1Sa 25:18 | KingComments | STEP | Abigail hurries ( ; ). It is the haste of faith to hold someone back from foolishness. She does not act out of protection for her husband, but she acts with the future of David in mind. This shows a great faith. If faith is present, there is also wise action. She takes everything Nabal has refused to give and even does more than that. David has asked for things that Nabal could easily take ( ). Abigail also gives food that she has prepared. This is far more than a mere compensation of Nabal’s refusal. Later she will also compensate the insulting words Nabal has spoken. She acts according to the truth of the proverb: “A gift in secret subdues anger, and a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath” ( ; ). With her gift she goes to David. She comes down. This suggests that in the valley, i.e. in a humble attitude, a dispute can be settled. Affection and mercy are found in the deep. This is present with Abigail in relation to David, and thus she prevents him from carrying out a wrong intention. While she is on her way, she meets David. The meeting is described in a way that suggests that she hears everything David says, and that David then suddenly stands face to face with her. What David intends to do and the reason for it are told. This shows that David reacts as a provoked and offended man. In his opinion Nabal has rewarded him “evil for good”. For that he will avenge himself. To do so, he has, he thinks, every right. He is thus far away from the mind he has always shown toward Saul, which thus reminds us of the mind of the Lord Jesus. Nabal’s refusal to give him some of his prosperity, and Nabal’s insult in relation to his person, went down the wrong way with David. However misplaced Nabal’s refusal may be, he did not do injustice to David. There is no agreement that David will be rewarded for the protection he has offered. David’s punitive expedition is disproportionate to the refusal and the insult done to him. The fact that the world does not show any gratitude for services rendered and perhaps even insults us should not be a reason to avenge ourselves. Gratitude is not a right we can claim. We too can count on the Lord to reward everything we have done out of love for Him, especially if we do not receive the expected reward from people. It is not our task to avenge ourselves for injustice or insult: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” ( ). Because David listens to Abigail, the LORD takes Nabal for His account, and David does not do anything that he would regret later.

‏ 1 Samuel 25:18

Abigail Meets David

Abigail hurries (1Sam 25:18; 1Sam 25:23 ; 34 ; 42). It is the haste of faith to hold someone back from foolishness. She does not act out of protection for her husband, but she acts with the future of David in mind. This shows a great faith. If faith is present, there is also wise action. She takes everything Nabal has refused to give and even does more than that. David has asked for things that Nabal could easily take (1Sam 25:8). Abigail also gives food that she has prepared.

This is far more than a mere compensation of Nabal’s refusal. Later she will also compensate the insulting words Nabal has spoken. She acts according to the truth of the proverb: “A gift in secret subdues anger, and a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath” (Pro 21:14; Gen 32:13b-21).

With her gift she goes to David. She comes down. This suggests that in the valley, i.e. in a humble attitude, a dispute can be settled. Affection and mercy are found in the deep. This is present with Abigail in relation to David, and thus she prevents him from carrying out a wrong intention.

While she is on her way, she meets David. The meeting is described in a way that suggests that she hears everything David says, and that David then suddenly stands face to face with her. What David intends to do and the reason for it are told. This shows that David reacts as a provoked and offended man. In his opinion Nabal has rewarded him “evil for good”. For that he will avenge himself. To do so, he has, he thinks, every right.

He is thus far away from the mind he has always shown toward Saul, which thus reminds us of the mind of the Lord Jesus. Nabal’s refusal to give him some of his prosperity, and Nabal’s insult in relation to his person, went down the wrong way with David. However misplaced Nabal’s refusal may be, he did not do injustice to David. There is no agreement that David will be rewarded for the protection he has offered. David’s punitive expedition is disproportionate to the refusal and the insult done to him.

The fact that the world does not show any gratitude for services rendered and perhaps even insults us should not be a reason to avenge ourselves. Gratitude is not a right we can claim. We too can count on the Lord to reward everything we have done out of love for Him, especially if we do not receive the expected reward from people. It is not our task to avenge ourselves for injustice or insult: “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord” (Rom 12:19).

Because David listens to Abigail, the LORD takes Nabal for His account, and David does not do anything that he would regret later.