Hello, Ladies! Today, we’re going to jump right in and talk about Abigail. Something I like about Abigail is that she was pretty and smart. She had beauty and brains, and she spoke with such wisdom that she ended up saving the day for a whole of people.
Abigail
There is so much that we can learn from her, and today, we are going to try to uncover just how good she really was. Abigail’s story begins with the author of 1 Samuel being pretty straight forward. She was known for her goodness, and her husband was known for being an arrogant jerk.
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… (Verse 3)
Nabal’s temperament towards David and his army quickly became a dangerous issue, and Abigail seemed to be the only one who could intervene. After being rejected by Nabal, the shepherds came to Abigail explaining that because of her husband’s awful attitude and behavior, there would be horrible consequences. They explained that David was sending his army to take everyone out!
Her Response: The Message translates her reaction in verse 18 to say, Abigail flew into action. She didn’t hesitate. She didn’t confront her husband. She didn’t stop to carefully consider this best plan of action. She acted immediately. Because she was already a woman of good understanding, she was pre-equipped with the best plan. She was prepared. She had what she needed in order to spare her husband’s life and help with the situation. Despite having a prideful husband, Abigail knew how to live in a way that would be pleasing to the Lord. Her understanding was her own, and she did not require company that inspired good deeds. She found her goodness directly from the Lord.
David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak. (Verse 32-34 )
As women, we have the unique opportunity to develop good understanding that may save our families and friends from painful consequences. With good understanding, we can quickly respond to disasters and daily dramas. What an amazing honor it must have been for Abigail to be noted in scripture as a woman with good understanding. I encourage you to begin praying for good understanding and to begin practicing this in your daily life. Wisdom, humility, and honesty pair well with good understanding and are the keys to developing such understanding.
– the Wife
EAT PRAY WIFE 