1 Samuel 25

1 Samuel 25

Meyer - 1 Samuel 25:31 This shall be no grief unto thee. There was an inimitable blending of woman’s wit with worldly prudence in the words of the beautiful Abigail. Poor woman, she had had a sorry life of it, mated to such a man as Nabal was! An ill-assorted pair certainly, though probably she had had no hand in bringing about the alliance. Like so many Eastern women, she was the creature of another’s act and choice. But she succeeded in averting the blow which David was hasting to inflict, by asserting her belief that the time was not far distant when he would no longer be a fugitive from his foes, and by suggesting that when that happy time came it would be a relief to feel that he had not allowed himself to be carried to all lengths by his hot passion. It was very salutary advice. Let us always look at things from the view-point of the future, when our passion shall have subsided, when time shall have cooled us, and especially when we review the present from the verge of the other world— how then? We can well afford to do this since God is with us, and our life is bound up with Him in the bundle of life. Abigail reminded David that God would do to him all the good of which He had spoken, and would sling out his enemies as from a sling. So God will do for us; not one good thing will fail of all that He hath promised; no weapon that is formed against us shall prosper. Within a little, Nabal was dead, and David’s wrong righted. So shall the evil that now molests us pass away. God will deal with it. Let us leave it to Him: before Him mountains shall melt like wax; and we shall have nothing to regret. 1 Samuel 25:32 Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me, Ge 24:27 Ex 18:10 Ezr 7:27 Ps 41:12,13 72:18 Lu 1:68 2Co 8:16 1 Samuel 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID'S BLESSES THE LORD FOR HIS PROVIDENCE Then - Praise God for this marker of progression in the narrative as it ultimately marks a positive effect of Abigail's wise words in David's heart. THOUGHT - What do we learn about how David was in process of becoming a man after God's own heart? Several things - David was willing to listen without once interrupting (and to woman no less! Do you hear that macho men?). Closely related was David's teachable spirit, listening and learning from Abigail. Both of these traits are related to humble heart (cf Jas 1:21). And also related was a willingness to a major change in his course of action. David was willing to lay aside getting even and leave that for the Perfect Judge to settle the score. Whether you are a man or a woman, God seeks to use similar variegated trials and tests in your life to make you more and more like His Son, the perfect Man after God's own heart! How would God grade your report card in this class beloved? There's no condemnation in that question because I have to look in the mirror every day! David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me - David had returned to his senses andrecognized God's hand in what was happening. This is the first of 3 blessing in 1Sa 25:32-33 - (1) the LORD, (2) her discernment and (3) her ("blessed be you"). Notice David has a "worship service" giving God the glory for providentially sending Abigail, at the right time and right place! God's Spirit had stirred her heart to come, but she followed through and came! God's sovereignty and human responsibility. David's words reflect his changed heart and the fact that he (I believe enabled by the Spirit) attained victory over his flesh which was bursting with anger and hungry for revenge. We are watching David's responses to "tests" which are showing him to be in the process of becoming more and more a man after God's own heart. Think how David's progress in godliness ("God-likeness") would have been hindered and possibly even sidetracked had he acted on the strong desire (lusts) of his flesh! Pritchard - Notice that David praises God, blesses Abigail, and sees God’s hand in her intervention. In this she models the truth of Proverbs 17:10, “A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool,” and also Proverbs 15:31, “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise.” In this case David got the wisdom while Nabal’s life was spared—at least for a few days. (Ibid) THOUGHT - "Many of us—most of us, I suppose—think it is enough to take a rebuke patiently and quietly. Few will take it thankfully and fewer still will see God’s hand in it. Not often do we thank the person who cared enough and had enough courage to stop us in our tracks. But that’s what David did." (Pritchard) TSK - David overlooks the rich and seasonable present of Abigail, though pressed with hunger and wearied with travel; but her advice, which disarmed his rage, and calmed his revenge, draws forth these high and affectionate gratulations. These were his joyful and glorious trophies; not over his enemies, but over himself. 1 Samuel 25:33 and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand. BGT 1 Samuel 25:33 καὶ εὐλογητὸς ὁ τρόπος σου καὶ εὐλογημένη σὺ ἡ ἀποκωλύσασά με σήμερον ἐν ταύτῃ μὴ ἐλθεῖν εἰς αἵματα καὶ σῶσαι χεῖρά μου ἐμοί LXE 1 Samuel 25:33 and blessed be thy conduct, and blessed be thou, who hast hindered me this very day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself. KJV 1 Samuel 25:33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. NET 1 Samuel 25:33 Praised be your good judgment! May you yourself be rewarded for having prevented me this day from shedding blood and taking matters into my own hands! CSB 1 Samuel 25:33 Your discernment is blessed, and you are blessed. Today you kept me from participating in bloodshed and avenging myself by my own hand. ESV 1 Samuel 25:33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand! NIV 1 Samuel 25:33 May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. NLT 1 Samuel 25:33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. NRS 1 Samuel 25:33 Blessed be your good sense, and blessed be you, who have kept me today from bloodguilt and from avenging myself by my own hand! NJB 1 Samuel 25:33 Blessed be your wisdom and blessed you yourself for today having restrained me from the crime of bloodshed and from exacting revenge! NAB 1 Samuel 25:33 Blessed be your good judgment and blessed be you yourself, who this day have prevented me from shedding blood and from avenging myself personally. YLT 1 Samuel 25:33 and blessed is thy discretion, and blessed art thou in that thou hast restrained me this day from coming in with blood, and to restrain my hand to myself. GWN 1 Samuel 25:33 May your good judgment be blessed. Also, may you be blessed for keeping me from slaughtering people today and from getting a victory by my own efforts. blessed: Ps 141:5 Pr 9:9 17:10 25:12 27:21 28:23 who have kept me: 1Sa 25:26 avenging: 1Sa 25:26,31 24:19 26:9,10 1 Samuel 25 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID'S DOUBLE BLESSING ON ABIGAIL and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand - NLT - "Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder." Have kept is kala which means to shut up, restrain or withhold (hold back) and is translated in the Septuagint with the verb apokoluo is a strong verb which means to prevent something from happening. Clearly, Abigail served as God's instrument to prevent David from making a very serious mistake in taking his own revenge. THOUGHT- "The Lord knows how to bring the right people into our lives to direct us and warn us. We should be thankful that He does." (William MacDonald) Steven