The story of Abigail is mentioned in the first book of Samuel chapter 25. Abigail was a wise and beautiful woman (v. 3). She was the wife of Nabal of the house of Caleb that lived in Maon. Nebal was a very rich man that owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. His business was shearing sheep in Carmel (v. 2). But he was a harsh and evil man (v. 3).
When David and his army where on the run from King Saul, they reached Nabal’s land during the shearing season. And, David sent ten of his men to Nabal to ask for some supplies as they were in need (v. 4-8). But Nabal refused to help David and reviled him saying, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse?” (v. 10). So, David ordered his four hundred men saying, “Each of you strap on your sword!” (1 Samuel 25:13) to attack Nebal.
But the servants of Nabal informed Abigail his wife how David’s men were very good to them, and protected them and their sheep while they were in the fields. And they added that because of Nebal’s response they will now all face harm (v. 14-16). So, Abigail quickly took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs to give to David and loaded them on donkeys (v. 18).
And when Abigail saw David, she said: “Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal… And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. … And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel that this will be no grief to you” (v. 25-31).
Then, David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice… because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand” (v. 32-33). David thanked God for saving him from a rash deed and he accepted her gift.
At this time Nabal was holding a kingly feast in his house and he was very drunk. But when he got sober the next day, his wife told him what she did and how she saved the whole family. When he heard this, his heart was stricken with fear and he got paralyzed. After ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died (v. 37-38). Nabal had his opportunity to be a source of blessing to God’s anointed future king of Israel who was in need. But he refused and thus he lost his right of God’s protection over his own life.
And when David heard of the death of Nebal, he sent a word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. And she accepted his proposal saying, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord“ (v. 41). Abigail’s wisdom and prudence saved her family, David, and his army from the shedding of blood. And the Lord judged Nabal for his evil.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
