David and his men were at the brink of exhaustion and starvation. David sent 10 young men to Nabal's house to ask him for food and drink.These 10 young men were instructed to greet Nabal with salutations of peace. However, Nabal, being a foolish man, did not receive them and refused to give them what they requested. He turned them away, even though David and his men had given protection to Nabal's men and flocks through out the year.
David's anger was kindled against Nabal and he commanded his army to gird themselves for battle and they stormed out of their camp ready to exact vengeance on Nabal's household.
Abigail, Nabal's wife, who was a "women of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance," knew that she had to act quickly. She gathered two hundred loaves of bread, two bottles of wine, five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs and instructed the servants to go before her to meet David and his men.
Abigail met David and his men along the way. She offered her regrets and asked for forgiveness. Her words even foreshadow the death of Jesus as she says, "upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be."
David accepted her apology and her offering. Nabal's house, or should I say Abigail's house, was spared from destruction and death.
David praised God for her wisdom and for the guilt and regret that it saved him.
1 Sam 25:32-33
32 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
33 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.
We would do well to learn from this wise women.
I know that I have personally been on both sides of this story.
There have been times that my anger and my ego has caused me to bring injustice upon those around me.
Also, there have been times that I have been the receiver of injustices and I allowed my desire for revenge to stir with in my spirit. Blind with anger and hurt, I would bluster and stomp as I prepared to lash out and exact my own vengeance.
Then, I heard that tender, wise voice of reason speaking to me. There stood Dawn, my dear wife ("Abigail"), with compassion, concern, and sometimes disappointment in her eyes. She would sooth my anger. She would bind my wounds and encourage forgiveness not revenge.
She reminds me that God will take care of me and my enemies.
I wish I could say that she was always successful in her counsel, but I can not. However, through the years I have come to realize that, more times than not, when I do ignore her counsel, I tend to tear up more than I fix.
Now, I know that there are times that do call for quick and decisive action. I know that we as leaders do have to go into battle at times.
Yet, before we rush into action, let us sheath our sword and slow our steps long enough to consider the wisdom and ministry of our own Abigail.
