1 Samuel 25

because he was too old, and they didn’t want his sons to succeed him because they accepted bribes and perverted justice (8:3). But King Saul was guilty of disobeying God’s clear commandments and also of lying about what he had done, and because of these sins, he had forfeited his throne. He was still in office and yet was unfit to lead the nation, and Samuel had broken fellowship with him (15:34–35). In his grief, Samuel must have felt like a dismal failure as a father, a spiritual leader, and a mentor to the new king. The word translated “mourn” means “to mourn for the dead” and reveals the depths of Samuel’s sorrow.

There is a time to mourn (Eccl. 3:4), but there is also a time to act (Josh. 7:10), and for Samuel, that time had arrived. In spite of how he felt about himself, Samuel’s work wasn’t over yet, for God wanted him to anoint the new king, David, the son of Jesse. If Saul was “the people’s king,” then David was God’s king, and the events recorded in these two chapters indicate clearly that God’s hand was unquestionably on David, the leader of His choice.

Personal relationships are a large part of our lives, the most important being our relationship to the

Lord. If from childhood you and I had kept a list of all the significant people who came in and out of our lives, we’d be amazed at their number and the variety of roles they played. Leaving God out of the picture, the longshoreman philosopher Eric Hoffer said that other people were “the playwrights and stage managers of our lives: they cast us in a role and we play it whether we will or no.” But you can’t leave God out of the picture! After all, He’s the one who writes the script for us, chooses the cast, and puts us into the scenes He’s planned for us. If we follow His directions, life becomes the satisfying fulfillment of His will, but if we rebel, the plot turns into tragedy.

These two chapters record four events that reveal David’s involvement with four different kinds of people.

The death of Samuel, Israel’s prophet and judge, is mentioned twice in the book (28:3). Both references state that all Israel mourned his death and gathered to bury him. Of course, not every Israelite attended the funeral service, but the leaders of the tribes were present to pay their last respects to a great man. It was Samuel’s faith and courage that helped the nation transition from political disunity to a somewhat united monarchy. Since Saul and Samuel had been alienated for over seven years, it’s not likely that the king attended the funeral, but he would call on Samuel for help even after the prophet was dead (chap. 28).

The people of Israel didn’t always obey Samuel when he was alive, but they were careful to honor him when he died. Such is human nature (Matt. 23:29–31). However, Samuel didn’t prepare an elaborate tomb for himself at some important public place, but instead asked to be buried at his own house in Ramah, probably in the garden or in a courtyard. In his pride, King Saul had prepared a public monument to himself at Carmel (1 Sam. 15:12), but Samuel, who truly deserved recognition, humbly asked to be laid to rest at his own home.

David knew it would be dangerous for him to attend the funeral at Ramah, for Saul would have his spies there, so he retreated to the wilderness. David had shown his love and respect for Samuel while the prophet was alive, so there was no need for him to make a public appearance. Samuel had anointed David king of Israel and had often protected David and given him counsel. How wonderful it is when the saints of the older generation spend time with the younger leaders and help to prepare them to serve the Lord and His people, and how encouraging it is when the younger leaders listen and learn.

Samuel was the kind of spiritual mentor and counselor that every leader needs, because he put the concerns of God ahead of the politics of the hour. To Samuel, pleasing the Lord was far more important than being popular with the people. It broke his heart when Israel asked for a king, but he obeyed the Lord’s orders and anointed Saul. It wasn’t long before he was disappointed in Saul, but then the Lord led him to anoint David. Samuel died knowing that the kingdom would be in good hands.

David was in Masada (“the stronghold”) when Samuel died (24:22), and he and his men left there for the “wilderness of Paran,” more than a hundred miles south of Masada. Perhaps David felt that the loss of Samuel’s influence and prayers meant greater danger for him and therefore he needed more distance between himself and Saul. Instead of “Paran,” some texts read “Maon,” a place of refuge near the Dead Sea where David had been before (23:24). The events in the story of Nabal occur in Maon near Carmel (25:2), and this suggests that Maon may have been David’s hiding place. Perhaps David fled to Paran and then backtracked to Maon, but considering the nature of the terrain and the difficulty of travel, this idea seems untenable.

During David’s previous stay in the wilderness of Maon (23:24ff.), which is in the vicinity of Carmel, his men had been a wall of protection for Nabal’s flocks and those caring for them. Nabal was a very wealthy man, but he was not a generous man. When David returned to Nabal’s neighborhood, it was shearing time, a festive event (2 Sam. 13:23) that occurred each spring and early fall. David hoped that Nabal would reward him and his men for their service, for certainly they deserved something for protecting Nabal’s sheep and goats from the thieves that usually showed up at shearing time.

David’s expectation was logical. Any man with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats could easily spare a few animals to feed 600 men who had risked their own lives to guard part of his wealth. Common courtesy would certainly dictate that Nabal invite David and his men to share his food at a festive season when hospitality was the order of the day. It wouldn’t be easy to feed 600 men in the wilderness, so David sent ten of his young men to explain the situation and to ask to be invited to the feast. Nabal refused to listen.

The character of Nabal is described as “churlish and evil” (1 Sam. 25:3), which the NIV translates “surly and mean” and the nlt “mean and dishonest in all his dealings.” (Did he become rich by being dishonest?) He was from the tribe of Judah and the family of Caleb, one of the two spies who urged Israel to enter the Promised Land (Num. 13–14; Josh. 14:6–7). But the name “Caleb” also means “a dog,” so perhaps the writer was conveying this meaning as well. The man was like a stubborn vicious animal that nobody could safely approach (1 Sam. 25:17). One of his own servants and his own wife both called him “a son of Belial—a worthless fellow” (vv. 17, 25). The Hebrew word beliya’al means “worthlessness” and in the Old Testament refers to evil people who deliberately broke the law and despised what was good. (See Deut. 13:13; Judg. 19:22; 20:13; 1 Sam. 2:12.) In the New Testament, the word refers also to Satan (2 Cor. 6:15).

When the young men graciously presented their case, Nabal “railed on them,” which the NIV translates “hurled insults at them.” The Hebrew word describes the shrieking of a bird of prey as it swoops down to tear its victim. It’s used to describe Saul’s hungry men as they fell on the plunder and butchered the animals (1 Sam. 14:32; 15:19). His words are found in 25:10–11 and certainly reveal the heart of a man who is selfish, arrogant, and rebellious. Abigail recognized David as king (vv. 28 and 30) and called David “my lord,” but Nabal compared David to a rebellious servant who abandoned his master! (v. 10) It’s obvious that Nabal’s sympathies lay with Saul and not with David, another evidence that he had no heart for spiritual matters as his wife did. When you note all the personal pronouns in verse 11, you immediately recognize his pride and self-importance. He didn’t even give God credit for making him wealthy (Deut. 8:17–18; Luke 12:15–21)!

The young men reported Nabal’s reply to David who immediately became angry and swore revenge on him. David could forgive Saul, who wanted to kill him, but he couldn’t forgive Nabal who only refused to feed him and his men. Nabal was ungrateful and selfish, but those are not capital crimes; Saul was envious and consumed with the desire to kill an innocent man. David’s anger got the best of him; he didn’t stop to consult the Lord, and he rushed out to satisfy his passion for revenge. Had David succeeded, he would have committed a terrible sin and done great damage to his character and his career, but the Lord mercifully stopped him.

God’s servants need to be on guard at all times lest the enemy suddenly attack and conquer them. “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5: nkjv). David was a godly man and a gifted leader, but the best of men are but men at their best.

When the Lord isn’t allowed to rule in our lives, then He steps in and overrules. He saw that David was about to act rashly and foolishly, so He arranged for a wise and courageous woman to stop him.

Abigail’s wise plan (vv. 14–19). When this anonymous young man reported his master’s actions to Abigail, he was serving the Lord whether he knew it or not. He knew he couldn’t talk to Nabal about anything (v. 17), so he immediately went to his mistress, a wise and prudent woman. In those days, the parents arranged marriages for their children, so we aren’t surprised to see a wise woman married to a foolish man. (Alas, it often happens today without the help of parents!) No doubt Abigail’s parents considered it fortunate that their daughter could marry such a wealthy man, and she obeyed their wishes, but her life with Nabal must have been tedious. All her husband was interested in was money, food and drink, and having his own way.

The servant reported how David and his men had protected the shepherds and their flocks, and how Nabal had refused to repay them. Did the young man know that David and his men were on their way to confront Nabal, or did he simply surmise it? Perhaps it was the Lord who gave him a special intuition that trouble was coming. Nabal and his servants were defenseless against David’s 400 men. But if David had succeeded in this venture, it would have given Saul the evidence he needed that David was a dangerous renegade who had to be dealt with drastically.

Abigail put together enough food for David’s men but said nothing to her husband. She was the mistress of the house and could dispose of the family provisions as she saw fit, even to the extent of sharing it with others. Nabal would have opposed her even though she was doing it for his own good. She wasn’t stealing from her husband; she was paying a debt that he refused to pay. In order to save a little money, Nabal was foolishly jeopardizing the lives of everybody in his household, especially his own.

Abigail’s humble apology (vv. 20–35). Only a sovereign Lord could have arranged the timing of David’s attack and Abigail’s approach so that the two bands met. Abigail bowed before David and acknowledged him as her lord and king; in fact, she used the word “lord” fourteen times in her speech. Nabal would not have approved of her words or her actions because he was a follower of Saul and considered David a rebel (v. 10). Abigail was a woman of faith who believed that David was God’s king, and she saw King Saul as only “a man” (v. 29). She quickly confessed that her husband was a “worthless fellow” (v. 25, see v. 17) who lived up to his name—fool, and she explained that she had known nothing about David’s request for food. She accepted the blame for “this iniquity” (vv. 24, 28).

In the rest of her speech, Abigail focused on David and the Lord and not on David and Nabal, and her emphasis was on David’s future. By now David was calming down and starting to realize that he was in the presence of a remarkable woman. She pointed out that the Lord had stopped David from avenging himself, and David admitted this was true (vv. 32–34). Abigail admitted that her husband deserved to be judged, but she wanted the Lord to do it, not the king. In fact, she promised that the Lord would judge all the enemies of the king.

Abigail reminded David that the Lord had given him “a sure house” (“lasting dynasty,” niv), so he didn’t have to fear the future. David was safe, bound in “the bundle of life” by the Lord, but his enemies would be hurled out like the stone David used when he defeated Goliath (see Jer. 10:18). No matter what Saul planned to do to David, the Lord would keep His promises and make David ruler over Israel. Then David would be glad he hadn’t shed blood in order to avenge himself or get to the throne. The Lord would treat David well and he had nothing to fear.

Abigail had only one request for herself: that David would remember her when he came into his kingdom (1 Sam. 25:31). Was this a veiled suggestion of marriage, should Nabal die? Or was Abigail merely looking ahead and seeing herself as a widow who could profit from friendship with the king? Perhaps she was cautioning David to remember her and her advice when he became king so he wouldn’t be tempted to take things into his own hands and forget the will of the Lord. As it turned out, David didn’t wait too long after Nabal’s decease but took her as his wife!

David blessed the Lord for providentially stopping him from killing innocent people, and he also blessed Abigail for her wise advice. David was a smart man to listen to reproof wisely given (Prov. 15:5, 10, 31–33); it’s not likely that Saul would have listened to a woman’s counsel. David wrote in Psalm 141:5, “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it” (nkjv). How we receive reproof and counsel is a test of our relationship to the Lord and our willingness to live by His Word. David admitted that he was wrong, the Lord forgave him, and the Lord worked out the problem for him.

Abigail’s unexpected marriage (vv. 36–44). Nabal is feasting when judgment is just around the corner! He didn’t stop to thank God for the blessings He had sent to him, or even to consider that these blessings came because of his wife’s faith and in spite of his own meanness. Nabal’s idea of happiness wasn’t to praise God or feed the hungry, but to eat to the full and get drunk. Nabal made no profession of faith in the Lord but was like the people Paul described: “whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things” (Phil. 3: nkjv).

Wisely, Abigail waited to tell her husband what she had done. The news so stunned Nabal that he experienced a stroke and lay helpless for ten days, and then the Lord took his life. What caused the stroke? Was it pride and anger on learning that his wife had dared to help David without his permission? Or was it shock in realizing the danger he had been in and how close he and his household had come to being slain? What if Saul heard that Abigail had befriended David? The king might consider Nabal an enemy and punish him accordingly. Whether one or all of these considerations caused Nabal’s paralysis, it was the Lord who ultimately took his life. Sad to say, he died as he had lived—a fool.

When David heard the news of Nabal’s death, he praised the Lord for avenging him and preventing him from doing it himself. David’s concern was the glory of God and the advancement of His kingdom. Abigail certainly must have been pleased to be set free from the yoke of such a wicked man, a man she probably married against her will. David had been so impressed with her character and wisdom that he thought she would make a good queen, so he sent messengers to ask for her hand in marriage. It was an opportunity no woman would refuse, and she submitted to her king and even offered to wash his feet! In marrying Abigail, David not only acquired a good wife, but he also got possession of all of Nabal’s wealth and property, which was situated near Hebron where David later established his royal residence (2 Sam. 2:1–4; 5:5). He had already taken Ahinoam as his wife, since she is always named before Abigail (27:3; 30:5; 2 Sam. 2:2). She was the mother of David’s firstborn son, Amnon, and Abigail bore him Kileab, also named Daniel (1 Chron. 3:2).

But what about David’s first wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter, who had helped to save David’s life? After David fled from home, Saul gave her to another man, probably using the alliance as a means to strengthen his own position and to break David’s connection with the throne. There was no legal divorce, so Saul forced Michal into an adulterous relationship. When David was reigning over the tribe of Judah in Hebron, he demanded that Michal be returned to him (2 Sam. 3:13–16). However, Michal didn’t remain a loving wife and probably resented David’s taking her father’s throne. She died childless (6:16–23).