Abigail, the wife of Nabal was truly an extraordinary peacemaker. She stepped in and saved the life of her husband when he refused David and his men provisions. David and his men had been fleeing the wrath of Saul and were very hungry. Nabal had benefited from David’s fleeing from King Saul. He and his men had become Nabal’s neighbor when they had taken refuge in the Desert of Maon. David and his six hundred men made a barrier for Nabal. Poachers and thieves would not dare cross this barrier to get to Nabal’s livestock. David was making Nabal richer by the day. However, this evil man did not appreciate the protection enough to offer a meal.
I Samuel 25:2-3 “And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.”
When David sent ten of his men to ask for food Nabal was so greedy and arrogant he remarked “who is this David? He made remarks about the possibility David had broken away from his master. He mocked the idea of giving food and water to them. (I Samuel 25:10-11) He was a very rich man, and I’m sure he had heard of David and his conquering of Goliath. He was just being obstinate and greedy. Little did this man know he had just insulted the next King of Israel.
This is where Abigail shows her true character. When she receives word that Nabal would show no kindness to David she starts to take action. Just in time, she was ready to be the peacemaker. David had already instructed his men to get ready for battle.
I Samuel 25:13 “And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master, and he railed on them. But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant with them when we were in the fields: They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now, therefore, know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.”
Abigail did not tell her husband for fear of what was going to happen. She quickly gathers food and starts toward the desert. When she meets them headed toward her home she gets off her donkey, and she bows before him and says “Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid said”
I Samuel 25:18 “Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.”
She shows her generosity by the amount she took them. She proves she is quick-witted by the action she took and her wisdom in stepping between her evil husband and David’s army. She saved the lives of all her household and probably some of David’s men. David is not only grateful to Abigail he admires her. David realizes he was about to get ahead of God and do things his way. He thanks her for reminding him there is another way that would save him from avenging himself with his own hand.
I Samuel 25:32-23 “And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.”
God takes care of Nabal after Abigail returned. He was partying so much he never missed Abigail or the food she had taken. She found him in the middle of his “living it up”. Nabal had no thought of how near he was to destruction, by the one he had foolishly made his enemy. The deceitfulness of Satan often lures sinners into this same sense of security when they are in the most danger and destruction. The next morning after the party Nabal drops dead! The Bible says his heart became as a stone.
I Samuel 25:36-37 “And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. But it came to pass in the morning when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.”
David hears of the death of Nabal, and He rejoices in what God has done. Soon he sends for Abigail to be his wife. She accepts, and they are married.
I Samuel 25:39 “And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed, be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.”
Her greatest quality was that she belonged to the Lord. She could be a great peacemaker because she had peace with God. It did not matter that her husband did not share in her love for God. She continued to do what was right and follow God’s lead. God rewarded her for doing so.
Are you a peacemaker that is directed by God?
