Hey Everyone,
Yesterday I left you right in the middle of 1 Samuel 25 where David was charging into a hostile situation. As I mentioned yesterday I don't often share sermons in this forum but my good friend Tracey reminded me that the sermon I shared with you yesterday was a two-parter. The conflict between David and Nabal makes a good story but if you leave out Nabal's wife Abigail you miss the rest of the story. Take a look at what Abigail did in this story
1 Samuel 25:18-35
18 Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. 19 Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal. 20 As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them. 21 David had just said, "It's been useless—all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. 22 May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!" 23 When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. 24 She fell at his feet and said: "My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. 25 May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent. 26 "Now since the LORD has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the LORD lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. 27 And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. 28 Please forgive your servant's offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. 29 Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. 30 When the LORD has done for my master every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, 31 my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant." 32 David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. 33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. 34 Otherwise, as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak." 35 Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request."
Abigail reminds me a lot of my sister Melissa. Most of you know I am the youngest of three children. I have a brother David who is seven years older than I am and a sister Melissa who is fourteen years older than I am. Growing up my family always had a suburban that was my Dad's vehicle. My assigned seat in the car was on the driver's side in the back seat, my brother was on the opposite side and my sister had the singular honor of sitting between us. Her job was diffuse hostile situations between my brother and I. Abigail didn't want to see bloodshed so she decided to diffuse the hostile situation between Nabal and David.
As I see it Abigail did three things correctly. I believe these three things are easily duplicated and applicable to us today. For the remainder of this blog I wish to share those three things with you.
This first things she did was to assess the situation. She took a hard look at what her husband had done and what David was planning to do and quickly decided on a course of action. Jesus said it this way to his disciples.
Matthew 10:16-17
16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.
The Apostle Paul said it this way…
1 Corinthians 16:13
13Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Both of these statements add up to being able to sum up a situation and deal with it.
The second thing that Abigail did correctly was that she chose her words carefully. A misspoken or poorly phrased word can mean the difference between a peaceful resolution and a fight. When I was a child my mouth got me into a lot of trouble and most of the time it was a combination of what I was saying and they way I was saying it. Listen to what King Solomon said.
Proverbs 15:1
1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger
Think about this the next time you find yourself in a hostile situation. When it would be easy to make a smart remark or a sarcastic comment, think about the words you are saying and the way you are saying them. If they are words that would anger you if someone said them to you then don't say them. If you can do this you are well on your way to diffusing a hostile situation.
The third thing that Abigail did right was to realize that actions speak louder than words. In our modern day and times things have not changed. Actions still speak louder than words. Even carefully chosen words mean much more when backed up with actions. Jesus understood this and wanted his followers to understand it as well.
Matthew 5:38-41
38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Jesus definitely knew that there was a need for words to backed up by actions and he demonstrates this to us in his words and in his actions by giving his life on the cross.
All of these things can be summed up by the words of Christ from the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:9
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
I challenge all of you to be peacemakers. When a situation arises in your life that could be hostile don't run from it but look for ways to help diffuse it and meet it head on to bring glory to God. I hope you are all as blessed from reading these thoughts as I am blessed by all of you.
Be Strong and Courageous,
Paul
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