Written by Amanda Mirian, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in João Pessoa, Brazil
In 1 Samuel chapter 25, we find a story involving God, David, Abigail, and Nabal.
David was God's anointed. Nabal is described as a rude, evil, and foolish man; "such a wicked man that no one can talk to him" (v 17 NIV). He was the husband of Abigail, a woman described as intelligent and beautiful.
David and his men offered to protect Nabal's property and servants, charging whatever he could afford. Nabal was a financially prosperous man, but in his foolishness, he refused David's request. David, in turn, was enraged by Nabal's actions and swore to kill all the men in his house.
How do you deal with injustice? What is your behavior when something unjust happens before your eyes?
The general tendency is to be overcome by anger, revolt, indignation, and the desire for the guilty party to be punished. "Whoever did such and such must pay for it!" Sometimes we forget about who was hurt or suffered the injustice, and we invest all our energy in punishing the guilty party. In this context, anger can turn me into an aggressor.
Anger is part of our repertoire of basic emotions; it appears in situations that we consider unfair. It serves to establish boundaries and prevent further harm. The goal is to stop what causes suffering.
Abigail was informed by one of her servants about what David had done for them and about Nabal's attitude. The servant said, "See what you can do" (v 17). She promptly stepped in to resolve the situation. She sent David and his soldiers a generous amount of supplies and went to meet him.
What would you say to an enraged general, marching with his 400 men, heading toward your house with the goal of killing every male? What would be the right words? What would change David's mind?
Abigail's attitude revealed the wisdom that comes from God: She listened to the needs of those who were offended, found ways to meet their needs, was a peacemaker, and based her words and actions on the fear of the Lord. She reminded David of the God he served and the battles that must be fought.
In 1 Samuel 25:23-31, some of Abigail's words were: "The Lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord”; “you fight the Lord’s battles”; “no wrongdoing will be found in you”; “the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God”; “When the Lord…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.”
Hearing Abigail's words, David praised the Lord for her, acknowledging that God used her and that with her good judgment, she prevented blood from being shed in the name of revenge.
When Nabal learned all that had happened, he suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. About ten days later, the Lord struck him, and he died. When David learned of Nabal's death, he sent for Abigail and took her as his wife.
James 3:17-18 says,
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
David's anger could never produce God's righteousness. The attitude of a godly woman is one of peace and good judgment. When your heart is filled with fury or when someone overcome with anger crosses your path, remember the attributes of God's wisdom, remember the God you serve, be a peacemaker, and remember that a woman filled with the wisdom that comes from above can prevent war.
Besides wisdom, another characteristic of Abigail was beauty. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says,
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
If we want to be wise and beautiful women, we need to seek these attributes from the Lord. The work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will shape our character and guide us in situations where our emotions call us to war. The right words and correct attitudes in these situations come from God, not from ourselves. We need to be at the feet of the Master, Jesus, listening to and practicing His word, so that we are ready to deal with difficulties – our own or those of the people who cross our path.
