... He Sat Them Before Us... 12 H ow can we know what to do in a time of crisis? During a crisis, there is usually a great deal of emotion involved: fear, anguish and weariness are many times common, but for some people, apathy, despondency and denial are commonplace responses. It's inevitable that if we live long enough, a crisis will occur in our lives. Some crises may not be as serious as others; some will not have lasting implications, but most of them will. How do we prepare for calamity when we have no idea when one will occur? We certainly can't predict them. Many times we don't want to even think about them. There are ways to prepare for unforeseen crises - those things which seek to rob us of the peace that Christ left with us when He ascended to the Father. There are ways to combat the issues and dilemmas the enemy may stir up in our lives before we have to come face-to-face with the encounter. Preparation will be not be profitable in the natural sense, but only in the spiritual realm can we ready ourselves to follow the guidance and instruction that God gives us in His Word. Careful cultivation of a dynamic spiritual life equips us to make good physical decisions that are in line with God's purpose and plan. Too many times the believer waits until the storm surfaces before we take shelter; we wait for the storm before we start to build. When we do that, the building may not be as firm and stable as it would be had we had started building during the quiet, uneventful moments. Scripture teaches that in time of great calamity in our lives, the Holy Spirit will bring back to our remembrance all the things which we have learned in the Word of God. All of His great and wonderful promises...all the reminders of the comfort He provides for His children. The Spirit working in conjunction with the Word of God is quite seamless when we discipline ourselves to prepare for each day and each circumstance ahead of time. In First Samuel Chapter 25, the account is given of Abigail, her husband Nabal and David before his execution as king. While Nabal is depicted as a cruel and impetuous man, ABIGAIL'S WISDOM "NOW THEREFORE, KNOW AND CONSIDER WHAT YOU WILL DO, FOR HARM IS DETERMINED AGAINST OUR MASTER AND AGAINST ALL HIS HOUSEHOLD." 1 SAMUEL 25:17 NKJV...
13 his wife Abigail is pictured as just the opposite. She is esteemed a women of great integrity, faithfulness and wisdom. Though she may not have chosen her course as Nabal's wife, she carried out her role with great loyalty to a harsh husband and her helpless servants. With this study of her life, we will see that Abigail's challenges are not unlike our own as women today. We will see how God used her faithfulness, her wisdom, her strength and her preparedness to divert a potentially catastrophic occurrence affecting many innocent people. Her character as a devoted wife and her discernment as she protects her entire household is to be admired by women of God today. Read 1 Samuel 25:1-12 1. What does Scripture tell us about Nabal's character? How is his character contrasted with his wife Abigail's character? (Rhetorical question: If God was to make a list of adjectives to describe your character, what would He list?) 2. Challenge: Do you find it surprising that Nabal was of the house of Caleb? Why or why not? (See Numbers 13:30-31; 14:22-24). 3. Challenge: In verses 2 and 4 we are told that Nabal was shearing his sheep. What can we learn about occasions of shearing sheep? (See Gen. 38:12; 2 Sam. 13:23-24). 4. When David instructed the young men to "greet him in my name." Why was it significant for David to give them this specific instruction? (See John 14:13-14...asking in Jesus' name).
14 5a. What did David tell his young men to offer Nabal before they made their request of him? b. Personal Reflection/Application: When you go to the Lord in prayer, how do you greet Him before making petitions and requests of Him? 6 a. What components of David's speech and petition before Nabal shows forth his humility? List them. b. Why is humility important for believers to possess and display in the kingdom of God (Christ's righteous rule over your life) and in Christian service? What does the Bible teach us about pride? Give at least two Scripture reference for how pride is detrimental. 7. What was Nabal's response to David's men? The men's response? Proverbs 15:1 teaches us that a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Nabal gave a harsh word to David's men, and it didn't go unnoticed. David was angry and readily made plans to take revenge. Abigail's words of wisdom and redirection were able to turn away David's wrath and save her entire household. We greatly underestimate the power of our words and our disposition. In our own personal lives, sometimes, we think we're helping, but all the while we are making a bad situation even worse. Godly wisdom and discernment cannot be attained by any other measure than spending time with God in His Word and by praying incessantly. In the following passages, we will see Abigail's godly character, wisdom and strength as she intercedes to save the lives of others and save alive David's reign as the faithful king of Israel.
15 Read 1 Samuel 25:13-38 8. What actions did David plan to take when his men told him of Nabal's reply to his petition? 9. How did Abigail learn of all that happened between Nabal and David? 10. What was Abigail's immediate response? 11a. Challenge: We can go to God for wisdom, and He gives it to us freely (James 1:5). Why do you think, considering Abigail's godly character and countenance, she didn't take the time to pray before acting? (Read 1 Kings 3:6-14). b. Personal Reflection/Application: How have you cultivated a close and intimate relationship with God so that when a crisis occurs, you can be sure that He has given you wisdom and discernment about what to do?
16 12. When Abigail saw David, what was the first thing she did after dismounting the donkey? What does her actions teach about her? 13a. What plea did she make to David? List what you found to be important components of her plea to David. b. Who does she give praise and recognition to for averting David's retaliation upon Nabal? What does she say about David's future? The future of his enemies? c. What final request did she make of David? What was his response to all she had spoken? 14. What happened to Nabal after Abigail told him of all that had transpired? When we are obedient to God's instructions, we will be blessed every time. Abigail is a wonderful example of the perseverance of godliness while under trial. What happened at the end of the account must have overwhelmed her, as it would any woman who had been married to a "fool," and now proposed to by a beloved future king. A man after God's own heart, for she was a woman after God's own heart. Our blessings may not come in the form of a proposal, but they are sure nonetheless when we are obedient to God and exercise godly wisdom in our Christian walk. How is God blessing you for your courage, faithfulness and swiftness to exercise godliness?
17 Read 1 Samuel 25:39-42 15a. What was David's request of Abigail? What was Abigail immediate response? b. What key word would you use to describe Abigail? Reflection: Do you see yourself with a likeness to Abigail or mostly with a dissimilarity? (Rhetorical question). What a vivid picture of the hand of God - how He deals with evil and how He blesses those who seek to do His will. How could Abigail have known that God would be so gracious to her? She may not have known that she would become the wife of a great king, but she surely did know that God had given her special favor in His sight. We, as Christian women, need to develop and nurture an intimate relationship with our Lord, so that we will know how to effectively intercede for our families. Trials and tribulations are inevitable. Jesus told us so, but He also told us to be of good cheer. For as He has overcome the world, we will also (John 16:33). Women of God must not merely adorn ourselves on the outside where others can see, but place greater emphasis on the inside where God sees all. First Peter 3:4 instructs us, "Let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." What are you working on in the off season, when troubles are few? Read and study His Word daily in the off season, so that when seasons of difficulty arise (and it will), you will make haste and know exactly what to do. On Your Own: over the next 4 weeks, 1. Make a commitment to spend more quiet time with God reading and studying His Word each day - preferably first thing in the morning before distractions. 2. Pray for wisdom, discernment and instruction now before the crisis, as you walk with Him each day. If you haven't already, begin to thank Him regularly for His faithfulness when you recognize how His gift of wisdom, courage and strength has helped you to avoid harmful situations and confrontations or has helped you persevere through them.
18 3. Wisdom comes from God. Be particularly sensitive to gaining and using His wisdom over the next four weeks and record any instances where the outcome was favorable because you used godly wisdom. What Scripture helped you exercise wisdom? Also, record and reflect upon instances where failed to use His wisdom and the outcome. What would you do differently according to the Word of God? Come next time ready to share.