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Transcription
In this transcription, the host, Julie Callio, discusses Chapter 25 of 1 Samuel, which focuses on the story of David, Nabal, and Abigail. She explains that David spared King Saul's life in a previous chapter and now Samuel has died, marking the end of an era. Nabal, a wealthy and cruel man, refuses to provide food to David and his men, which angers David. Abigail, Nabal's intelligent and beautiful wife, intercedes and brings food to David, asking for forgiveness. David is appeased and blesses Abigail. Later, Nabal dies and David marries Abigail. The transcription concludes with a reading of Psalm 39, which reflects on the fleeting nature of life and the hope in God. I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at theab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we're covering chapter 25 of 1 Samuel, which is about David, Nabal, and his wife Abigail. Last year we quickly ran through this story to get through all of 1 Samuel in one week, but this year, since we are incorporating the Psalms within the books of history, we're taking a slower look and gaining more insight into some of these passages. We will read Psalm 39 with today's text. In yesterday's lesson, David spared King Saul's life. Saul had come into the cave to relieve himself, and it was the cave that David and his men were hiding in. David cut off the corner of Saul's robe, and when Saul left the cave, David announced himself and told him that he spared the king's life and showed him the corner of his robe. Saul acknowledged David's mercy, his own wrong treatment toward David, and that David would someday be king. He then called David to commit to sparing his family and his name when he became king. David said yes, and then Saul went home, and David went into the stronghold. Chapter 25 begins. Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him, and they buried him at home in Ramah. This is the end of an era, the end of the judges, and now it is the kingdom leadership. This is also the one man that David could run to, like he did in chapter 19 when Saul's men watched his house and then entered in the morning only to find that Michael, David's first wife and Saul's youngest daughter, helped David escape. Saul asked Michael why she deceived her own father like that, and she lied and said, he said to me, let me get away, why should I kill you? When David fled to Samuel, Saul pursued, and the Lord protected them both. David was still in hiding from Saul, and with Samuel dead, he moved to the southern part of Israel around Carmel. Now this is not Mount Carmel in the north where Elijah made a sacrifice in 1 Kings 18, but it is the place where Saul made a monument in his own honor in 1 Samuel chapter 15 verse 12. Living here was a man named Nabal, which means fool, and he lived up to his name as his wife said in verse 25. We learn that he is very wealthy with many sheep and goats. He is a Calebite, which means he is a descendant of Caleb, one of the first spies that told Moses and the first generation of Israelites, which left Egypt, that they could take the promised land. The people did not listen to Caleb and Joshua, so that generation died in the wilderness, and the next generation plus Caleb and Joshua were allowed to enter the promised land. We learned in Joshua chapter 14 that Caleb was given the land of Hebron as his inheritance. So Nabal came from a highly respected family. We also see at the end of verse 3 that Nabal was also cruel and evil in his dealings. In contrast, his wife Abigail, whose name means my father's joy, was described as intelligent and beautiful. Now according to the commentator Ben F. Filbreck Jr., he ranks this story as quote, one of the literary masterpieces of the Old Testament. The author has combined sharp character portrayals, romance, intrigue, wisdom, and humor into one of the best examples of short story writing in ancient literature. It's not a simple story, however. What at first appears to be just a well-narrated account of one of David's more interesting marriages, in reality tells of a subtle but serious moral crisis in David's life. End of quote. It was time for Nabal to shear his sheep, and David sent ten young men to greet him in his name and blessed him and requested food from Nabal, whatever he would be willing to give. We learned that David and his men had been protecting his herds from harm. Now Nabal responded, quote, who is David and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master. Shall I take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not from where? Now it seems that Nabal was on the side of Saul, but even more to that point we see that Nabal is like Saul. Did you notice how many times Nabal spoke with my and I? Seven times. Just like Saul is all about Saul, so Nabal is all about Nabal. Well David's men went back empty handed, but when they shared the words of Nabal, David was ready to attack and kill all the men of Nabal's estate. Now keep in mind a few things, Nabal never asked David to protect his sheep, so he did not owe David anything, yet the Old Testament laws are clear that people of God are to take care of the aliens and the strangers in the land. David had shown mercy to King Saul even though he was trying to kill him and here David even made a vow to kill many Hebrew men because of an insult on David and his family name. Thankfully an unnamed servant came to Nabal's wife and told her what had happened. He also affirmed that David and his men had protected them and he called them a wall unto them both day and night while keeping the sheep. The servant pleaded for Abigail to intercede because he knew doom was coming toward them because Nabal quote is such a son of Belial or worthless that no one can speak to him. Verse 17 Immediately she got to work. She got food and sent it on ahead of her. Verse 19 says she did not tell her husband. She rode on her donkey and met David. Before she said a word she got off her donkey and bowed down with her face to the ground. She fell at David's feet and now let's look at her words. Robert D. Bergen in his commentary called it the longest speech by a woman in the Old Testament 153 words. He also called this encounter quote one of the most remarkable female initiated encounters between a man and a woman in the Bible. She called David my lord 14 times. One note is the King James Version does a great job at sticking closest to the writing style of the Hebrew language. Then she said the Lord meaning God seven times. She took a humble position toward David and called herself his maidservant. She took responsibility for her husband's actions and in verse 26 she said that the Lord has now kept David from shedding blood. Her coming and bringing the food was a blessing to David. She asked for forgiveness and she stressed that the Lord had blessed David's fighting and that evil has not been found in his battles. She acknowledged that Saul was the one guilty of trying to take his life and that David is fighting the battles of the Lord and David is quote bound in the bundle of life yet David will quote sling out his enemies a reference to Goliath. Then she said when the Lord will do all that he said he would do for David she asked him to remember her this handmaid. This appeased David and in verses 32 and 33 he blessed the Lord. He blessed her advice and then he blessed her because she had kept him from shedding blood and avenging himself with his own hand. He sent her home in peace. When she got there Nabal was holding a feast like a king. His heart was merry and he was drunk. Abigail said nothing to him that night but in the morning when he was sober she told him how she had spared Nabal and all their men. This brought probably either a stroke or a heart attack and verse 37b says his heart died within him and he became like a stone. Ten days later the Lord smote Nabal and he died. When David heard he sent men to ask Abigail to be his wife again she bowed down and was willing to be the servant of her Lord. She quickly got up and rode on her donkey with five of her maidservants. As Bergen said more than any other Israelite woman in the Bible is said to have. She became David's third wife. Verse 43 tells us David had married Ahinoam of Jezreel during his wanderings and verse 44 reminds us of Michael Saul's daughter who was his first wife. This verse tells us that Saul gave Michael to another man as a wife. This may be because she told her dad that David threatened her life which was a lie or it could be because David deserted her or it could be just because he wanted to hurt David. Now I'd like to read Psalm 39 it is entitled for the director of music for Jedethon a psalm of David. Jedethon was one of the music directors when David set up the tabernacle and then with the temple musicians with King Solomon. His name is mentioned in first and second chronicles. We do not know when the psalm was written but with Solomon's death and Nabal's death and David's hasty words and Nabal's wealth now probably going to David this psalm seems to fit well with today's lesson. Psalm 39 I said I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin. I will put a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence but when I was silent and still not even saying anything good my anguish increased. My heart grew hot within me and as I meditated the fire burned then I spoke with my tongue. Show me O Lord my life's end and the number of my days. Let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere hand breath. The span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro. He bustles about but only in vain. He heaps up wealth not knowing who will get it. But now Lord what do I look for? My hope is in you. Save me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of fools. I was silent. I would not open my mouth for you are the one who has done this. Remove your scourge from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand. You rebuke and discipline men for their sin. You consume their wealth like a moth. Each man is but a breath. Selah. Hear my prayer O Lord. Listen to my cry for help. Be not deaf to my weeping. For I dwell with you as an alien, a stranger, as all my fathers were. Look away from me that I may rejoice again before I depart and am no more. Ladies with whom or with what is your hope in? A godly person like Samuel who is now dead? A king like Saul in wealth and things? This psalm and this story tells us both our life and our stuff is here one day and gone the next. The only thing that is eternal is the Lord and when we place our trust in him and we confess our sin like Abigail and come humbly before the Lord we will also be quote bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord our God. In other words we will be safe in his hands forever. Today ladies if you have heard the voice of the Lord maybe even through a person like Abigail don't harden your heart like Nabal instead let's be like Abigail and David and hear and obey. Until next time and thanks so much for listening.
