Read it... posted on 1 Samuel 13 and partially on 14 tonight... I would catch up sooner if I stopped being so wordy... sorry... still persevering and will eventually get caught up. :)
sandJ
Chapter 25: verse 1... I wonder how old Samuel was?
verse 2-3... interesting the things noted about Nabal... wealthy, smart and pretty wife... but he was mean and a Calebite... does being a Calebite have anything to do with his character, or just a point of birth for the sake of interest?... I guess that having money and a great wife, doesn't necessarily mean a person will be happy... sometimes we think that if we only had... but, here it appears Nabal does have it, yet he is still unkind, dumb, and doomed.
verse 4-13... now, normally I would think this was kind of rude, and like doing a favor just to "cash it in" later... however, I recently read a book called "Foreign to Familiar", which describes cultural differences, and I am wondering if this was a common way of doing things then... also, if it was, and the things I think I learned in my book apply, then it would also have been presupposed that Nabal would have followed the cultural norms and been happy to oblige their request... and to not do so would have been a huge insult... instead of being the other way around, with David's request being the insulting thing.... by refusing David, Nabal is essentially saying that David is neither friend, nor family... which would then make these two men enemies, as there would have been no other option at that point, since the other two were exhausted.
verse 14-19... I wonder how many times Abigail has had to bail her husband out of trouble because of his rash temper and rudeness?
verse 20-22... I find it interesting that David had given up right before God was sending an intervention (Abigail)... I think about how often I am ready to throw the towel in and then God steps in to set it all right... if I could just learn to persevere a little longer, and not get frustrated during the tough things, then I would be able to enjoy the blessings a little more, I think, because I would not have condemned myself by rash words or ill actions (like David's saying "May God deal..., be it ever to severely...")... I wish I could just trust God more in my everyday life, instead of trying to take on the tough stuff on my own, or getting frustrated by it and wanting to give up so easily.
verse 23-25... quite an apology... Abigail should consider going into diplomacy!
verse 26-31... so what does a good apology consist of?... humility, taking responsibility, pointing out the positives of the other as well as the situation, being aware of who the person you are apologizing to is (apparently Abigail had heard of David and his kingship), providing the other person another graceful way out of the situation to help them save face, offering them a blessing (both verbally and physically), and a request for mercy/forgiveness from the other person... sure beats the heck out of a pouty "I'm sorry", or an "If you hadn't, I wouldn't have..."
verse 32-35... sometimes we think that our request for forgiveness is all about us... but here, it is clearly a mutual benefit... Abigail has saved her household, but David has been saved from the guilt of a rash decision to avenge himself out of anger and revenge... Abigail has brought grace and blessing to both parties because of her willingness to humble herself (even for an act that did not involve her)... she could have gone around blaming Nabal for his stupidity and wasted her time pointing out his mistakes, or she could have gone out in a rage to yell at David for his temper and desire for revenge, or she could have just curled up in corner to cry about their impending doom, or she could have just fled to save herself without regard for anyone else, or even gravelled pitieously without a desire to promote the wellbeing of anyone but herself... she could have acted in any number of other ways that would have been human, however, she did none of those... instead, she acted in wisdom... which comes from God (Ephesians 1:17, James 1:5)
I also love how David and Abigail both recognize God's hand in the whole matter...
This story also helps me see some of David's
humaness, and get a glimpse at why God loved him so much... David may have been full of mistakes, but he was quick to repent, and quick to acknowledge and obey God's hand and will when he was made aware of it... it makes me think about how we talked about righteousness a long time ago, back when we first began all these blogs... and so, to carry on more on that, righteousness is not about being perfect, but it is about acting as David has displayed in his character here... repenting and obeying when we realize our mistakes and discover God's will.
verse 36-38... I wonder why she waited to tell Nabal? did she want to make sure that the intensity of the matter sunk in in hopes that he would learn his lesson? apparently, God took care of that part, though
verse 39... ok, that kind of sounds like gloating to me... not sure about that.
verse 40... I can see why David would want her as his wife!
verse 41-42... and I get why she would agree.
verse 43... not so crazy about the whole multiple wives thing... although, I suppose it is a positive that David doesn't just ditch the others when he finds a "new" one
verse 44... how is that Saul's right to do that?
Study Notes suggest that this story about Nabal and David might be a "parable" of Saul's relationship to David.... however, the notes point out that David acts differently to Saul (24:4), than he does to Nabal... the notes then ask why... my only thought on the matter is because Saul is God's annointed, and so off-limits, yet Nabal was not within the protection of God's hand, so David did not feel any remorse in taking him out (like he had done to so many other God-less men through out the lands)
The study notes also seem to suggest that David's request for Abigail's hand in marriage might be a response to her request to "remember your servant" (verse 31). Also, in reference to verse 10 and 29, the notes ask if there could have been a 'cover up' going on... I don't know for sure what is meant by that, but I wonder if the thought is that Nabal was hoping to side with Saul instead of David in hopes of gaining favor with Saul, the current king?
sandJ
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