David was fleeing from Saul and David’s little army of some six hundred men were in need of food.   Nabal lived where David and his men happened to be, and in previous times David’s servants had been kind to Nabal.   However, when David sent his servants to ask Nabal for his help, Nabal refused.   David became angry and told four hundred of his men to put on their swords and they would go and teach Nabal a lesson.   Nabal’s wife, Abigail, described in 1 Sam. 25:3 as "an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings," found out what was about to happen and took it on herself to go to David to ask him not to take revenge on her husband.   She took food to David and pleaded with him not to act as her husband had, as a fool, but to remember that the Lord was with him and would certainly bless him and make him very successful if he did not let his temper get the best of him and take revenge on Nabal.

        David knew immediately that what this wise woman said was right.   Nabal was acting as a fool, but if David reacted out of anger, he, too, would be a fool.   It’s interesting to note what Isaiah said about a fool.   "The fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil…the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he withholds water" (Isa. 32:6).   The second part of this describes Nabal perfectly.   David was in danger of the first part, acting with folly and evil by taking revenge out of anger.   But Abigail was wise in her actions and words, and David was wise enough to listen to her.   It wasn’t long after this that Nabal was struck by the Lord and died.   When David heard the news he gave praise to God for not allowing him to do wrong.   He also asked Abigail to be his wife, which she did.

        Sometimes we act rashly, out of anger and vengeance.   Hopefully there will be an Abigail there to calm us down and get us to think about what we are doing.   We must also be willing to listen to the wise advice of others.   Perhaps David taught his son, Solomon, this lesson because Solomon later wrote, "A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence" (Prov. 15:5).

        None of us always knows the right thing to do in every circumstance, so we must be wise enough to listen to the good advice of others.   Otherwise history might say about us, "his name is Fool"!

-- Wayne Sharp