December 9, 2015
1 Samuel 25-Part 7
David has sent us to take you back to marry him. 1 Samuel 25:40 NIV
LET IT GLOW
Hurry up, we've got a wedding to attend. Abigail and David are getting married! Finally we have some joy to read about. I'm ready for it, aren't you? After all the running from Saul that David has done; after the mistreatment of Nabal (who has died now), he is ready for some joy, too, I think.
David realizes that the LORD had avenged the insult from Nabal, as well as keeping him from doing it himself. Nabal received the punishment for his sin. Keeping his food instead of sharing with David only lasted for one night for the selfish Nabal, for he had a stroke the next morning when hearing how Abigail kept him from being killed by David. He actually died ten days later.
David realized it was God who kept him from murdering the codger and it is God's job to fight when vengeance is required; as He decides to do, it should be left up to God to do it.
Then David sent messengers to Abigail to ask her to become his wife. How romantic can it get? David sent messengers to relay his proposal.
That can't be more unusual than my father in law sending his proposal to his girlfriend, later my mother in law, to marry him. Hey, it is a true story. We found out during the time she had cancer the second time and death was coming for her down the road. Our daughter decided to get some family history before she left us. Otherwise, we have never known how he proposed. Of course, her reply was a yes. Now, let me insert for his defense, he was working in Tulsa, which was a good four hour drive away from her house back then. But then, he is such a shy person, he probably would have proposed that way had they lived in the same vicinity, I think. Oh, me, oh my.
Say, I just had a thought, if David had been this kind of person, he could have chosen to go ahead and kill Nabal, even after Abigail's visit and food. but his heart was changed because this beautiful lady was willing to take a chance and visit David during his angry attitude.
Choices. We all face them so many times throughout each day. How we react to an impatient, insulting, or hateful person we encounter today is our choice.
Will we lovingly respond with a smile or grumble after they left our presence? It's our choice.
Will we show kindness after the person in line ahead of us acted in such an unpleasant way? Or will we act just like them to the clerk? It's our choice.
LET IT GROW
What was Abigail's response to the proposal from by way of messenger?
Verses 41 and 42 NIV tell us:
- She responded saying, "I, your servant, would be happy to marry David." She didn't morn for that husband of hers very long, I figure.
- She would even be willing to become a slave, washing the feet of his servants! Was she ready to get out of that house?!
- Abigail quickly getting ready, took along 5 of her servant girls as attendants, mounted the donkey, and went with David's messengers.
- And so Abigail, the wise and beautiful woman, became David's wife, which would later make her the queen when he became king, I suppose. But then, he did have several wives, so I am not sure about which one was the queen. Hmm.
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay;
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
When you wait, your situation may not change, but you will. In fact, you may discover that the reason for waiting was all or your benefit, because you're the one who needed to change. (Swindol)
Verse 43 is rather puzzling-David also married Ahinam from Jezreel. You will recall that Michal, Saul's daughter whom David married first, had been given in marriage to another.
What can learn from David? Swindoll advises us to:
Be wise when conflict comes.
Handle each conflict separately.
Wait when we realize there is noting we can do.
Good advice, right?
LET IT GO
Wait patiently for the Lord to act.
Cry out to God in my time of need.
No comments:
Post a Comment