680. 1SA 25:2, 1SA 25:3. DAVID AND NABAL

1Sa_25:2, 1Sa_25:3. David and Nabal

"And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance," &c.’971Sa_25:2, 1Sa_25:3.

The whole of this chapter is full of rich, striking, and most instructive incident. It presents a list of remarkable portraits. There is the churlish Nabal,’97the beautiful and prudent Abigail,’97the noble-hearted David, the wise and considerate servants; and then in, and through, with the whole, the hand of divine providence, working and overruling all for his own glory, and the purposes of his holy and blessed will. Now let us look,

1. At Nabal, and the spirit he displayed.

He is described to us,

1. By his worldly possessions.

1Sa_25:2. He was very great, i. e., in worldly riches and dignity. The account is given of these. But we cannot judge men by their condition. He may be rich, and avaricious’97wealthy, and yet really poor. On the other hand; a man may be poor, and yet both great and happy.

2. He was avaricious in his spirit. 1Sa_25:5, &c.

David’s request of Nabal, was most reasonable. He might have satisfied the wants of his men, by taking his substance, in the way of levy; but he did not do so. But observe his reply; 1Sa_25:10, 1Sa_25:11. Then observe,

3. He was churlish in his temper.

1Sa_25:3.

His reply to the young men evidenced it; 1Sa_25:10. It was a morose and bitter reply. His wife also knew his temper and stated it; 1Sa_25:25. How wretched is a bad temper, and a cold heartless disposition. Yet such was Nabal; and such is the portrait drawn of him.

Then observe,

II. The generous and noble conduct of David.

He solicits, what he might have taken by force,’97solicits it in a kind, courteous spirit. The unkind refusal excited his displeasure, and he was disposed to adopt a summary mode of punishment, on the avaricious churl; 1Sa_25:13. But a quick intimation of this is given to Abigail; 1Sa_25:14. And the course she adopted, at once turned the tide of affairs with David; and hence, the noble sentiments which he uttered; 1Sa_25:32, 1Sa_25:33. How worthy of David as a man’97as a warrior’97as a saint.

But let us now just look, more fully,

III. At the character and spirit of Abigail.

It is said of her,

1. That she was beautiful, and wise. 1Sa_25:3.

Both desirable qualities’97but not always united. Happily so in this case. An intellectual soul beaming through a lovely face. One the reflection of the other. It does not appear that she was either proud or vain, but beautiful and wise. We see in Abigail,

2. Her prudential arrangements.

The messenger reports to her, the conduct of Nabal; 1Sa_25:14-17. Observe how active she was; 1Sa_25:18. No time to be lost. See her generosity; 1Sa_25:18. Observe her discretion, in not telling Nabal; 1Sa_25:19. Now here was both talent and tact’97wisdom and understanding.

Then look at,

3. Her effective appeal to David. Nothing more appropriate and beautiful, can possibly be conceived. Observe,

(1.) Her modesty; 1Sa_25:23.

(2.) Her respectful mode of address; 1Sa_25:23.

(3.) Her timely, yet properly adjusted severity, on her husband’s conduct; 1Sa_25:25.

(4.) Her pious recognition of God; 1Sa_25:20.

(5.) Her kind and hearty offer, of her rich generosity; 1Sa_25:28.

(6.) Her expressed admiration of David’s character and office; 1Sa_25:28.

(7.) Her reference to true magnanimity, as being worthy of David; 1Sa_25:30, 1Sa_25:31. Need I refer,

(8.) To the effectiveness of her intellectual and holy eloquence; 1Sa_25:32. She obtains her suit, 1Sa_25:35; and returns in peace.

But observe,

IV. The fearful end of Nabal.

1Sa_25:36.

Though avaricious and churlish, yet he could be profligate on himself. Hence, the expensive feast. Then his mirth and revelry, and his extreme drunkenness’97too drunk to be talked to,’97a disgusting sot. But on the morrow, his wife communicated the events of the previous day. The startling intelligence, produced inward melancholy and stupor,’97the result of the power of avarice, at the gifts bestowed’97or mortification, that David should have been so honored’97or alarm at the peril, into which his folly had placed him. And ten days after, God visited him, and he died; thus died as he lived, the worthless, sordid, churlish Nabal. No one misses him from the earth. No heart moans. No eye weeps. To his wife, and servants, and all, his death must have been a blessing. To himself, a terrible and everlasting curse.

The only wonder in the history is, how Abigail should have been united to such a churl. Was it a parents’ match? Or had she been tempted by his earthly greatness? Or was it one of those strange acts of weakness, into which even the wisest sometimes fall? It certainly was a union that neither reason nor religion could have sanctioned; and only fraught with discomfort and sorrow, to all concerned.

Learn,

1. The value of a generous spirit.

2. The importance of a good temper.

3. The preeminence of a wise and understanding mind.

4. The potency of soft words.

5. To recognize the overruling providence of God.

6. To be warned by the awful end of the ungodly

Autor: JABEZ BURNS