Continuing our look at David’s wilderness adventures in 1 Samuel 23 – 31, there might be a temptation for us to be down on ourselves compared to David. Look at the dude: not only is he good-looking, destined to become king, a musician, and a warrior, but he’s also tough and he’s patient and trusts God! Fret not. David is a man, which we find out for sure in 2 Samuel 11. But in this section, too, there are flaws – mistakes in judgment – for which he needs to be rescued by others. We could even say that God protects him through others.

The first incident is documented in 1 Samuel 25. Nabal is a wealthy rancher from whom David asks for support through 10 of his men. The exchange goes like this:

And Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” So David’s young men turned away and came back and told him all this. And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David…. (1 Samuel 25.10 – 13, ESV)

So David, after showing mercy to his enemy, Saul, who wants to kill him, intends to wipe out Nabal and all who belong to him. Nabal’s wife Abigail, a “discerning and beautiful woman,” gets some food together and wisely appeals to David’s destiny:

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your servant. Let not my lord regard this worthless fellow, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he…Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. And now let this present that your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow my lord…For the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live…My lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or for my lord working salvation himself.” (1 Samuel 25.23 – 31, ESV)

In other words, you don’t want to be known as the guy who wiped out a fellow Israelite for no reason. The good news is that David took Abigail’s advice, recognizing it as God’s word to him:

And David said to Abigail, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! For as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.” (1 Samuel 25.32 – 34, ESV)

There are lessons here: just because we start a rash action, doesn’t mean we have to finish. We can stop any time. And, we can listen to good counsel even if it comes from an unlikely place. (Not everyone in those days would have listened to a woman, no matter how carefully she chose her words. Some of that goes on today, come to think of it!)

We’ll look at the second such incident tomorrow.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1.7, ESV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3.5 – 7, ESV)