Abigail’s Strength

A man in Maon had a business in Carmel; he was a very rich man with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats and was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The man's name was Nabal, and his wife's name, Abigail. The woman was intelligent and beautiful, but the man, a Calebite, was harsh and evil in his dealings. - 1 Samuel 25:2-3 HCSB

Though Saul was still on the throne, it was widely known that David had been anointed as the next king. The hatred Saul had for David and his relentless, mad pursuit for David’s death was also be well-known.

Abigail was not just any farmer’s wife. Her husband, Nabal, was a very wealthy and powerful man. Like the politicians of our day, David and Saul were probably both wooing Nabal as a potential donor to their war chests and an important source of employment. David had spent the entire year protecting Nabal’s flocks only to be spurned when pay day came.

Apparently, David reacted violently in keeping with his nature, which only makes his restraint toward Saul that much more remarkable. He took 400 warriors and went to kill Nabal and every male member of his household.[1]

Abigail’s beauty was matched by her brains. She quickly gathered sufficient supplies to feed David’s 600 men[2] and met him on the way. She quickly jumped off her mount, bowed her face to the ground and gave him the respect her worthless husband had not. During the course of her very short statement, she addressed David as “my lord” fourteen times. Talk about some serious ego stroking!

She was willing to refocus his rage upon herself saying, "The guilt is mine, my lord”[3] and “Please forgive your servant's offense”[4] David quickly calmed down and came to his senses. He did not apologize for being wrong because disrespect to the Lord’s anointed was, after all, a capital offense. However, he praised Abigail for her discernment and blessed her.

Abigail returned to her husband who by this time was too drunk to be able to understand how narrowly he had squeaked by with his life. When he did find out, the Lord struck him so that he died after ten agonizing days. After an appropriate amount of time had passed, David called for Abigail and got himself a wise and capable wife.

When wrong has been done, Abigail has left us a remarkable example of how to go about defusing potentially volatile situations and bringing about justice. She went straight to David, did not deny that a wrong was done, spoke to him respectfully and was willing to take her share of the blame. Further, she did something tangible to rectify the situation. She demonstrated confidence in his calling as future king and showed consideration for his future needs. Her willingness to humbly serve was her greatest strength.

[1] 1 Samuel 25:22, 34
[2] He left 200 back with the baggage 1 Samuel 25:13
[3] 1 Samuel 25:24
[4] 1 Samuel 25:28