Abigail Marries David

By  Mary Vee
I Samuel 25

Abigail's Thoughts

My husband has brought terror upon our household. I am tormented with what could happen to our home, our servants, our lives. 


David, the man we all knew to be anointed as future king of Israel, protected, shared his food, and included our shepherds in his group. I didn't know it at the time, but I do now. Yesterday, one of those shepherds came to me and reported Nabal, that wicked husband of mine, refused to give David and his men food when they asked. 


Unbelievable!


I gathered what I could, my blessed servants ran with me from one storehouse to another stuffing food into satchels and loading them on the donkeys. To buy me needed time to finish packing enough food for all of David's men, I sent servants ahead with a message for David to please wait for me.


We hurried the donkeys, yet taking care to not spill any food. I'd hope Nabal couldn't see me, if he did, he'd start a fight and get us all killed. I prayed I wasn't too late to undo the evil he has done. To prevent Nabal from discovering us, we travelled along the shadows of a hill. 


As I expected, David was furious. I slid off my donkey and feel to the ground before him and begged his mercy for our household. My words seemed to appease his spirit. Once he calmed, I showed him the gift of food. The idea worked. He allowed his men to accept the food, each one thanked me as though I saved their lives. I asked David to remember my deed.


Our lives may have been spared that time, but would they be spared the next moment Nabal refused to help someone? David assured me our household would be left in peace and then granted me permission to leave.


I didn't go home. I couldn't. 


I needed to speak with Nabal.


I found him hosting a big feast with many guest, the man and all those with him were drunk. I would be a fool to speak to him when he couldn't think clearly. I spent time with others at the festival and waited until morning to speak with that scoundrel, Nabal.


After the sun rose and my husband awoke, I told him about my errand and David's forgiveness. My husband stared at me as if in shock. He pressed his hand to his chest, his eyes widened as if in pain. He couldn't seem to speak.


I used every remedies I'd learned from my mother to help Nabal get well, but nothing worked. He died ten days later. 


A messenger came to me when my mourning time had ended. "My lady, I have a message for you from David."


"Yes?"


"He has heard the news of Nabal's death and thinks of your safety. He asks me to bring you to him. He...wishes to marry you."


My heart was blessed. The Almighty took care of my needs even before I asked. I felt humbled and wanted to sing and dance before the Lord. I bowed to the messenger. "Here I am, the maidservant to your master, ready to wash the feet of his servants." 


I hurried to pack a few things, called five maidservants to go with me, and left what use to be my home. The messenger took me to David's camp. 


I didn't have to wait, David walked toward me from his tent and greeted me with such a caring tenderness. "Abigail, you are a woman who has proven her love for God by caring for your household when your husband would not,  I am happy to see you here."


"Thank you, my lord."


"Abigail, because of your faithfulness and act of kindness, will you join us and let me care for your needs. Will you...marry me?"


I bowed my head. "Yes, my lord. I would be honored."


That day I became David's wife. He was quit a different husband from Nabal. 


God has blessed me far more than I could have ever asked.


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1.  What did Nabal do?
2.  How did Abigail save her household?
3.  After David forgave them what did Abigail to?
4.  What was Nabal doing?
5.  What happened to Nabal?
6.  Who punished Nabal?
7.  How did God reward Abigail for her faithfulness to her household?


photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

Abigail Saves Her Household

By Mary Vee

I Samuel

The Shepherd/Servant's Thoughts

Abigail ordered me to run ahead and tell David she would come speak to him. She needed me to buy her time.


I chose two servants known to be fast runners and led them in the direction I last saw him. We hid in the shadow of a hill where wicked Nabal would not see us and waited for David and his men to arrive. 

He stopped his march after recognizing me. "Yes. What news have you, servant of Nabal."

"I am also a servant for his wife, Abigail, my lord. She is coming to speak with you. She sent me ahead to beg you, please hold your attack until she arrives."

David looked behind me then back at my eyes. "You gained my trust while we worked side by side with the sheep." He signaled his men to hold back. "All right. She may have a short time to get here. If she does not come soon, we will attack Nabal's household."

"Thank you, my lord." I had no concerns. I knew she would come. Abigail had proven her kindness and willingness to protect her family many times.


I watched the fields and after a short time, saw her in the distance. She kept under the shadow of the hill. If Nabal saw her, he might attack. She and the servants with her pulled donkeys ladened with food supplies chosen for David and his men.


David signaled his men to move toward her. Abigail slid off her donkey and bowed low to the ground. "My lord, please forgive my husband."


David shoved his hands on his hips. "I have protected all this." He pointed to the land around him. "All our work, now done in vain. We took nothing belonging to Nabal and yet he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so and more to my enemy if I let one male servant of his survive the night."


Abigail groaned. "Oh, my lord, please put the sin on me. And please let you maidservant speak to you and may you hear my words."


She waited for his permission to speak then continued. "Please pay no attention to the scoundrel, Nabal. His name, meaning folly, fits him. But I did not see the young men whom you sent. Since the Lord has held you back from bloodshed to avenge yourselves until I could speak with you, please reconsider your plan. 


"And now, accept this present which your maidservant has brought you. Give it to the young men who follow you, my lord. Please forgive the sins of your maidservant for surely the Lord will reward your house since you fight His battles and evil is not found in you.


"Even though a man seeks your life, yet God protects you. The Lord shall reward you for all the good you've done, for you will rule Israel. And now, please spare yourself grief for shedding blood without cause. When the Lord deals well with you, then remember me."


David looked at her for a few minutes. His face soften and resumed normal color. He reached out to her and helped her stand. "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel who sent you this day to meet me. And blessed is your advice, and blessed are you, because you have kept me from shedding blood and from avenging myself with my own hand.


"Truly the Lord has kept me back from hurting your household to give you opportunity to rush out to meet me. You have saved the lives of your servants, Nabal's servants. Thank you for this gift of food. 


"And now, please, go in peace to your house. I will respect you, your family, and your servants."


I walked with Abigail and the others back to her house. Truly this woman has won the blessings of the Almighty God.


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1. Who did the servant rush to meet?
2. What message did he give?
3. What did David say?
4. Who came next and what did the person bring?
5. What message did she give David. 
6. Who took the blame for the sin? Who actually sinned?
7. What did David decide?


photo courtesy of Biblevisualimages.com

Abigail, Kind Sweet Abigail

By Mary Vee
I Samuel 25

The Shepherd/Servant's Thoughts

After David heard the news about Nabal, he became angrier than a lion who had his food stolen. Everyone knew Nabal deserved any wrath David spilled on him, especially those of us who are Nabal's servants. The problems is, his wife didn't deserve the trouble. 


Abigail was a woman of good understanding and she was beautiful. She had worked hard to please her husband and kept their house clean. She took care of all chores at the house while Nabal was off shearing the sheep and she never stirred trouble. The whole countryside knew what a lovely woman Abigail was both inside and out.


David's temper flashed when he heard what Nabal said. Even though I knew him only a short time, I could tell David would gather his men, their weapons, and punish Nabal for the evil words he said. 


I needed to warn Abigail. I took the short cut which ran through open fields, taking my life in my hands. If Nabal saw me, he'd find something to punish me for. It didn't matter. Abigail needed time to solve the problem.


When I arrived, Abigail had a basket of laundry in her arms. I ran to her and caught my breath. "I have terrible news for you."


"Here, sit down, and catch your breath then tell me your news."


"Forgive me, it can't wait." 


She handed me a cup of water, anyway while keeping her eyes on me. Her soft heart showed even in trouble times. I gulped the water then told her the news. "Abigail, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but Nabal treated them harshly. 


"David and his men were very good to us. They never took anything of ours, and they protected us as long as we stayed near them in the fields. They were a wall to us both night and day keeping any enemy away...all the time we took care of the sheep. Please, think about what you will do because David has determined  to fight our master and his household. Nabal is such a scoundrel to bring this trouble on us."


"Oh, dear." She grabbed the fabric from her dress which dragged against the ground  and ran to the servants. 


I followed to help where I could. She called out orders to servants as she ran. " I need two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep dressed to eat, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raising, and two hundred cakes of figs. Quickly."


While the servants ran to pack the food she hurried to the donkeys. "Help me get them ready." We untied the stubborn beasts and coaxed them out to the yard. She wiped sweat from her brown and kept working. "I'll stay here and load the donkeys. Take two servants with you and go before me. When you meet David tell him I am coming behind you. Breathe no word to Nabal."


"Yes, my lady." 


I waved to two other servants known to be fast runners and led them in the direction David would probably come.


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Picture courtesy of christianimageresource.com  


1.  How did the servant describe Abigail?
2.  Why did the servant leave David and the other shepherds?
3.  What did he tell Abigail?
4.  What did she do?
5.  What job did the servant have?
6.  Why did she want someone to do that job?
7.  Why, do you think, did God include this story in the Bible?

David's Bad Week

By Mary Vee
I Samuel 25

David's Thoughts

This hasn't been one of the best weeks. 


First--


My friend and spiritual leader, the one whom God sent to anoint me as future leader of Israel, has died. The prophet Samuel, truly a man of God, now rests in the everlasting arms of God. I will miss him.


Then--


My men and I traveled to Maon to hide from Saul. Wherever the Lord sent us, we looked for ways to help the people who lived in the area. A few shepherds who worked for Nabal joined us for fellowship. We protected the shepherds and their sheep, let them join in our evening fun, even eat with us. They fit in quite nicely with my men, laughing and working together.


One day we ran out of food. 


Since we had helped Nabal's shepherds, I sent ten messengers to Nabal to ask for food or whatever he could spare. 


Apparently Nabal was shearing his sheep when my men arrived. He allowed them to speak to him. They said, "Greetings in the name of our commander, David. Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. 


"Our commander has heard you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Please, ask your men and they will tell you. David asks that you let his men who protected your shepherds find favor in  your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you can spare to your servants and to your son David."


Nabal said to my messengers, " Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away, each one from his master. You expect me to take my bread, water, and meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men when I don't know where they are from?"


The nerve of Nabal! He, a man of great wealth couldn't share food with those who had protected his land, who risked their lives that his sheep could prosper? Unbelievable.


I paced for a few minutes. No. I could not tolerate such disrespect even for one minute.


I picked up my sword and raised it high. "Every man, take up your sword. We will fight Nabal tonight."  Two hundred men were chosen to protect our supplies and four hundred followed me to war against the man who treated my messengers wickedly and wouldn't share with those who helped him. 


P.S. At the time, I didn't know one of Nabal's servants left my camp and ran to Nabal's wife, Abigal, to warn her.


Come back next week to read about the war against Nabal.


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1. Where did David go?
2. Who did he and his men help? What did they do?
3.  When David ran out of food what did he do?
4. Who is Nabal?
5.  Why did Nabal say no?
6. When the messengers told David the message, what did he do?