Angry People Cause Fights

I Samuel 25:1-22

“And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah.” (I Samuel 25:1a)

We don’t know exactly when Samuel died, but we know that he started serving the Lord as a small child, and continued for his entire life.  He became judge about twenty years after Eli’s death, and led Israel until he was an old man and they demanded a king.  Several years later, he anointed David to take Saul’s place, and remained as a person of considerable influence until probably about ten years before Saul’s death.

His influence over such a long time made his death a major event in Israel, similar to that of a former president of the United States.  People came from across the entire nation to the funeral.

“And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.  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: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.” (I Samuel 25:1b-3) 

Though he was no longer leader, Samuel had exercised a lot of influence, limiting Saul’s power.  When he died, David moved to the wilderness of Paran, at the very edge of Israel’s land, where he could escape into Edom, Moab, or Midian without much trouble.

One of the largest landholders in the area was a descendant of Caleb named Nabal.  He is described as being a churlish, or selfish, rude and mean person, who constantly ran over, cheated and took advantage of those around him with no concern for others.  His wife, Abigail, was a very attractive woman, and very understanding, forming good relationships with those she met.  

“And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.  And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.  And 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. 

Ask thy young men, and they will show 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.” (I Samuel 25:4-8)

Hearing that Nabal was taking crew out to shear his three thousand sheep and a thousand goats, David sent contingent of ten guys to him asking for a little food in return for the fact that they had  repeatedly defended his herds against marauders at the risk of their own lives.

“And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased. 

And 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.  Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?” (I Samuel 25:9-11)

It was customary to invite visitors to eat with you at least and express appreciation for help.  Nabal was unappreciative, accusing them of being runaway slaves and thieves and refusing to even consider basic manners.  He was like a lot of selfish people today, who take pride in being mean, and spue out their anger with no concern for how people respond, convinced no one can do anything about it.

“So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 

And 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.” (I Samuel 25:12-13)

David was offended by the way Nabal treated his men and decided to teach him a lesson.  Nabal was a rich man but too stingy to hire enough men to protect his sheep from bandits.  He didn’t have nearly enough to protect him against David’s army.  Angry about Nabal’s rudeness and belligerence, David took four hundred of his men to attack Nabal, leaving two hundred to protect their camp.

“But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.  But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.  Now 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.” (I Samuel 25:14-17)

One of Nabal’s employees went to tell Abigail how much David’s men had helped them out, and how abusive and discourteous Nabal had been.  Almost anyone would be angry by such treatment, and he knew David would probably retaliate.  As Proverbs 29:22 says, “An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.  Abigail had earned the employees’ respect enough they took problems to her, because they knew that Nabal was so controlled by a satanic attitude he would never listen to anyone else.  Nabal's attitude is very common today, and it is still Satanically inspired.

“Then 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.  And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.” (I Samuel 25:18-19) 

Abigail knew how offensive her husband could be and took immediate action to deflect David’s anger.  She had the servants pack a large amount of food on donkeys and help her take it to David in hopes of calming him down.  Knowing it would only make Nabal mad, she didn’t bother to tell him what she was doing.  She told the servants to go as fast as they could and she would try to keep up, because she knew how upset David’s men might be.

“And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them. 

Now 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.  So 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.” (I Samuel 25:20-22) 

David had decided that anybody who would treat people that helped him in such a way didn’t deserve to live and was on his way to kill him and his entire family.  They were almost to Nabal’s house when they met Abigail, despite her efforts to hurry.  Had she delayed to confer with Nabal, she’d have been too late.