2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Fellow Believers,
We should never tire of seeing the many ways that God’s hand exerts itself in David’s life and those of all believers. For a believer, each day is a “God” day, and we can find great comfort in that. A seemingly simple covenant agreement made between David and Saul’s son, Jonathan, has already had significant implications to the lives of both men and their families. We will see that even more as David’s story continues to unfold. No, I haven’t forgotten Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth. It’s just not time to get to him yet, but we will. For now, it’s time to examine 1 SAM 25, which may seem a bit off the subject of David’s covenant with Jonathan, but really isn’t. Notice God’s interaction in this chapter. God never forgets His covenant promises.
Securing provisions is always a problem for David and his men. It would be for any people who are kept constantly on the run by persecutors like Saul and his men. As 1 SAM 25 opens, we are introduced to Nabal, a rich landowner who lives near the town of Carmel who was married to the beautiful Abigail. A feast day was nearing, and David sent 10 men to Nabal to greet him and ask him if he will receive them kindly. They were to tell Nabal that his shepherds had been with David and his men and nothing was stolen from them. In other words, David was approaching a fellow Jew and asking him to host them and give them provisions (1-9). Nabal’s response was to ask who David was and refuse this friendly request with excuses (10-11). One needs to understand the customs of the Jewish culture to understand what an insult this was. In Jewish life, there are three very important principles that are stressed: getting a good education, being a good host, and the giving of alms to the needy. Obviously, the second one was being seriously breached here.
David’s response was to feel anger when Nabal’s response was delivered to him. You can be sure there was consternation among Nabal’s shepherds at hearing of this insult to David who had been so good to them in protecting them and their flocks. Herein is where God begins to take action. Abigail knew her husband (whose name, by the way, means “fool” in Hebrew) had done wrong and set conditions in motion that might lead to violence. God gave her the wisdom and the courage to go to David, claim responsibility for the insult, offer David provisions, and beg David not to pay attention to her husband’s stupidity (12-27). Then in 1 SAM 25: 28-29, Abigail reveals the depth of her understanding of this situation. “Please forgive me, sir, for any wrong I have done. The Lord will make you king, and your descendants also, because you are fighting His battles; and you will not do anything evil as long as you live. If anyone should attack you and will try to kill you, the Lord your God will keep you safe, as a man guards a precious treasure. As for your enemies, however, He will throw them away, as a man throws stones with his sling.” Now, that is one stunning statement! Where else could Abigail’s understanding have come from but God in the process of keeping his covenant promises? The comment about the sling indicates that Abigail knew that David had slain Goliath, but the understanding that David was fighting God’s battles and the prophesy of the Davidic covenant [2 SAM 7: 12-13; PS 89: 3-4] yet to come is nothing short of amazing.
Once again, we are exposed to the depth of David’s willingness to obey God in his response to Abigail’s plea. 1 SAM 25: 32-33, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you today to meet me! Thank God for your good sense and for what you have done today in keeping me from the crime of murder and from taking my own revenge.” God had given David His perspective, by reminding David that taking personal revenge was not living up to his covenant agreements. God was in charge then, just as He is today. David accepted her provisions and sent her home with a promise that she and Nabal would come to no harm. But, God wasn’t finished with Nabal. As the rest of this chapter unfolds, Nabal, who had been eating and drinking to excess sobered up and then suffered a stroke. Ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal, and he died (36-38). When David heard about that, he proposed to Abigail, who had impressed him so much, and she became one of his wives (39-43). Once again God’s will was accomplished, and David continued his life on the run from Saul. Tomorrow, we will see how once again, the Lord places Saul under David’s power and the obedient choice David made in handling this situation.
In 1 PET 4: 2, Peter writes about changed lives. “From now on, then, you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires.” This reminder is a wake up call to us that the only way to eternal life is through obedience to God. Had Nabal been obedient to God, he would have gone on protected, healthy, and surrounded by his wealth and a beautiful wife. Instead, he chose foolishness. PR 9: 2 and 12: 14 put the lesson of this chapter in a nutshell, “To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding…Your reward depends on what you say and what you do; you will get what you deserve.” These are wise words upon which all of us should meditate.
PRAYER: O Lord, the covenant agreements to which You call us are always based in Your wisdom and love for us. As Jehovah Shalom, You are a God of peace. Chaos and loss are borne out of mankind’s disobedience, and not out of Your love. David’s humanity shows up in his initial response to Nabal’s stupidity in 1 SAM 25, but because of Your wise and protective interaction in sending Abigail to him, David is enabled to make the choice You made possible for him. He remembered his covenant agreement not to take personal revenge, but to let You bring justice. We must remember that as participants in the Covenant of Grace, You have made it possible for us to make righteous choices when confronted with provocation to become angry. There were many ways that You provided for David in keeping Your covenant commitment to him. First, You reminded him not to take personal revenge, then You saw to his provision and that of his men, and lastly, You gave him the ability to choose to keep his covenant agreements with You. While David might not have fully understood the eternal implications of that, You gave him a way to eternal life with You through his obedience. We are all sorely provoked right now by the horrible events of 9-11-01 against our country. That is why the lessons of this chapter are so timely. What David learned is also meant for us. We bow to Your wisdom in reminding us of them, and in humility offer You our adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, trust, obedience, glory, honor, praise, and thanksgiving. In Christ’s name, amen.
As promised above, we will go on to 1 SAM 26 in tomorrow’s message. This will give us an even deeper view of David’s willingness to obey God and how God blesses him for that. These wonderful lessons shouldn’t be lost on us in our own lives. All around us, we are surrounded by God’s love for us. While this won’t stop stupidity, violence, illness, or other works of the devil from happening, it will give us the wisdom to act in such a way as to be eternally protected from them. Our loving Abba has given us the ability to see more of the bigger picture than those who act in unbelief and unrighteousness. Take comfort in knowing that He is there for each of us. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn