Abigail Series

I can recall times when I was doing or about to do something rash, rude or unwise and Kathy spoke up to say to me, “You need to stop and think! You need to go pray!" One time I was being interviewed for a pastoral job and I was being criticized about my preaching – I started confronting the person with irritation and even anger because he was making statements about my preaching – she could see I was getting upset and going on the attack. Now in my mind I was defending God’s Word and, yes, also my preaching and ego. So for her it was time to act so under the table she starts hitting me on the leg with her hand and giving me that look like you are being foolish again. Stop!

She never said a word she just hit me and gave me the look. It worked I realized how foolish I was being and stopped and listened rather than to keep speaking and defending muself.

Kathy is my heroine – a wise woman with beauty and intelligence. I know she was sent by God to prevent me from slitting my own throat at times in my life and ministry. So men let me ask the question, "Are there any other men here today who can relate to what I am saying about their wives? How about the women here - who can say that about their husbands?" God has placed our spouses in our lives to keep us from destroying ourselves! The truth is many of us are our own worst enemies!

So let’s look deeper at our unsung heroine Abigail – the beauty who rescues her foolish husband.

T.S. – By the way Abigail’s name means "joy of the father"– and the way she acted and reacted to a possible tragedy in her family I am sure made God the Father leap for joy. She helped prevent David from making a mistake and her husband from causing a massacre – a costly foolish mistake is adverted by her intervention and it saves the day.

I. Abigail’s intervention – we see her God given ability to do damage control as she uses courage, wisdom and tact to save the day - 1 Samuel 25:18-27:

a. Her humility is the next thing I see in our story.

i. She saw David in the distance and gets off her donkey and bows in humility to the coming king David.

1. Her position is a sign of humility and respect to David – unlike her husband’s response to David.

2. Humility quote:

a. "True humility is not an abject, groveling, self-despising spirit; it is but a right estimate of ourselves as God sees us."— Tryon Edward

b. "Humility is to make a right estimate of oneself."— Charles H. Spurgeon

c. "Life is a long lesson in humility."— James M. Barrie

ii. She knew the importance of humility in life and it opens the door to defuse the anger and rage of David and his men.

1. Proverbs 22:4: “Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life.”

a. Humility attached to a healthy fear of the Lord brings life not death Abigail most likely knew this Proverb!

2. Proverbs 15:18: “A hot tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.”

a. I will add a patient woman too who keeps her calm in the midst of turmoil can also bring calm to chaos.