Notes: July 23, 2008 - 1 Samuel 25
Bob Feather July 23rd, 2008
Meditation Points:
- Samuel died (verse 1). Did David attend the funeral? Did Saul attend the funeral?
- Nabal (1 Samuel 25:3) - quite literally: foolish; and so he acted
- of the house of Caleb - as “Caleb” means “dog”, some translators have seen this as a reference to Nabal’s dog-like behavior
- David, it seems, had guarded Nabal’s shepherds without any consideration of remuneration (1 Samuel 25:7); but now he uses that kindness as a bargaining chip (1 Samuel 25:8,21).
- Who is David (1 Samuel 25:10)? Has Nabal been living under a rock? Even without CNN all Israel knew about David.
- David’s (immediate and prayerless) response was to put on his sword and to teach Nabal a lesson (1 Samuel 25:13). Is it ever right to avenge yourself? (Romans 12:19-21)
- He’s a son of Belial (1 Samuel 25:17), you can’t talk to him. Abigail knew it to be true of her husband. And you probably know some folks like that, too.
- 200 loaves of bread, available for immediate transport and distribution (1 Samuel 25:18). Was there a Super Wal-Mart nearby? Even if they were small cake-sized loaves (like doughnuts?), that’s more than 16 dozen!
- Abigail didn’t tell her husband what she intended to do (1 Samuel 25:19). Would you have advised this course of action?
- Translation or Interpretation? Do these verses (1 Samuel 25:22,34; 1 Kings 14:10; 1 Kings 16:11; 1 Kings 21:21; 2 Kings 9:8) speak against bad bathroom etiquette? And who is to say that the reference is to human males (as translated/interpreted by almost all English translations other than the KJV) and not to dogs? Given that the Hebrew word means “to pass water” or “to urinate” and NOT “males” or even “men”, I vote for a more accurate translation, even if objectionable to modern sensibilities. Two extremes on this issue are to be seen in this video or in this posthumously published, and relatively unknown (for good reasons), work by Mark Twain.
- Every would-be politician should heed Abigail’s advice: don’t do anything that you’ll regret after you take office (1 Samuel 25:31).
- Abigail would tell her husband what she had done; but not while he was drunk (1 Samuel 25:36). Another good example to follow.
- When Nabal learned the next morning what had transpired between his wife and David, Nabal had a stroke and went into a coma (1 Samuel 25:37). “Nabal, good news. I talked to David and he’s not going to kill you.” Ten days later, the LORD took Nabal’s life (1 Samuel 25:38).
- And David took Nabal’s widow to be his wife (1 Samuel 25:42). Wait! David was already married, to Saul’s daughter (1 Samuel 25:44). And then he took a third wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel (1 Samuel 25:43). Clearly the man needed counseling.
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1 Samuel 25:3
3Now 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: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
1 Samuel 25:7
7And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
1 Samuel 25:8,21
8Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
21Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
1 Samuel 25:10
10And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
1 Samuel 25:13
13And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
Romans 12:19-21
19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
1 Samuel 25:17
17Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
1 Samuel 25:18
18Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
1 Samuel 25:19
19And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
1 Samuel 25:22,34
22So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
34For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
1 Kings 14:10
10Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
1 Kings 16:11
11And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends.
1 Kings 21:21
21Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,
2 Kings 9:8
8For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel:
1 Samuel 25:31
31That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
1 Samuel 25:36
36And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
1 Samuel 25:37
37But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
1 Samuel 25:38
38And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
1 Samuel 25:42
42And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.
1 Samuel 25:44
44But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.
1 Samuel 25:43
43David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.
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