The Wise Wife Of A Fool

Atheist Holiday

An atheist complained to a Christian friend, “Christians have their special holidays, such as Christmas and Easter; and Jews celebrate their holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur; Muslims have their holidays. EVERY religion has its holidays. But we atheists,” he said, “have no recognized holidays. It’s an unfair discrimination.”

“What do you mean, atheists have no holidays,” his friend replied, “People have been observing a special day in your honor for years.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the atheist said, “When is this special day honoring atheists?”

“April first.”

I. The Introductions

A. Nabal, 2-3

2. 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.

3. 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.

“churlish and evil,” churlish=hard, cruel or stubborn

Nabal=FOOL, 25:17, 25

Two things show that he was a fool.

1. He was ungrateful: he did not recognize the benefit of having David’s servants around, (i.e. verses 10, 15).

There is a connection between ingratitude and foolishness. Romans documents that fact.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools . . . “ (Romans 1:21).

A simple definition of a fool might be: one who will not recognize the obvious. Look around and up, there is a God. Your wife has good understanding and a beautiful countenance. You are successful because of other people (v. 15, 16).

A fool is not necessarily stupid he just doesn’t recognize the obvious.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal they lay down for the night, and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. “Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see.”

Watson replied, “I see millions and millions of stars.”

Holmes asked, “What does that tell you?”

Watson pondered for a minute. “Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is omnipotent and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.

“What does it tell you?”

Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke. “Watson, you meathead. Someone has stolen our tent.”

2. He would not listen and could not be reasoned with, verse 17.

“Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words” (Proverbs 23:9).

Some men (and women) take a 1-2-3 approach to marriage. Before the day of the automobile, John wed his sweetheart, Sue, in the community church. Everything went off without a hitch until they climbed into the horse-drawn buggy en route to their new house. Along the way, the horse kept jerking the carriage. John stopped, climbed down and proceeded to beat and berate the poor animal without mercy, finishing his tirade by informing the horse, “That’s one!”

Not long after resuming their ride, the horse began to jerk and sway erratically once more. John stopped the carriage, climbed down and again beat the horse cruelly, claiming, “That’s two!” Sue was too shocked at John’s behavior to utter a word.

Alas, the chastening did no good. The horse continued his halting pace. Sue was holding he breath as John stopped the carriage for the third time. As he climbed down from the wagon, he said, “That’s three!”, pulled out a gun and shot the horse through the head, killing him instantly.

Horrified, Sue shot to he feet and exclaimed, “Are you crazy, John? What is the matter with you? I never dreamed that you had such cruel and uncontrollable temper!”

John looked at her calmly and warned “That’s one, Sue.”

B. The introduction of Abigail, v. 3

“she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance”

II. The Injustice of Nabal

A. David’s Diplomacy, 4-9

4. And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.

5. And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:

6. And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.