Foolish Words, Fierce Anger, And Wise Actions (1 Samuel 25:2-44)

The Bible describes David as "a man after God's own heart". His character and actions reflected a genuine desire to obey and love the LORD. As a result, he was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel, replacing the dynasty of Saul, whose rebellious and defiant actions resulted in God's rejection of him as king. Saul's reign was noted afterward not for any achievements of renown, but of being a madman, oppressed by evil spirits and obsessed with killing David. The nation suffered because of Saul's neglect of his royal duties and apparent loss of reason. In 1 Samuel 24, we read about the opportunity David had to kill Saul as he relieved himself in a cave where David and his men were hiding. He refrained from doing what could have brought him freedom from years of pursuit and harassment. He did not strike down "the LORD'S anointed" in order to hasten his own rise to the throne of Israel. He allowed Saul to live and even reached out to his enemy in love and forgiveness. The events of 1 Samuel 25 show a different side to David. Here, he is in a totally different frame of mind. This text shows what anger does when it is allowed to control our lives.

The Bible has a lot to say on the topic of anger and controlling one's temper (Psalm 37:8; Proverbs 14:29, 19:11; Ecclesiastes 7:9; Matthew 5:22; Ephesians 4:26). These verses warn us of the consequences brought upon us by uncontrolled anger. The Bible says that Jesus got angry with the Pharisees and the ungodly conditions occurring in the Temple (Matthew 21:12-17, 23:2-36; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-22). His anger was based upon the fact that these religious hucksters had taken advantage of the people and had made the house of God nothing more than a place of business and commerce. Any holiness and reverence towards the LORD were gone, and the Temple had become nothing more than a building that housed ritual, routine, and empty devotion. Jesus' anger was justified, based upon righteous indignation towards what was originally a place of worship and love towards God. This was an entirely different situation than what we read about concerning David's anger towards the arrogant words of a man named Nabal, whose name, ironically, means "fool" (1 Samuel 25:25).

What brought about David's anger? The Bible says that David was still on the run from Saul (1 Samuel 25:2-13, 21-22). He and his men were hiding in the wilderness. While there, they were doing two things. First, they were fighting skirmishes with the wild tribes who inhabited the area (1 Samuel 23). Second, they were serving as a protective force for the shepherds in the area (v. 7), preventing the enemy from confiscating the sheep and harming the servants. David and his men probably took on this "sideline" in order to earn food and provisions while they lived in the wilderness. it was the custom of the day for the person who received the protection to reward the protector. When David heard that it was time to shear the sheep, he sent some of his men to remind Nabal that they had been providing protection. As a result, none of his flock had been lost. David sent his request at shearing time because that was when the shepherds would sell their wool and make their profits. David sent his men to Nabal with a greeting of courtesy and kindness (vv.5-7), making no demands, but simply asking Nabal to do that which was right (v.8). Instead of gratitude, Nabal answered David with harsh words (vv.9-11), bringing David's integrity into question, calling him a rebel and refused to acknowledge the work of David and his men.

When David's men returned to him and told him what happened, David lost his temper and vowed to eliminate Nabal and his entire household for this act of defiance and arrogance (vv.12-13). He prepared 600 of his men to exact revenge on Nabal. This is an example of "overkill" and shows the result of unchecked anger and what it could have done to David in terms of reputation and character. Nabal's reputation was known (vv.2-3), and the response he gave to David should not have been that surprising. However, David's reaction was just as bad. He let blind rage almost get the better of him. Except for the wise actions of Nabal's wife Abigail (vv.14-20), this episode in David's life could have marred him for the rest of his life and established him not as a man after God's own heart, but instead as a barbaric fiend on the level of pagan kings who ruled their nations with fear and trepidation. Abigail heard what Nabal had done and took the necessary steps to make things right, providing the food and supplies that David's army needed. She went out to meet David with the hope that she could change his mind. She was determined to prevent what would be a massacre as well as save the life of her husband, foolish and mean as he was.