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| courtesy centralbaptistprescott.blogspot.com |
By Brenda Black
Abigail has to be one of the coolest
women to ever live! She was smart, resourceful and prepared like a
Proverbs 31 woman long before that chapter was written. Abigail was
kind and clever. She was humble yet in charge. Abigail even kept a
king from walking out of the will of God. Ladies, if you're looking
for a role model, may I suggest Abigail the Industrious and
Intelligent.
Her heroic story of common sense is
found in the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 25.
“One of Nabal's young men informed
Abigail, Nabal's wife: 'Look, David sent messengers from the
wilderness to greet our master, but he yelled at them. The men
treated us well. When we were in the field, we weren't harassed and
nothing of ours was missing the whole time we were living among them.
They were a wall around us, both day and night, the entire time we
were herding the sheep. Now consider carefully what you must do,
because there is certain to be trouble for our master and his entire
family. He is such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!'” (1
Sam. 25:14-17)
Before the story continues, let's
pause and consider one reason for Abigail's sensibility. She had to
be! The man she married lacked tact, as well as intelligence. His own
servants sized him up to be a “worthless fool.” If it is true
that opposites attract, that may explain this polarized couple – a
hot head and a kind heart; one who hoarded and one who gave; one who
listened to nobody and one who heard the plea of a servant.
In the heat of the moment, clear
headed Abigail knew just what to do. “Abigail hurried, taking 200
loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five butchered sheep, a bushel of
roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of pressed
figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she said to her male servants,
'Go ahead of me. I will be right behind you.' But she did not tell
her husband Nabal.” (1 Sam. 25:18-19)
Okay, stop the donkey! How many of
you are thinking, “Who has that much food at the ready?” My
thoughts exactly. The fact that Abigail the Industrious has
stockpiled enough food for an army is phenomenal. This was long
before refrigeration, shrink wrap or any modern-day convenience. Sure
she had the help of an apparently gigantic entourage of servants, but
somebody had to be in charge. Abigail ruled that pantry with a cast
iron fist!
Abigail the Intelligent saved lives
and spared David another sinful slide away from the center of God's
will. She called on courage and practiced great communication skills.
She humbly honored David. She sacrificially assumed her husband's
guilt. She wisely isolated Nabal from the innocent that would have
been slain because of his sin. She stopped a catastrophe. She
declared a prophecy. She fed an army. Just all in a day's work for
this woman. Yes, Abigail has to be one of the coolest women who ever
lived!
Nabal was called harsh and evil.
Abigail was deemed intelligent and beautiful. The world could use a
lot more Abigails and far fewer Nabals. Which are you?
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