Sermon Tone Analysis

*A WOMAN OF WISDOM*

* *

*I Samuel 25*

 

 

Periodically in the Bible we run across a story that seems to be a book within a book; short stories within the larger story of a complete book of the Bible.

These short stories have their own introduction, their own plot and counter-plots.

And then they have their own conclusions.

And if you spend enough time on a few of these kinds of stories, they leave a lasting impression on your mind.

Now, in I Samuel 25, you find a story like that.

It’s a book within a book.

Hopefully, after today this story will become as memorable to you as the story of Abraham offering up Isaac, or of the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, or of Daniel spending the night in the den of lions.

I Samuel 25 contains a story that is really a simple 3-act play.

And if you can let your imagination run with you for a moment, I’d like for you to think about this three-act play beginning with the main characters coming out in font of the curtain before the curtain rises before the first act.

You’ll notice in verse 1, the first character that is introduced to us in this scene of Scripture is man who is very familiar to us.

His name is David.

We read that Samuel the prophet died.

*“And all Israel gathered together assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at this home in Ramah.”*

The very next phrase says that *“David moved down into the desert of Moan.” */(Some of your Bibles read Paran/).

So we have David who is living in the desert of Moan.

That’s the first character in this story.

Then comes the second main character and he is mentioned for us by name in verse 2, *“A certain man in Moan, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy.

He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing.”*

Now this guy is very rich.

The Scripture says literally he was */“heavy/*”.

He was weighted with riches.

We’d say this guy was loaded!

Verse 3 gives us his name.

His name was Nabal.

Now skip over the middle part of verse 3 and look at how the verse ends describing Nabal as a *“Calebite, who was surly and mean in his dealings.”*

Now, the name Nabal means “fool”.

In those days a man’s name was often a reflection of his character.

And that’s the way it was with Nabal.

He was a harsh, bigoted, stubborn, irritable fellow.

Other than that, he was a nice guy!  Look at verse 17 if you want to get a glimpse of what one of his servants said about him.

This servant is right now talking to his wife.

Verse 17 reads*, “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.”

*

 

This past week I came across a little story about Oliver Cromwell.

Oliver Cromwell was a great British statesman of years gone by, and he had a disfiguring wart on his face.

And his portrait painter suggested rather tactfully that Cromwell pose in a certain way that he might cover the wart.

And Cromwell blurted out/, “No!  Paint me as I am.

Warts and all!”/  Now that’s the way the Bible paints people.

Nabal had warts on his character.

He was an ugly, harsh, irritable fellow that nobody could talk to.

Now unfortunately someone was married to that fellow, and she was a lovely person.

Verse 3 introduces the real star of the play and her name is Abigail.

*“His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail.

She was an intelligent and beautiful.”*

That’s a tremendous combination.

She wasn’t just beautiful.

She had the face and she had the figure.

Abigail was a knockout!!  Let’s just put it straight, okay?

And here is this winner of a woman married to a loser of a husband.

Abigail had everything going for her, but she was married to a dud!

Well, how does a beautiful woman with so much going for her wind up with such a loser for a husband?

In those days, a woman had little choice in who she would marry.

Her father made that decision.

And this is the one that her father linked her up with, no doubt.

!

I ACT ONE

 

Now it’s payday as the curtain rises on Act one.

It’s sheep-shearing time.

And sheep-shearing time was to these people what the first and 15th of each month is to many of us.

It’s the time in which the money is paid out and the employees are given their due.

Verse 4 reads, *“While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.”*

Now why would that concern David?

Because David was sort of an ancient Robin Hood if I could use an extreme illustration.

David had about 600 men with him in the desert of Moan and they voluntarily looked over the sheep of a number of the people.

In this case, they watched over the sheep and shepherds of Nabal and they voluntarily protected them from the prowling thieves and wolves.

So when sheep-shearing time came, then it was time to pay off David and his men.

Now, there was no written contract that was legal and binding.

But it was sort of like tipping at a restaurant.

And it was in some ways expected that you would pay the people out in the field who guard your sheep.

Now, notice what David does.

We’re in the field in this first act, scene one.

Look at verse 5, *“So David sent 10 young men and said to them, ‘Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name.

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 young men, since we come at a festive time.

Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.”*

I would say that is a very genuine and gracious bill.

Has the Water department or the Phone Company ever sent you a bill like that?

They never send a bill hat reads, /“Dear Mr. Mason, Peace to your home.

Peace to your family.”/

They just send a bill that says */PAY BY THIS DATE/* or we’ll shut your water off!

David doesn’t do that.

He just sends word that */“Whatever you feel led to give, we’ll accept with gratitude.”/*

So Nabal is left with a very gracious open-handed offer.

Before we run ahead and find out what his response is, look down in verse 15 because this is the testimony of Nabal’s shepherds who were in the field.

*“These men were very good to us.

They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields next them nothing was missing.

Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding the sheep near them.”*

Now that’s faithfulness.

And David and his 600 men had faithfully taken care of Nabal’s flocks of sheep and herds of goats.

So they come to Nabal at the ranch at Carmel.

Now, go back to verse 9.

This is scene two in Act one.

Verse 9, *“When David’s men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David’s name.

Then they waited.”*

In other words, the men came and delivered the message , and then they just sort of stood there with their hands in their pockets, wondering*/, “What is Nabal going to say?”/*  Well, they’re about to find out.