One of the devotionals I receive spoke of the tongue and how it cannot be tamed as it spews what is in the heart. James 3:8 "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison."
In 1 Samuel 25 verse 1 we are told Samuel dies. All Israel lamented him as did David. They buried Samuel, then David rose and went to the wilderness of Paran.
This is where David encountered Nabal. Nabal was a man of means with 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats; and he was shearing in Carmel. To his credit he had a good wife named Abigail who was also of beautiful countenance. However, Nabal was churlish and evil in his doings. Hmmm!
David heard Nabal was shearing sheep and sent his messengers with a message to Nabal. In verse 17 it states Nabal was a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him. When given the message which was greetings and of blessings; he responded with ugliness and evil. When the messengers reported this to David he told his men to Gird ye on every man his sword. David is headed to defeat and kill Nabal.
However, in the mean time a young man told Abigail, Nabal's wife, how well David's men had treated them and they were safe with them. This promoted Abigail to action. She loaded and took provisions to David: 200 loaves, 2 bottles of wine, 5 sheep ready dressed, 5 measures of parched corn, 100 clusters of raisins, 200 cakes of figs! She did not tell Nabal.
When she came to David she bowed and fell before David on her knees. She spoke and pleaded with David telling him not to regard this man of Belial. (Belial means worthless or wicked). She asked forgiveness for trespassing in her words to David. David did not attack or defeat Nabal.
The story is not over yet. Abigail was at the feast Nabal held in his house where he ate and drank merrily to the point of drunkness. The next morning Abigail told him of her actions and Nabal's heart died within hi and he becames a stone. verse 38 "And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, and he died.
When David heard this he said, "Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head."
David sent and communed with Abigail to take her to him to wife. The messengers went to Abigail, she followed and did become David's wife.
Wow! Then the last verse David takes Ahinoam of Jezreel also as his wife. In the meantime, Saul gave Micah, his daughter and David's wife, to Phalti, the son of Laish which was of Gallim.
Sounds like a verse from Harper Valley PTA. lol What a tangled web is being woven. Thanks for reading. Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny
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