Teach us to pray-6
Abigail saved David from himself as he was on his way with his army to kill Nabal and all of his servants. God’s sovereign plan to save David from this evil was to send Abigail to him. She humbly intervened and David relented from his ungodly anger. Now the rest of this story.
1 Samuel 25:36 Then Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she did not tell him anything at all until the morning light. 25:37 But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone.
Have you ever had the sense of panic or terror overwhelm you? It is a very real response to a real life threatening event. Abigail dutifully told Nabal what had happened the day before and how she met with David. You could say she found David in the ‘nick of time’. Nabal responded with great panic and fear, which caused his heart to weaken.
25:38 About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died. 25:39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." Then David sent a proposal to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
David now was once again reminded that it is truly the Lord’s battle and vengeance is His and His alone. Interestingly, David wanted Abigail to be his wife, now that she was a widow. Sadly, David already had a wife and would soon have 6 wives and 10 concubines. As a reminder, let us review again God’s cautions to kings.
Deuteronomy 17:14 "When you enter the land which the LORD your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,' 7:15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman.
17:16 "Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the LORD has said to you, 'You shall never again return that way.' 17:17 "He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.
Clearly David did not obey this command nor did he make it a point to prepare Solomon to rule after him.
25:40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, "David has sent us to you to take you as his wife." 25:41 She arose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Behold, your maidservant is a maid to wash the feet of my lord's servants."
No real courtship in this marriage. One day she is Nabal’s wife intervening with David, the ‘next’ day she is David’s wife. This whole story began with the writer acknowledging the very special woman, Abigail.
1Sa 25:3 (now the man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name was Abigail. And the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebite),
1Sa 25:42 Then Abigail quickly arose, and rode on a donkey, with her five maidens who attended her; and she followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
It was considered an honor to be chosen by a king. The fact that David heeded her advice speaks volume on her wisdom, demeanor and beauty. At the same time, it reveals David attraction to beautiful women and his lack of concern with acquiring wives/concubines.
25:43 David had also taken Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both became his wives. 25:44 Now Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
David’s future problems can all be traced to multiple wives and poor discipline by David. This all contributes to what we can learn about Solomon’s prayer.
More next Saturday.