Abigail’s Name means “my father rejoices,” which is fitting given her spirit of humility, honesty, and purity of heart. From her speech to David and the results of her actions, there are many lessons we can learn as young sisters in Christ.
Although Abigail was married to a foolish man, she herself was a wise believer and her husband’s weaknesses enabled her to display her true strength. Her husband, Nabal, had reaped the benefits of being a near neighbor to David and his men, yet he dismissed David’s messengers, stating he did not even know of David. Nabal was a descendant of Caleb, which implies he was brought up within a household of faith (I Sam. 25:3; Num. 14:30.) However, Nabal’s lack of knowledge of God’s will concerning David indicates that he was an unbeliever.
Our community may be small, but dating outside of it can have many consequences. Even within the household of faith, it is important to find a God-fearing mate. God provides many instructions to abstain from marriage with unbelievers, even those who claim to be believers, to protect us from this mistake (II Cor. 6:14).
Abigail was a believer who married a fellow member of the body, but he had no faith. Although Nabal and Abigail were not equally yoked, Abigail was strengthened in patience and wisdom in her marriage to Nabal. It was Abigail’s steadfast faithfulness to God that allowed Him to work in her life.
Blessed are the peace makers
Abigail, as demonstrated by her speech, had been watching David and knew of God’s purpose for him. She said to David, “For the Lord will certainly make my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found throughout your days” (I Sam 25:28).
She respected David and in so doing reminded him that killing Nabal and his household was not one of God’s battles. She continued in her speech, recalling to him his victory over Goliath and Saul’s pursuit of David:
Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God, and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling (v. 29). David’s wrath subsided toward Nabal and he thanked God for bringing Abigail into his life, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel who sent you this day to meet me” (v. 32).
A virtuous woman
As described in Proverbs 31, the virtuous woman does her husband good and not evil (v. 12), she opens her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness (v. 26). Although Abigail was married to a foolish man, she tried to preserve his life and the lives of her household. The virtuous woman is also described as watching over the ways of her household. Abigail was known to have wisdom in the household, which is why the servant came directly to her. She wasted no time preparing five donkey loads of provisions for David’s men.
As she was the woman of the household, she took complete responsibility for Nabal’s actions and asked David to place the blame on her and not her foolish husband. Abigail provided natural food as well as spiritual food to David (Matt. 4:4).
David recognized Abigail knew God’s plan and principles, “And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand” (I Sam. 25:33).
God’s mercy on Abigail
Abigail’s heart was intent on saving her household and preventing David from avenging his anger on Nabal. She asked him to remember her since she knew David would be made King, “But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant” (I Sam. 25:31). Abigail returned to her house to serve her husband and household. She had no idea that ten days later Nabal would be struck down by God.
We are not told how Abigail reacted to the death of her husband; but despite knowing Nabal was foolish, she may have loved him. When David received the news of Nabal’s death, he asked Abigail to be his wife and she accepted. Psalm 30 may well reflect how Abigail felt after becoming the wife of David as it describes a mind which found much gladness in the Lord:
Hear, 0 Lord, and have mercy upon me; Lord be my helper! You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to you and not be silent. 0 Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever (Psa. 30: 10- 12).
Abigail vs. Michal
By contrast, Michal, David’s first wife, was self-serving and not Godfearing. This was evident when David was rejoicing at the return of the ark to Jerusalem. Michal looked down from the palace with hardness in her heart. She was not celebrating with the kingdom, but despised her husband in her heart. She did not see God’s glory being reflected in David. He came to his house with a blessing, but she responded to his joy with indignation. David’s anger was aroused against her, and she was unable to conceive for the rest of her days (II Sam. 6:16-23).
Both Michal and Abigail were married to the same man, but their approach and words produced very different responses. How can we as young sisters interact with our fellow brothers to help them serve God better? Michal had selfishness in her heart and found no joy in her husband’s love for God. It is easy to become too demanding in our relationships and not allow for God’s will to take place. Do we have a good understanding of God’s purpose in our lives, are we thankful for His blessings, or do we instead have hardness in our hearts?
Abigail had a good understanding of God’s purpose (I Sam. 25:3). As a woman of faith, she turned David’s anger into gladness and thanksgiving. We note that “Yahweh” is used seven times during Abigail’s speech, which re-focused David’s mind on God’s will. She approached the men in her life with respect and was not out for her own gain. She was unselfish in all her ways. Even in an unspiritual marriage, she was steadfast in God’s word, believing that God would continue to guide and protect her and those whom she loved.
Lessons to learn
Sometimes it seems hard for us to relate to the women of the Bible. Their lives were so different from ours today. What lessons can we learn from this story of Abigail? It is against our nature to acknowledge God’s purpose during the hardest times in our lives. Because of trials in our lives, we may relate more to Michal’s response to David than to Abigail’s spirit of humility. Paul offers advice for those who are suffering, “Therefore I take pleasures in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (in Christ)” (II Cor 12:10). It is through our trials that God can see our true faith in Him and allow us to grow in Him.
If we are open to God’s purpose in our lives, the purity in our hearts will shine through in our actions to our fellow brethren and sisters. Abigail’s purity reminds us to be like a salt-bearer, to help purify others and not just be pure ourselves (Matt. 5:13.) Abigail’s character of purity, loyalty, knowledge of God’s will and her fear of the Lord can give us a fantastic role model to try to emulate.
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates (Prov. 31:3031).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One