There are so many important stories in first Samuel. Stories of betrayal, loyalty, friendship, bravery and submission. We often are amazed by stories like David and Goliath, yet one of the most amazing and instructive stories in first Samuel is the story of Abigail. The narrative of her actions is found in 1 Samuel 25. Unfortunately, our Come Follow Me reading did not include this story.
David has escaped the wrath of Saul through the help of Jonathon. He goes into hiding and collects a band of soldiers who were also disaffected. David has a couple of chances to end Saul's life but refuses because he knew it was wrong to take the life of the king. He uses his army to protect the southern flank of Israel from enemies approaching from the south.
The story of Abigail begins with the explanation that David and his men have been living near the land owned by a wealthy man named Nabal. They protect Nabal's shepherds and flocks from enemies who would have raided Nabal's land. David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep and sent ten of his men to ask for Nabal's favor in providing some provisions and food for his army. Nabal not only refuses, but he insults David. David reacted in anger and vowed to destroy Nabal, his family, and his entire household.
Some of the servants reported the incident to Nabal's wife, Abigail. She immediately took action. She gathered food and supplies and hurried out to meet David.
(1 Sam. 25:24–27) She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, let the sin be upon me. Let your servant-woman speak to your ear and listen to the words of your servant-woman: “Let not my lord pay attention to this worthless man. “Nabal is his name and as his name, so is he. “His name is Nabal and nebalah (outrage) is with him. “I, your servant, did not see my lord’s lads whom you sent. “And now, my lord—by the life of YHWH and by your life, YHWH has indeed prevented you from coming into blood-guilt, has rescued you. “And now, may all your enemies who seek my lord’s evil be like Nabal. “And now, may this gift which your servant has brought to my lord be given to the lads who go at my lord’s feet.”
"Abigail knows that she has to convince David she is not acting as Nabal’s emissary, so she begins by insulting her husband. The insult strategy is familiar in Israel’s history. For example, the midwives in Egypt called the Hebrew women “animals,” ḥayyôt, to protect themselves. In the same way, Abigail distances herself from Nabal by declaring him a boor, and creates a bond between herself and David. This bond generates ethical demands. It distinguishes between the boor (nabal) who commits outrages (nebalah) and the man who would never commit a nebalah such as slaughtering an innocent household. Abigail herself took no part in Nabal’s rejection of David. Far from it, she reveals herself as God’s emissary. In the first of three 'And now' clauses, she avows that God is acting to prevent David’s bloodguilt. She is so certain of God’s actions that she can reveal them under oath, implying that she herself is acting as God’s agent. In her second 'And now' clause, she expresses her wish that all David’s enemies be as easily thwarted as Nabal, and in her third 'And now,' she offers her own gift to David’s men, which, like Jacob offering his gifts to Esau (Gen. 33:11), she calls a berakah, a gift-in-blessing. Abigail then turns to announcing David’s destiny and, in particular, his destiny from YHWH, whom she calls by name five times and 'your god' once." Frymer-Kensky, Tikva. Reading the Women of the Bible (pp. 319-320).
Through Abigail's actions and words, David saw the folly of his ways. He vows not attack Nabal and his household. There are so many parallels of this story and the story of Saul and others we have already studied. I hope you will ponder on past discussions and put into perspective these remarkable actions of a woman who submits to David in a dangerous situation.
James Farrell draws several interesting insights from this narrative. The following are taken from his book, The Hidden Christ. He has written about Abigail in other places.
"What amazing grace! Upon hearing of the wrong committed by another, Abigail raced to gather what the aggrieved—David and his men—had been denied by Nabal’s mistreatment. She then sought out David with her gift—to save him from avenging himself, wherewith he would begin to fight his own battles rather than the Lord’s, and commit an 'offence of heart' that would keep him from receiving 'all the good that [the Lord had] spoken concerning [him].' Upon delivering to David all that he needed and more, thereby atoning for Nabal’s sin, she then took Nabal’s sin on her own head when she pleaded, 'upon me let this iniquity be.' And then in an utterance that teaches us just what it means to take upon oneself the sins of another, she pleaded, 'forgive the trespass of thine handmaid.' Think of it: The one who had done no wrong asked for the mistreated person to forgive her—not Nabal, the actual perpetrator of the wrong, but her! In her mind, as she knelt before David, Nabal’s sin was now hers. She had taken it upon her, claiming it as her own. 'Forgive the trespass of thine handmaid.' No purer words have ever been spoken—except, that is, by Him in whose similitude she uttered them. Consider how closely Abigail’s story parallels the Savior’s:
• She atoned for the wrong committed by another.
• She provided all that was needed to him who was harmed.
• She took the sinner’s iniquity on her own head, even though she herself had done no wrong.
• She pled for the avenger to give up vengeance.
• And she was the means of delivering peace.
When we think of the Atonement, we most often think about how the Savior filled in the gaps for our own sins, which he surely did. That is, we are all sinners, and someone had to bridge for each of us the otherwise impassable chasm between us and eternal life that we have created through sin. So normally we think of the Atonement as something that Christ has done for us—for ourselves. But Abigail invites us to look at the Atonement from a different angle—not from the perspective of how Christ has atoned for our own sins, but rather from the equally true perspective that he has atoned for the sins of others. And part of that Atonement, Abigail suggests, is the idea that the Lord offers to those who have been harmed or potentially harmed by the sins of others the help and sustaining they need to be made whole. Those deprived of love can receive his love. The companionless can find a companion in him. Those with a cross to bear can find another who carries and makes it light."
"There is no more beautiful character in all the words ever written than the peacegiver Abigail. Her words and actions change everything—every interaction, every relationship, every feeling, every thought. They change everything because they teach us something extraordinary about the Lord’s Atonement. Those who see Abigail’s offering never see life the same way again. David and Jonathan saw it. Unfortunately, Saul never did. The question is, will we see it?" Ferrell, James L.. The Hidden Christ: Beneath the Surface of the Old Testament
"The questions is, will we see it?" I hope we each see it!
