DAILY READING
REFLECTION
A Wise Woman
By Dave Mann
Abigail was a beautiful, wise, and discerning woman. She knew what to do and when to do it. At times, she hurried to get things done quickly, but other times she showed deference. She was in a marriage with a foolish man. Indeed, the name Nabal means exactly that – Fool. She was not present for Nabal’s fool-hearty response to David’s men. An ingrate he was, not recognizing the benefit David and his men had been to his net worth. Yet, when Abigail learned of her husband’s words, which seriously put the lives of all the clan at risk, she hurried to meet with David. Not bothering to tell Nabal of her plan, she did what needed to be done. When she arrived before David, she immediately dismounted from her donkey and bowed. She took the blame for Nabal’s retorts upon herself, presented her gifts, and awaited whatever response David might give. Though she took charge of bringing generous gifts, she did not come with pride and arrogance. Abigail and Nabal were long past the potential benefit of marital counseling, yet with her own life at risk, she sought to protect him and everyone else in the clan.
Another theme concerns the Lord’s gracious hand which worked through the words of Abigail. The Lords used Abigail to restrain David from needless bloodshed. The NIV uses the phrase “kept from.” The ESV uses the phrase “restrained from.” (See vv. 26 and 31-33.) Abigail was the human instrument the Lord used to prevent David from rising to avenge himself against Nabal's foolish response.
Abigail, a wise woman, positively influenced both a fool and a future king. Because of Abigail, the lives of her husband, all his male servants, and his male family members were spared. She also saved David from the needless shedding of blood.
No doubt, there are many women whom we know feel stuck in a less-than-ideal marriage. Abigail is a model of a discerning woman who, despite her difficulties, still labors to make the best of a hard situation. I am sure that many reading this post can look back on their lives and identify times when the Lord, in his mercy, used someone to restrain us from using the sword of our words to lash out at others who have treated us poorly.
May the Lord bring many people like Abigail into our lives. May the Lord also inspire us to be like Abigail.
PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for the example of Abigail. I pray for all couples who have difficult marriages. May both parties grant their spouse the best possible sacrificial love. Also, I pray for those who have been wrongly abused. May they wisely entrust their vengeance to the Lord himself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DAVE MANN
I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of six. Pam and I have lived twenty years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.
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