The Wise verses the Fool
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we ended with Saul making an oath to David that he would not try to kill him any more, and David made an oath to Saul the he would not wipe out his family when David became king.
At that point we read:
So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
When we come to chapter 25 there are two stories told. The first of the two is very short and there is only one verse dedicated to it. If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, I want to encourage you to turn with me to 1 Samuel, chapter 25, and we’ll begin reading with verse 1.
The Death of Samuel
The Death of Samuel
Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran.
We learn that the last of the Judges—Samuel—died.
The entire nation turned out for his funeral—see it says all Israel assembled and mourned for him. . .
And we learn that he was buried in Ramah.
The last thing this verse tells us is that David (and his men) moved down into the Desert of Paran—this is the same area as the desert of Maon.
Introducing Nabal
Introducing Nabal
Now we are going to be introduced to a new character. His name is Nabal. Look at verse 2.
A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
This man lives in Moan.
He had property around Carmel.
He was very wealthy!
—1,000 goats.
—3,000 sheep.
And we learn he was shearing the sheep in Carmel. Now shearing time was a very festive time because all the herdsmen were gathered together in one place, they sheared by day, and partied by night.
His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.
Now we learn his name is Nabal.
And his wife’s name is Abigail.
—Now Abigail is intelligent.
—And she is very beautiful.
Nabal, on the other hand is surly—harsh, difficult to deal with, strict, stubborn—could all be used to describe him.
And he is mean on top of all that.
Let’s keep reading!
Back to David
Back to David
While David was in the wilderness, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
David is out in the nearby wilderness, and he hears that Nabal is in Carmel shearing sheep.
So he sent ten young men and said to them, “Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name.
David picks out 10 young men—while they were part of his army, they would not be as threatening as some of the older soldiers.
He sends them to Nabal at Carmel.
And tells them to greet him in the name of David!
David gives them their exact message:
Say to him: ‘Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours! “ ‘Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them, and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.’ ”
Long life!
Good health to both Nabal and his entire household. And to all that belongs to him.
I hear it is sheep shearing time.
When your shepherds were with us:
—We didn’t mistreat them!
—Nothing of theirs ever came up missing.
—And you can verify this with your servants.
So please look with favor upon my men, since we are coming at a festive time.
Please give your servants and your son—this places David in a subordinate position to Nabal—similar to the way he did back in chapter 24 with Saul. The writer is connecting these two events, and making Nabal an alter ego to Saul. It could also have been an invitation for Nabal to enter into a regulated agreement with David; whatever you can find for them. We might say, “whatever you think is fair.
David’s Men and Nabal
David’s Men and Nabal
When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name. Then they waited.
So David’s men go and deliver the message to Nabal—in David’s name—and then they wait for Nabal’s response.
Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.
The first thing that we see is that Nabal is loyal to Saul.
He denies knowing anything about David, and for emphasis says it two different ways.
Then he says that servants are running away from their masters all the time—thus, David is nothing but a traitor to the king.
Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
Now he insults them and their leader David!
Why should I take my food—bread, water, and meat—meant for my shearers, and give it away.
Specifically to “men coming from how knows where?” The NLT says, “give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”
The Response of David’s Men
The Response of David’s Men
David’s men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.
David’s men do nothing!
They leave and return to David.
When they arrive, the report every word that Nabal said to them.
David’s Response!
David’s Response!
David said to his men, “Each of you strap on your sword!” So they did, and David strapped his on as well. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
Go get your swords!
So the men run to get their swords, and David straps on his sword.
And David takes 400 of his men with him to march against Nabal.
And leaves 200 men with the camp and their supplies.
David is MAD! We will see more about this in a minute.
Meanwhile Back At Nabal’s
Meanwhile Back At Nabal’s
There’s a scene change and we are back at where Nabal is shearing.
One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them.
One of Nabal’s servants goes and tells Abigail what has happened!
—David sent messengers with greetings to our master.
—But Nabal hurled insults at them.
Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.
—These men were very good to us!
—They did not mistreat us in any way.
—The whole time were were near them nothing ever came up missing!
Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.
—Night and day they were a wall of protection around us the entire time were around them!
Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.”
—Now DO SOMETHING!
—Because if you don’t disaster is coming to our master and to his entire household!
—He is so unreasonable and wicked that no one can talk to him!
Abigail’s Response
Abigail’s Response
Abigail acted quickly. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys.
Abigail acted quickly! Look what she does.
She gathers 200 loaves of bread
2 skins of wine
5 dressed sheep
5 seahs—or 60 pounds—of roasted grain
100 cakes of raisins
200 cakes of pressed figs
And she loads all of this onto donkeys.
Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.
Then she sends her servants on ahead of her, saying she will follow them.
But she did NOT tell Nabal what she was doing!
Abigail Meets David!
Abigail Meets David!
As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her, and she met them.
As she was riding through a mountain ravine she meets David and his men
They are coming down the ravine towards her—and they meet!
David had just said, “It’s been useless—all my watching over this fellow’s property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”
David is hot—and he just said that all of his care for Nabal and his men was useless.
You get the sense that David may have been thinking he and his men should have taken what they wanted when they had the chance.
David is mad, because Nabal repaid evil for the good David and his men did for him—they were the protectors of the people. After all David is still part of Israel’s army. So what David asked for was not out of the ordinary.
The farther they go the madder David becomes—to the point he says they are going to kill ever male in the household of Nabal—and it will be done before morning!
That is what David is saying when they meet Abigail!
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.
As soon as she sees David, he is off her donkey and bowing before him—a sign of subordination.
She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say.
“Pardon your servant” really means, “I take all the blame. . .” Or, “Put the blame on me.” This is a picture of what Jesus will do for us many years later—He takes all the blame for our sins!
Then she asks for David to hear her out!
Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name means Fool, and folly goes with him. And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my lord sent.
Please don’t pay any attention to what the wicked man Nabal said.
He’s is just like his name—A FOOL!
And folly goes wherever he goes.
The problem is, I never saw the men you sent!
And now, my lord, as surely as the Lord your God lives and as you live, since the Lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.
Yahweh has kept you from needless bloodshed—needless murdering.
And from avenging yourself with your own hands.
May your enemies and all who want to harm you be like Nabal!
And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.
Please accept this gift that your servant brought you.
Allow it to be given to your men.
“Please forgive your servant’s presumption. The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because you fight the Lord’s battles, and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live.
Abigail asks for forgiveness if she has offended David in any way.
Then she ask Yahweh, David’s God to make his dynasty or kingdom be a lasting one!
Because David fights Yahweh’s battles.
She wants David to be found innocent as long as he lives!
Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God, but the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.
Even though someone does want to kill you, your live will be in the treasure pouch of life—securely held there by Yahweh Himself.
But the lives of David’s enemies will be hurled from the pocket of a sling—sent flying.
When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.”
When Yahweh has fulfilled all the good he promised to David.
And when David is appointed king over Israel.
David won’t have a guilty conscience for the needless murders or for avenging himself.
And finally, she asks David to remember her when God gives him success!
David’s Response to Abigail
David’s Response to Abigail
David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands.
David praises the Lord, the God of Israel for sending Abigail to him.
He asks the Lord to bless her for her good judgment
And he praises the Lord for keeping him from needless bloodshed.
And for keeping him from avenging himself with his own hands!
Next he tells her what was about to happen!
Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”
It is a sure thing that if she had not come quickly to meet him
Not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by morning!
Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”
David accepts the gifts she brought.
And sent her home in peace.
And destruction for Nabal was averted!
Abigail Returns Home
Abigail Returns Home
When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until daybreak.
So, Abigail goes home.
She finds Nabal holding a banquet like he was a king!
He was “in high spirits” or “having a good time.”
And he was very intoxicated—drunk!
So Abigail decides not to say anything to him until the next morning!
Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things, and his heart failed him and he became like a stone.
In the morning Nabal was sober—I’m betting he had a dozy of a hangover!
Abigail comes and tells him everything that happened the previous night.
And Nabal has either a heart-attack or a stroke. The diagnosis is not important here. What is important is the connection between the heart and the law of God. Nabal become like stone because of his rejection of God’s law.
And look at the next verse,
About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
Nabal lies there unresponsive for 10 days and then dies!
David’s Response to Nabal’s Death
David’s Response to Nabal’s Death
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
First, David rejoices because God vindicated him. Check out Romans 12:19.
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Secondly, David sends word to Abigail and asks her to become his wife!
His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, “David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.” She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, “I am your servant and am ready to serve you and wash the feet of my lord’s servants.” Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five female servants, went with David’s messengers and became his wife.
Then we are told the names of David’s wives:
David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they both were his wives. But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David’s wife, to Paltiel son of Laish, who was from Gallim.
In addition to Abigail.
There was Ahinoam—of Jezreel.
And of course there was Michal—who Saul unjustly gave away to Paltiel the son of Laish.
So What?
So What?
In reality there are two kinds of people in this world:
The FOOLS—these are people like Nabal. Some of them look good, sound good, are wealthy and successful; and by all appearances have everything going for them, BUT they reject God. They refuse to accept Jesus and live for Him so they, like Nabal are fools, and they will die separated from God for all eternity.
I wonder if David had Nabal in mind when he wrote Psalm 14: 1.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
The WISE—then there are people that, like David, mess up, and make mistakes. But they know Jesus, and are trying to live in obedience to Him.
David understood that the wise man’s heart is steadfast—or confident in God! Look at Psalm 57:7-10.
My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
So if there are only two kinds of people—the Wise and the Fool, I must ask you which one you are?
If you are the fool, you can become one of the wise by asking Jesus to come into your life and accept Him as your Master, Ruler, and Lord.
If you are the wise—are you confident in the Lord—steadfast, and holding on tightly to His promises? If now you can pray the prayer that David prayed in Psalm 51:10.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.