Abagail: Woman Of Wisdom Series

Abigail: A Woman of Wisdom

Note: I teach these scriptures in a talk show format. I have some read scriptures and then I would ask questions and we would discuss the answers.

(1Sa 25:1) Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran. 2 Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 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. And he was of the house of Caleb.

What was the contrast between the two?

Abigail

1) Good understanding – wise (What does it mean to be wise?)

“Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.” Proverbs 8:10-11 KJV

Knowledge

Instruction – understanding

Wisdom - application

2) Beautiful appearance – the way she carried herself

3) My father is joy (a joy to her father when she was born)

Nabal

1) Harsh

2) Evil in his doings

3) Name meaning – fool

4) Man of Belial “worthless, good for nothing, wicked, scoundrel

Nabal’s story

(1Sa 25:4) When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, (1Sa 25:5) 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. (1Sa 25:6) 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! (1Sa 25:7) 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. (1Sa 25:8) 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.' " (1Sa 25:9) So when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited. (1Sa 25:10) 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. (1Sa 25:11) 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?" (1Sa 25:12) So David's young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words.

David’s response – spontaneous anger

(1Sa 25:13) Then David said to his 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.

1 Samuel 25:10 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. (1Sa 25:11) 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?"

Nabal’s wife Abigail

(1Sa 25:14) Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife,

Why do you think the young men went to Abigail?

saying, "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. (1Sa 25:15) 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. (1Sa 25:16) They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. (1Sa 25:17) 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." (1Sa 25:18) 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.