Life Lesson: Abigail

 1S 25:3And the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail. And the woman had good discernment and was beautiful in appearance. But the man was hard, and he was evil in his doings; and he was a Calebite.

Abigail, a beautiful woman with good discernment, had a significant role in David's life and in the history of Israel. Today, she has become a type of warring church who followed Christ (David) in spiritual warfare.  Though her husband Nabal did not have the wisdom to discern who David was as God's anointed king of Israel and a very heartless man, she was the exact opposite of her husband. She undid whatever blunder her husband had committed drawing the wrath of David's anger who also should have had more self-control in dealing with a stranger when he himself had much endurance running for his life from Saul. In between these two men, one a worthless man, a fool, as his name is Nabal, and the other, David, the future king of Israel but had not checked his temper, she stood as a savior of her husband and her future husband to be. Her wise act in time saved both of her "husbands" the present and the future. She saved her husband Nabal and his whole household from being murdered coldblooded, and she also saved her future husband David from shedding more blood, perhaps, innocent blood. This fact is the testimony of David himself.

1S 25:32And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me.

1S 25:33And blessed be your discretion; and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from entering into bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.

Her timely action as recorded below is simply exemplary.

1S 25:18Then Abigail hurried and took two hundred loaves of bread and two skins of wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched grain and one hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs, and she put them on her donkeys.

1S 25:19And she said to her young men, Go on before me; I am coming right behind you. But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

1S 25:23And when Abigail saw David, she hurried and got down from her donkey and fell on her face before David; and she bowed herself to the ground.

1S 25:24And she fell at his feet and said, Upon me alone, my lord, be this iniquity; and let your female servant speak in your hearing, and hear the words of your female servant.

1S 25:25May my lord not take this worthless man Nabal to heart. For as his name is, so he is: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your female servant did not see my lord’s young men, whom you sent.

1S 25:26And now, my lord, as Jehovah lives and as your soul lives, since Jehovah has withheld you from entering into bloodshed and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now therefore let your enemies and those who seek harm against my lord be like Nabal.

1S 25:27And now this present which your servant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.

1S 25:28Please forgive the transgression of your female servant, for Jehovah will no doubt make a sure house for my lord, because my lord fights the battles of Jehovah; and no evil will be found in you throughout your days.

1S 25:31This will not be a qualm of conscience to you or a stumbling block in heart to my lord, that you shed blood without cause or that my lord has avenged himself. And when Jehovah has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your female servant.

Such a worthy woman with discernment and wisdom and who knew what to do at what time is indeed an example for many sisters today. In fact, Abigail typifies the church in her status as the wife of David following him in the war wherever David went. Because of her wisdom, she became a savior of both Nabal and David from murder and bloodshed. In fact, she took upon herself the blame for the mistake her husband had foolishly made, and she humbled herself before David appeasing him and gaining his favor. Such a woman surely capture the heart of David and she later became his wife.

1S 25:32And David said to Abigail, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me.

1S 25:33And blessed be your discretion; and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from entering into bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand.

1S 25:42And Abigail hurried and rose up; and she rode on a donkey, with her five young women following her. And she went after the messengers of David, and she became his wife.

From then on Abigail as David's wife followed David wherever he went in the midst of the war. She is a type of warring church following Christ in the spiritual battle today. This typology also unveils the fact that as a suffering church, the believers today follow Christ and participate in His suffering for the building up of the Body of Christ, the church.   

Co 1:24 I now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body, which is the church; 
Co 1:25 Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God.