OT Hero Abigail

Read 1 Samuel 25

                For our last Old Testament heroine, we circle back to consider Abigail, a wise and clever woman who no doubt saved many lives with her quick and decisive action.  She also saved David from doing something he most likely would have deeply regretted later.

                David, as you may remember, spent a long time on the lam from the jealous King Saul.  During that time, David and his men spent some time in the Maon Wilderness.  While he was there, he protected the local shepherds and tried to do right by the people who lived there.  One of the beneficiaries was a man named Nabal.  Nabal is described as surly and mean, but he had an intelligent and beautiful wife named Abigail. 

                Nabal refused to help David and his men when David asked and David is furious.  To be fair,  the generally practiced hospitality of that time would have obligated Nabal to help David, so that is why David is offended.  But as we discussed in earlier messages, David tended to be impulsive and act quickly on his emotions.  His plan was to kill Nabal and all the males in his family and servants. 

                Abigail hears about what happened and springs into action.  She prepares as many rations and supplies as she can muster and hurries out toward David before David can take his vengeance on the family.   She offers an apology and the goods, but she also cleverly reminds David that he will regret spilling blood over such a small thing.  David’s fury subsides, he accepts the peace offering, and he realizes that Abigail is right. David leaves and disaster is averted. 

                One of Jesus’s beatitudes is “blessed are the peacemakers.” (Matthew 5:9)  Abigail is a shining example of someone who exemplified this blessed action. 

                It seems to me that in our own day, skilled and clever peacemakers like Abigail are needed as never before.  So often, people’s first instinct at the hint of a conflict is aggression.  Escalation seems to be more of the norm.  It has certainly become the norm in the political realm and among the most dramatic and violent examples of this are being played out on the streets of our cities.

                We need an army of Abigail’s to help us access as they say, “our higher angels.”  We are called to be such makers or peace.  I invite you to think about how you and I can be part of the healing instead of the steady building of anger and resentment. 

Prayer:  God, show us the work of peacemaking in our everyday lives and strengthen us for this holy work.  Amen.

Prayer Focus:  Spend time today praying for peace in places where you are seeing rising tensions in your family, neighborhood, our community, and across our country.

Song:  Let There Be Peace on Earth (Sy Miller & Jill Jackson) – UP Concert Chorus Dekada Ochenta