Nabal was very wealthy. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. One day Nabal was in Carmel shearing his sheep. While David was in the wilderness, (still on the run from Saul because Saul wanted to take his life) he sent ten young men to Nabal asking him to find favor in his sight for them because previously David's men had done no harm to Nabal's shepherds. When the ten young men of David came to Nabal, Nabal refused to help them or give them anything of his.
When the ten young men came back to David and gave him the report of Nabal's response, David became angry and prepared them to go and take what they wanted from Nabal by force.
But one of the young men reported all this back to Abigail, Nabal's wife. Being a discerning woman, she decided to be strong, and bold, and do something to make things right.
"Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on donkeys. And she said to her young men, “Go on before me; behold, I come after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. And as she rode on the donkey and came down under cover of the mountain, behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them." 1Samuel 25:18-20
Abigail fell down before David and pleaded with him to not act violently against her husband, but instead to place her husbands guilt on herself. She gave him the gift mentioned, and then asked for forgiveness on the part of David. Obviously, this wife respected her husband regardless of his behavior and harshness towards others. She was a loyal and a committed wife regardless of the kind of man she married. So much so, that she was willing to take the blame for her husbands actions! How many of us are that committed to our husbands?
Well, David blessed Abigail for her discretion and for her committment to her husband. Not only did her actions save her home and her husband, but it also saved David from committing a sin against God and the house of Nabal. God used Abigail to prevent more wrong from being done. Abigail was willing to be used and was bold in her committment.
After Abigail was sent back home by David, she finds her husband holding a huge feast like that of a king. He was drunk, so she waited till the morning before she told him what she had done.
The next morning, when he was sober, she told him what she had done. The Bible says his heart died within him and he became as stone, then ten days later the Lord struck him and he died.
David, upon hearing of Nabal's death, says:
“Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The Lord has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.”
Thanks to Abigail's actions, David did not do anything wrong against Nabal and his house. Abigail made an impression on David, so he sought after her and took her as his wife. He saw firsthand how committed she was as a wife to Nabal. He knew he could safely trust in her.
Are we as committed to our husband, no matter what negetive qualities he may possess? Do we posess these qualities of discernment or wisdom that Abigail possessed? It takes boldness and courage to be strong in this way and to fight for our families. Does that mean that when our husband makes mistakes that we ought to cover for him? Not necessarily. (In the case of serious issues like abuse...definitely seek out help for the sake of you and your family. Seeking help when needing is still being committed to our families and our husbands) That is where wisdom comes to play. God took care of Nabal. He had to pay the consequences for his actions and behavior. As wives we are instructed to follow our husbands and when we married our husbands we committed ourselves to him and our family. Let us strive to be committed wives, and loyal wives to our husbands and families!
