1 Samuel Chapter 25

1. In this chapter, David will encounter an ignorant and arrogant man named Nabal. This encounter will result in another test in David's life. This will provide another example to us about our spiritual life. David would be sorely tested by this ignorant man. While David had avoided enacting revenge on Saul for his acts of mistreatment, he would now face the same test through Nabal. We need to understand that although we may have achieved momentary success over our carnal nature, this does not mean that we have buried that part of our character forever. See 1 Cor. 10:12-13.

2. In verse 1, we see that the prophet Samuel has died. This was a great loss for David as well as Israel. His death brought great pain to David and dashed any hope of a lasting reconciliation with Saul. Following Samuel's death, David moved south to the wilderness of Paran.

3. David encounters a wealthy man named Nabal. We learn in verse 3 that he had a godly wife named Abigail. Abigail was a jewel of a woman, who was both wise and beautiful. Nabal, however, was an ignoramus. With 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, Nabal was a wealthy man. While he was in the lineage of a Caleb, his own name literally meant " fool."

4. In v. 4-11, we see that David sent men to Nabal, in order to secure some food and provisions. This was appropriate in that David's men had served as a security for Nabal's animals. The validity of this protection was seen when the Philistines attacked nearby Keilah. David was suggesting that he was entitled to an unspecified, but appropriate gift in return for the protection that he had provided(4-8).

5. Nabal responded negatively to David's request in a way that expressed his harsh and evil character. He implied that David and his men were Slaves that had broken away from their masters. David was insulted by this response and responded in anger, mobilizing his men to kill Nabal. About 400 men went out with David to destroy Nabal.

6. When Abigail learned that David was coming with his entourage to destroy the entire household, she responded quickly. Her own servants told her that David's men had been very good to them, and protected their sheep.

7. David had just shown incredible wisdom and restraint in not lopping off Saul's head. But the truth of our spiritual life is that when you have a victory over a great temptation, you are vulnerable to a smaller one. See Song of Solomon 2:15. This is often the way that life is. It is not necessarily the big battles that get us, but the smaller temptations.
8. Abigail goes out to intercede on behalf of her husband. She could have said that my husband deserves all the judgment that comes his way, but this is not the type of woman that she was. She determined to intercede on behalf of her husband, even though she was fully aware that he was an arrogant and ignorant man. She went out to meet David with 200 hundred loaves of bread, along with wine, corn, fruit and five fully dressed sheep.

9. In v. 21-22 we see the anger of David toward Nabal. We maybe somewhat surprised to see the extent of this anger that David had toward Nabal. In anger, David made a oath to kill every male that was related to Nabal (22).

10. When Abigail came to David she bowed down before him. In v. 24-31, we read of her wise and godly appeal to David. She sent a message along with a generous gift to David. David was about to seriously harm his spiritual life and future calling as king. However, the Lord intervened to protect him by stirring Abigail to action at just the right time. Just prior, when David had been mistreated by Saul, he entrusted the situation to God to intervene.

11. David was both corrected and encouraged by her words. Her humble tone without sarcasm or accusation or anger made her appeal effective. She began with a confession of sin (24). Without excusing her husband's acts, she accepted the blame for David's mistreatment by her husband. Abigail was appealing for David to save himself as well as her family. She successfully averted disaster as she spoke of David's destiny made reminding him who he was before God. Her wise words and actions saved David from a great sin of shedding blood. In killing innocent meal he would break a serious command of God which would result in judgment coming to him ( Ex. 23:7).

12. David received Abigail's wise appeal (32-35). One of David's defining characteristics was his teachable spirit, able to receive correction from people. David affirmed her words. Abigail's actions, assuming responsibility for her husband's actions, giving money to help his enemies, and speaking encouragement with a prophetic element, saved the day for her family and for David. David accepted her appeal and turned his armed force back, then sent her home in peace. Like Esther after her, Abigail altered the course of history simply by being obedient to the Lord.

13. Nabal gives us an example of the lost world. After Abigail returned home, Nabal was in the process of holding a feast, oblivious to what had taken place. Here, Nabal was about to be wiped out, yet he is having s party. His very life was in danger, yet he did not realize it. After Nabal sobered up a bit, hearing how close he had come to losing his head, he had a stroke (38-39). Nabal's death was more then a medical problem. It came as a direct result of judgment ( Acts12:23).

14. Abigail gives us a picture of Christianity. Abigail was yoked to an evil man, just as we are yoked in bondage to sin. While she was stuck with Nabal, we are stuck with our sin. Abigail heard the word of impending doom, as did we through Jesus. Jesus, our greater than David, talked more about Hell than he did about Heaven. Abigail humbled herself before David. We humbled ourselves before God when we confessed that we needed a Savior. Abigail sought forgiveness. Some people in this world believe that they do not need forgiveness. We, however, knew otherwise. Abigail's request was granted and she and her family were saved. Likewise, our appeal to the Lord was also accepted as we received salvation. The real issue is not that we accepted the Lord, but that He accepts us. We are no longer at war with him, but have peace through Jesus Christ.

15. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he sent Abigail a marriage proposal and she became his wife ( 39-44). David's first wife, Michal, having been given to another man, David now has two wives: Abigail and Ahinoam. Although not ordained or commanded by God ( Deut. 17.17): this was a common practice in that day. However, it was a practice that throughout Scripture, never failed to end in disaster. And Ahinoam being the mother of Ammon, who would later rape his sister and destroy David's family, this marriage would prove to be no exception.