1 Samuel 25:18, 23-24: "Then Abigail made haste and 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... Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. So she fell at his feet and said: 'On me, my Lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant".
Abigail was willing to intercede for her household and take responsibility for everything that had happened. She stood in the gap to protect them.
1 Samuel 25:25-31: "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! But I your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. And now this present, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord an ennduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. 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, that 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, then remember your maidservant".
Abigail encountered the 400 angry men with wisdom, respect, and submissiveness. She reminded David that he was the Lord's anointed, fighting the Lord's battles, and under the Lord's protection. Abigail knew the Lord; her knowledge of Him is very evident throughout this passage. Her responsibility was to Him first. She uses the word "lord" several times, referring to David, showing submissiveness and respect of him. If David had carried out his mission, it would have caused David to sin against the Lord and His people. God preserved David from shedding innocent blood through the swift and wise intervention of this strong woman. David listened to Abigail's words as well as heeded her advice, both of which are admirable traits in this strong leader and wonderful man of God. Abigail knew the Lord so well that she was able to give a prophetic exhortation to David that he would recognize and realize that the Lord was speaking to him through Abigail.
1 Samuel 25:32-34: "Then David said to Abigail: 'Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!"
The conclusion of the story is amazing. "...the Lord struck Nabal, and he died" (1 Sam 25:38). God delivered Abigail from that awful place. David was relieved that he had allowed God to take the vengeance. He also wasted no time in asking Abigail to continue to bless his life as his wife. Her response, again, was very humble. "Then she arouse, bowed her face to the earth, and said, 'Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord" (1 Sam 25:41). Now that is a very respectful response from a God loving, God fearing woman. I think most women if they were asked to be the king's wife would have responded with more of a "what should I wear?"Now that is a happy ending for the true Biblical story of "Beauty and the Beast"!
We need Abigail's humility to reflect God. We need to have that submissive and respectful attitude, regardless of who you are married to, to truly reflect God. We are to love God first and husbands second. Abigail displayed all these qualities if though she was married to such a foolish, harsh man. Her love for God was reflected in all she said and did.
1 Peter 3:1: "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives".
Colossians 3:18: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
Ephesians 5:22-23: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body."
Proverbs 15:1a: "A soft answer turns away wrath"
John 13:12-17: "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, he said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them."
We have so much to learn about how to love and serve others! May God help us to reflect His love to others. May God give us a servant's heart, always willing to serve and wash the feet of others.
References:
All scriptures from NKJV Women's Study Bible, unless otherwise noted.
"Reflecting God" by Kay Smith
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