1 Sam 25 2-38 Abigail’s Good Understanding CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In 1 Sam 25, we read about Abigail.  She is described in 1 Sam 25:3 as “a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance.”  Before we consider how her good understanding was manifested in this chapter, let’s look at whom she married.

• Nabal was churlish – 1 Sam 25:3 – this means he was difficult to work with and deal with; he was vulgar; he was crude, rude and socially unacceptable.
• Nabal was evil – 1 Sam 25:3 – he matches the naughty person of Prov 6:12-15.  See his evil response to David’s men.  He knew that David was going to be the next king [1 Sam 25:30].
• Nabal was a son of Belial – 1 Sam 25:17 – that is, he was like a child of the devil.  Look at other children of Belial to see the kind of company Nabal was in: Deut 13:13, those who worship false gods; Jud 19:22 the sodomites of Benjamin; 1 Sam 2:12 the sons of Eli.
• Nabal was a fool – 1 Sam 25:25 – Nabal’s name means “fool.”  Folly was with him.  He nearly caused the death of his entire household [1 Sam 25:21-22].

In spite of being married to a fool, Abigail maintained a beautiful countenance.  Prov 15:13 says, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance.”  She did not let her marital situation bring her down.  People in a bad relationship like this let the sadness and pain get to them and their countenance reveals it.  She didn’t hide Nabal or cover for him; she just didn’t let his bad behavior ruin her.  When you have a spouse who is foolish or a child who is foolish, though they hurt you, you can’t let them ruin you by bringing you down.

Abigail’s good understanding is revealed in the following:

She didn’t try to “fix” Nabal – 1 Sam 25:14-17 – after the young man came to Abigail to tell her what Nabal had done, she didn’t fuss and argue with Nabal, she didn’t demand that he do anything, and she didn’t even tell him what she was going to do [1 Sam 25:19].  She just left him alone.  You can’t fix a fool.

Se didn’t fret – sometimes people become so distraught over their family situation that they end up wasting a lot of time worrying, crying and telling others about their problems.  No fool has ever been made better by all the worrying and fretting.  That will just wear you out.

She intervened to save her family – 1 Sam 25:18 – see 1 Sam 25:7-8, 27.  David was coming to kill them.  So, Abigail sent many items to give him and his men, the things for which David’s men had originally asked.  And that they certainly deserved these things [1 Sam 25:15-16].  When you have a bad family situation, you may have to do some damage control to protect the rest of your family. 

She walked very closely with the Lord – 1 Sam 25:24-28 – when Abigail came to David, she prostrated herself in humility and bore the reproach of her husband’s actions.  Instead of challenging David, she demonstrated the mind of Christ, as if she had committed the iniquity.  She had to be walking closely with the Lord to be able to do this.  When you have a fool in your home, you must stay close to the Lord in prayer, in the Bible and in church.

She backed the right man – 1 Sam 25:28-29 – Abigail backed God’s man instead of the person who was wrecking her household.  So often, when there is a son of Belial in the house, he gets the majority of the attention and God and the people who behave get very little attention.  Don’t let that happen.  Give God and the rest of the family all the attention and the fool very little.  And if someone calls your “fool” a “fool,” so be it.  That’s what he is.

She spoke with great wisdom – 1 Sam 25:30-31 – look how David replied to Abigail’s plea in 1 Sam 25:32-35.  Her plea worked.  David even complimented her “advice.”  What she said was “right on the money.”  And she didn’t bother to tell Nabal when he was drunk.  She “understood” how terrible that would have been.  She waited until he was hungover, the next morning.

She waited for God to “fix” Nabal – 1 Sam 25:37-38 – within days of railing on David’s men, Nabal was dead.  I know you fear that your fool may die, but sometimes that’s the only remedy for a fool.  Abigail understood this.  She couldn’t fix him; so she left him in God’s hands to do what he could.

Conclusion: as it turns out, after Nabal’s death, David married Abigail.  She obviously continued in her good understanding.  Her son, Daniel, the second child of David, didn’t die like the other three of his four oldest children died.  Her boy stayed out of trouble.