Beautiful and wise

Beautiful and wise: Abigail

Abigail was beautiful and wise. You can be both beautiful and wise, they’re not mutually exclusive characteristics. She must also have been kind and good to the servants. Her husband Nabal was mean and cruel. When one of the servants heard the terrible news that something truly awful was about to happen as a result of Nabal’s wrong actions, he went to Abigail. He was Nabal’s servant but he went to Abigail because his master was ‘such a wicked man, no one can even talk to him’.

Abigail must have been kind and approachable because this servant could be candid with her about his master’s actions. He told her how David’s men had protected them night and day when they were out with the sheep. He explained how instead of repaying David for his kind actions, his master had instead insulted David and his men. Now terrible disaster was coming on the whole family as a result.

Abigail responded promptly and judiciously. She rushed to remedy the situation. She prepared some timely gifts (good food) and hurriedly left with some trusted servants to dissuade David from attacking them. She was wise and discreet enough not to tell her foolish husband yet. She humbled herself before David and his men. She spoke calming, decent and true words to stop him from carrying out an act of revenge. She got him to listen to her and change course, thereby averting danger for her family. She was courageous in facing up to a famous warrior like David and he thanked her for her actions. She even put in a good word for herself to the future king. She said: ‘Please remember me when the Lord brings you success’.

“The Lord will keep all his promises about good things for you. He will make you leader over Israel.”

1 Samuel 25:30 ICB

https://www.bible.com/1359/1sa.25.30.icb

When she got home from her mercy mission, her husband Nabal was feasting like a king and drunk as a skunk. Abigail knew her husband well enough not to confront him when he was drunk. She waited till the next morning to tell him of the consequences of his rash actions, his very near miss. Nabal, it seems, was in so much shock at the news, he probably had a heart attack. Ten days later he died of natural causes.

David did remember Abigail and he married her. She was safe and would be provided for. She would be the wife of a good man who listened, very much unlike her first husband. She would be married to the king of Israel. Abigail was beautiful and wise, rich but sensible, influential but kind. Being blessed is no excuse to be proud. Being blessed is actually a good reason to be good to others. Those kind acts of mercy can save lives.

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