1 Samuel 25 - Vengeance Belongs to the Lord

1 Samuel 25 – Vengeance Belongs to the Lord

 

Previously in 1 Samuel, we saw Saul pursue David to the caves of En Geti. David had an opportunity to kill Saul, but he did not, neither did he permit his men to do so. Instead, he showed reverence to Saul, and showed him how he spared his life in the cave. As a result, Saul humbled himself and left off the pursuit of David for a time.

The next chapter begins by telling us that Samuel died. We don’t know how close of a relationship David and Samuel had, but we know that Sameul was instrumental in David’s life. He was the one who anointed him as the next king, and he was the one who hid David when he was on the run from Saul. Sometimes it may be difficult to lose those who we have looked up to, those who have been a source of stability in our lives, but The Lord wants us to learn to lean on Him for our primary source of stability and guidance. Both Saul and David looked up to Samuel, but it was David who truly valued the word of the Lord through him, while Saul did not. All Israel revered Samuel, and, no doubt, it was due to his godly character, leadership, and his closeness to the Lord. They all came together to lament his death, and buried him at his home in Ramah. They had just lost one of the greatest intercessors they would ever have, but the Lord was not done with Israel.

After this, David went back to the wilderness of Maon, an area belonging to the tribe of Judah. There was a man there of the house of Caleb who was very rich, and he did his business in Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. The man’s name was Nabal, meaning fool. The biblical definition of a fool is someone who rejects God (Psa 14:1), and as a result, they naturally reject His word as well. Nabal had apparently rejected God, and he was harsh and evil in his doings. His wife was Abigail, and she was just the opposite of her husband. The name Abigail means the joy of her father, and it states she had good understanding (wisdom), and she was beautiful. Her wisdom and godly conduct will be on full display as the account continues.

Nabal was shearing his sheep in Carmel, and when David heard of it, he sent 10 young men to ask provision from Nabal. The time of sheep shearing was a time of rejoicing and feasting, and it was extended to all who took care of the sheep. David had instructed the young men to greet Nabal with peace, and to explain how he and his men had been good to Nabal’s shepherds while in the field. Again, it was culturally acceptable for David to ask for provision, since he and his men had helped in taking care of his sheep (they were a wall around them by day and night). David did not ask for a certain amount of compensation, but whatever Nabal wanted to give.

When Nabal heard this, he essentially asked, “Who does David, the son of Jesse, think he is?” There are many servants now-a-days who break away from their masters. Nabal knew who David was, and not only did he insult David, he accused him of rebellion against Saul. He further replied, “Why should he take his bread, water, and meat that was for his shearers, and give it to strangers?” So, David’s men went back and told David what Nabal had said. When David heard this, he told his men to gird on their swords, and he did likewise. David could handle being harassed by Saul, but he couldn’t handle being insulted by a guy like Nabal. He allowed his pride to get the better of him, and he was ready to lower himself to Nabal’s level. David said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.” This can easily happen to us as well. Some person says something completely wrong or absurd to us, and we’re ready to go off the handle on them. This never pays off in the long-run, and very rarely in the short-run either. Nabal’s wife will be the voice of reason in all this to talk David out of it.

Well, one of the young men who worked for Nabal went and told Abigail what had happened, and how Nabal had reviled them. He told her that she should know and consider what she should do, for harm was determined against Nabal and all his household. He was such a scoundrel that no one could even speak to him. So, Abigail quickly took 200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys to take them to David. This gives us an idea of the type of wealth that Nabal had, and he was still unwilling to give to those in need. She sent her servants on ahead of her, and she went under cover of the hill, not telling her husband what she was doing. No doubt, he would not have approved, but she was sparing all their lives, including his.

When Abigail saw David, she got off her donkey and fell on her face before him, and said, “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant.” Wow! It would take a godly woman who would be willing to take the blame for a guy like Nabal. She told David not to pay attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for as his name was, so was he. He was a fool, and it wasn’t worth lowering himself to Nabal’s level. Abigail told him that she had not seen the men he had sent to her husband. It was the Lord who had held him back from taking vengeance, and that he should trust the Lord to deal with Nabal, just like the rest of his enemies. She urged him to take the gift, and asked that he forgive her trespass, again taking the blame for her husband’s folly. The Lord will build David an enduring house, because he was righteous and he fought the Lord’s battles. Saul was seeking his life, but the Lord would protect David and defeat his enemies. She then reminded him of the Lord’s promise to make him king, and that when this happens, he would have a clean conscience since he did not take vengeance or shed innocent blood. She asked him to remember her when the Lord had dealt well with him. This would have been a terrible mistake on David’s part if he had gone through with it. With the exception of Nabal, David would have killed all his men who were innocent of any wrong-doing. You see, man’s vengeance is always cruel and goes above and beyond what is necessary, and has its roots in hatred. God’s vengeance, on the other hand, is exactly what is needed, and is motivated by God’s loving nature and justice. This would have hung over David the rest of his life, and would have certainly affected his rule as king over the nation. This move would have made him more like his enemy Saul, and would have created distrust between him and the people.

David could have gone ahead with his original plan, being too proud to admit he was wrong in front of his men, but he humbled himself and changed his mind. He stated, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” He accepted the Lord’s correction through this godly woman, accepted her gift, and told her to go home in peace.

When Abigail got home, Nabal was holding a feast in his house as though he was a king, and he was very drunk. You cannot reason with a drunk, so she waited until the morning to tell him what had happened. After he had sobered up in the morning, his wife told him what had happened, and it states his heart died within him and he became like a stone. After 10 days, the Lord struck him, and he died. It would seem that Nabal had a heart attack or stroke, but the Lord gave him 10 extra days to repent before finally taking his life. The wheels of God’s judgment move slowly, but they grind thoroughly. God’s vengeance may be a long-time in coming, but it always comes after the Lord has given that person every opportunity He can. David did not need to take matters into his own hand; the Lord took care of it for him. This may seem like a harsh punishment for the Lord to take someone out for merely reviling David and refusing to give him provision, but I think it was the final straw for Nabal. He clearly had a reputation for this sort of thing, and had been behaving in this manner for a long time. David said, “Blessed be the Lord, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept His servant from evil! For the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal on his own head.” We should always be grateful when the Lord keeps us back from folly.

After Nabal’s death, David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to be his wife. Saul had taken Michal, David’s first wife, and had given her to another man. Abigail arose, bowed her face to the ground, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” Again, she was demonstrating incredible humility in spite of what had taken place. So, she went with the servants, and became David’s wife. David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel to be his wife, so he now had two wives. In the law given through Moses, kings were not to multiply wives to themselves, lest they turn his heart away from the Lord. Although David’s faith in the Lord would ultimately remain intact, his son would take polygamy to the extreme, and he would turn away from the Lord later in his life. The Lord always knows best, and even though we may not see immediate consequences, we will always reap what we sow.

In application, in what ways are we like Nabal? Do we find ourselves becoming defensive when others disagree with us or correct us? Are we stubborn and obstinate, refusing to listen to anything anyone else has to say? Can we be such a scoundrel that no one can even reason with us? Are we so greedy and selfish that we are unwilling to share our abundance with others in need? If we find ourselves rejecting any sort of advice or reasoning from others, or if we are only concerned with our own needs and wants, this is Nabal behavior. Remember, rejecting godly counsel and ultimately the Lord Himself is folly, and pride is at the root of it. We are really shooting ourselves in the foot. When we find ourselves acting in this way, we need to confess and forsake our sin, and find the Lord’s mercy.

Maybe we are like Abigail. Maybe we are under an obstinate boss at work, or, if you are a wife, a cruel and obstinate husband. As one commentator said regarding a wife in Abigail’s shoes: “May I say to you lovingly, but firmly, if such a circumstance has befallen you, that is no reason for you to invoke the law of the country to get out of the entanglement. Perhaps God knew that you needed the fiery trial to humble you and make you a testimony to your partner. The Bible says you must stay as you are. Maybe there will come to you one day, as there came to Abigail, a new opportunity; but until then, it is for you to prove the grace and power of the Lord in your heart to strengthen you and keep you pure.” Unless there is fornication involved, you cannot rightfully leave the marriage, but you can trust the Lord as Abigail did and purpose to walk in humility and wisdom. Let the Lord deal with your obstinate husband, and He will do so in His time.

Maybe we are like David who has enough respect for authority that we would not retaliate against them, but when it comes to someone more our equal, we are ready to let them have it. Let us not take matters into our own hands, but let the Lord take vengeance when He sees fit. He knows exactly how to make it count, and He can still do so with that person’s redemption and forgiveness in mind. In Romans it states, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. In the next chapter, we will see Saul go on the pursuit of David once more.