1 Samuel

Here’s the scene: a rich sheepherder named Nabal speaks disrespectfully about David to his messengers. Learning of this, David and his men set out to wipe out Nabal, his family, and all his servants. Filled with anger and vengeance, David is heading straight into some good old-fashioned sinful disobedience. David is wrong for sure. But Nabal—a selfish, foolish, and ignorant man—has brought this upon himself.   

Folks, this is going to end badly. The stubbornness and pride of two men at war with each other is going to result in the bloodshed of many innocent people. What is needed is a calming presence to step in and provide influence over these two irrational men.

This story needs a hero! Even better, a heroine!

But one of [Nabal’s] young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, “Behold, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, and he scorned them. Yet the men were very good to us, and we were not insulted, nor did we miss anything as long as we went about with them, while we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the time we were with them tending the sheep. Now therefore, know and consider what you should do, for evil is plotted against our master and against all his household; and he is such a worthless man that no one can speak to him.”  

1 Samuel 25:14-17  

Fortunately, there is one rational and reasonable person in this story. Thank God for Abigail, Nabal’s wife. She is the story’s superstar—intelligent, resourceful, honorable, persuasive, and beautiful in appearance (verse 3). Pretty much the total package. How did a schmuck like Nabal land such a beautiful and intelligent woman?

A Funny Thing Happened to David on the Way to Nabal’s House  

With two hot-headed men on a collision course toward destruction, God raises up Abigail!   

Nabal’s servants hear that David and his men are on their way to seek vengeance. They know that Nabal is a worthless man that no one can speak to (verse 17), so they go to Abigail. Without informing or including her husband (I hear that wives do that on occasion), Abigail takes action. She and her workers immediately gather provisions and set out to meet David and his men.   

When Abigail meets up with David, he is still fuming with anger. She dismounts and bows before him. In this case, the fact that David is a sucker for a pretty face works in her favor. Abigail’s beauty may have caused David to pause, but it is her words that change everything.   

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, “On me alone, my lord, be the blame. And please do not let my lord pay attention to this worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but, I your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent.”   

1 Samuel 25:23-25  

Choice words melt anger away 

A brilliant negotiator, Abigail speaks sincerely, eloquently, and persuasively. First, she surprises David by taking full responsibility for her husband’s rude behavior: On me alone, my lord, be the blame…. Please do not pay attention to the worthless man, Nabal…  I, your maidservant, did not see the men you sent” (verses 24-25). 

When a person takes full responsibility for a situation, it has a way of melting anger and tension. That’s what happens here. Abigail takes David’s attention off Nabal, and David’s rage begins to diminish. Then Abigail makes a statement that must have been like a wake-up call to David. In sales, we call this a presumptive close! We speak presumptively as if the prospect has already decided to buy.  

Since the Lord has restrained you from shedding blood and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. Now let this gift, which your maidservant has brought to my lord, be given to the young men who accompany my lord. Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the Lord, and evil will not be found in you all your days.  

1 Samuel 25:26-28  

Abigail knows the biblical principle of leaving revenge to the Lord. David has adhered to this principle in the past; when Saul was before him in the cave, David spared his life. Here, Abigail simply reminds David of what he knows. Appealing to his conscience she encourages him to follow biblical law. Then, without hesitating, she asks for forgiveness: “Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant, for the Lord will certainly make for my lord [David] an enduring house… and evil will not be found in you all your days” (verse 28).   

David’s heart is melting!

With her carefully chosen words, Abigail keeps him from falling into evil. In verse 32, David says to Abigail, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent you this day to meet me, 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.”   

So how does all this drama end? Ten days later God strikes Nabal dead, and David later marries Abigail … and they lived happily ever after. Well, not exactly. Nabal does die, and David does marry Abigail—but happily ever after? Abigail is solid as a rock. David, on the other hand, is a volatile mess. See 1 and 2 Samuel for the full story.  

How, Then, Should We Live?   

Jesus calls us to be peacemakers—as Abigail was. We are allowed to be angry, but we are to sin not (Ephesians 4:26).  We are to leave justice to God (Romans 12:19).   

 Our world is full of injustice and hypocrisy, evidence of the downward spiral initiated when sin entered the earth. Life will never be fair on this side of heaven, yet our mandate is to live the way God expects us to live regardless of what others do in response or how they treat us. 

Lord, Abigail is truly a woman of excellence. May we apply the principles of positive influence that she models. May we be peacemakers, encouraging others to avoid sin and bad decisions. As Your servants, may we allow Your Word to increase our wisdom. Help us live with discernment and humility in our daily interactions with others—all for Your glory. Amen!   

We are taught ‘be kind and you’ll receive kindness in return.’ Generally speaking, this is true. But are we prepared to receive contempt and disrespect in return for our kindness? David may have been a ‘man after God’s own heart,’ but in the story before us today, he wasn’t prepared to respond to the disrespect he received from a man whom he had shown kindness.

Here’s some context: Before David was officially crowned king of Israel, he spent many years hiding into the wilderness from king Saul. Why was Saul hunting down David? Simply put, he was insecure and envious of David.

Saul’s insecurity and jealousy drove him to pursue David with the intent of killing him. Saul was bent on removing David as his competition for the popularity of the people and the position of king. So while David was hiding in the wilderness, along with some of his loyal followers, he had to be industrious in order to survive.

This story of David, Nabal and Abigail is filled with drama; kindness, disdain, anger, revenge — and then, the winsome and delightful character of a godly woman saves the day!  

Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel; and the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And it came about while he was shearing his sheep in Carmel (now the man’s name was Nabal, and his wife’s name was Abigail and the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings, and he was a Calebit), David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

So David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, visit Nabal and greet him in my name; and thus you shall say, ‘Have a long life, peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. Now I have heard that you have shearers; now your shepherds have been with us and we have not insulted them, nor have they missed anything all the days they were in Carmel. Ask your young men and they will tell you. Therefore, let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we have come on a festive day. Please give whatever you find at hand to yours and to your son David.”   1 Samuel 25:2-8 

  

These lines are the beginning of a truly amazing story. We will meet an evil bonehead of a man and a most beautiful and intelligent woman. We will also see David digress from his godly character into anger and revenge. 

Two Hot-Headed Men Walk into a Bar …   

A wealthy man named Nabal owns 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats that wander into the wilderness area where David and his men camp out. Some of Nabal’s men tend to the sheep, but apparently there’s not enough to keep all the livestock safe. David and his men take it upon themselves to help the men. The entire time they guard Nabal’s sheep against predators and thieves, David’s men trust that the owner will at some point grant them kindness and reward them with provisions.   

When it’s time for Nabal to shear his sheep, David sends a few of his men to request provisions from him. The text introduces Nabal and his wife Abigail in this way: the woman was intelligent and beautiful in appearance, but the man was harsh and evil in his dealings (verse 3).  

What Is Nabal’s Response to David’s Men? 

Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants today who each are breaking away from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it men whose origins I do not know?”  1 Samuel 25:10-11  

Yikes! This is not the response David expected. Additional text indicates that Nabal’s men have told him of the kindness and protection David had provided them, but Nabal doesn’t care.  

He Said What???  

When David hears about Nabal’s response, he is infuriated and vows to take full revenge on Nabal, his household, and all his servants. He would leave no one alive! And, yes, this is the same David who previously refused to take Saul’s life into his own hands and left revenge to the Lord.  

In Scripture, the volatility of David’s humanness is always before us. Yet later in this chapter, we’ll see why David is called a man after God’s own heart.  But for now, we have two hot-headed men on a collision course of a life-and-death showdown. Who will intervene?   

God sends a woman.  

Learning Alert 

Like David, we make mistakes. Our first thought about a situation may not be the best thought. So, as we journey through life, may we always pause and ask God what we should do.

Living a godly life often means not returning anger for anger, and that’s hard to do. God tells us not to lean on our own understanding, but to trust in His guidance (see Proverbs 3:5-6). When we do that, our light shines in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our workplaces. 

Lord, we’re reminded that Your gifts of love and grace are not dependent on our perfect decisions or consistent God-honoring actions. Like David, we are human. When we stray into jealousy, anger, revenge, evil intent, and foolishness, may we quickly come to our senses and surrender our emotions to You. Amen!  

Don’t miss the opening three words of our passage today: Then Hannah prayed—and what a prayer it is!

Hannah doesn’t just wake up one morning and have within her soul the capacity to pray such a prayer. No doubt she has been seeking God and pouring her heart out to Him for many years.  

The depth of her prayers is one of the many reasons I believe she is an amazing woman from whom I can learn much. She is a woman of spiritual substance, and such substance doesn’t come easily or quickly. Her heart for God has developed over many years of both adversity and joy; and in all circumstances, Hannah prays.  

Samuel is born as a result of Hannah praying through one of those times of adversity. Because she is barren, she pleads from the bottom of her heart for God to give her a son. And she commits her son to lifetime ministry should God answer her prayers.   

God does answer her prayers, and Hannah celebrates Samuel’s birth by praising God with the amazing song of thanksgiving found in 1 Samuel 2:1-11. Once Samuel is weaned, Hannah and Elkanah take him to the temple and leave him with Eli, the priest, to be trained in ministry and leadership.   

Samuel stays with Eli in what we would describe as a boarding school, this one specifically for future priests, and his parents visit him periodically throughout the year. So, when Hannah asked God to give her a son and promised to dedicate that son to Him, she knew that keeping her promise would mean physical separation from her young son.  

Hannah’s commitment is costly, but God has used trials to prepare her and strengthen her. God also has a plan for Samuel. We see, for instance, the sovereignty of God in the formation of Samuel’s character, and he in turn becomes an agent of the formation of God’s chosen people, Israel.  

Hannah’s Prophecy   

Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving, as she surrenders Samuel to the Lord in the temple, is exultant praise. At the same time it is an amazing song of deep theological truth that includes prophetic words about what God is going to do in Israel during Samuel’s time of leadership and beyond.  

Learning Alert   

Hannah may not be a prophet like Isaiah or Ezekiel, but God uses her to articulate profound truth. Her prayer is so profound, God chose to include it in the Bible. These 11 verses are well worth reading.

You don’t have to be powerful, charismatic, or have an elevated position to be used by God.

God uses the humble servants, male and female, who devote their hearts to prayer with praise and thanksgiving.  

Hannah Is My Hero!   

The theme of Hannah’s prayer is that God blesses the humble and weak and exalts them while crushing those who spurn Him and trust in their own power and wealth. Hannah is prophesying what will be the state of the small nation of Israel throughout history among the powerful and fierce nations that surround them. Even today, powerful nations and religions vow to destroy Israel, just like Goliath vowed to destroy the shepherd boy, David. But they are destined to fail.  

The Prayer of a Godly Woman

Here are a few lines from Hannah’s prayer. She may be a simple, Hebrew woman, but when she prays, she becomes a prophetic powerhouse. She prays:  

• That the bows of the mighty are shattered, but the feeble gird on strength (1 Samuel 2:4)  
• That God keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; for not by might shall a man prevail (verse 9)   

• That “those who contend with the Lord will be shattered…and He will give strength to His king [David]… and will exalt the horn of His anointed “(verse 10)  
• That the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s and He set the world on them “(verse 8)  

How, Then, Should We Live?   

We can learn much from Hannah, from both her example and her prophetic song. She is well-grounded in her understanding of God, His attributes, and how He deals with people. As we see in Hannah’s life, God blesses the humble and stands against the proud. This firm foundational truth helps Hannah rise above her rival’s criticism and mocking. 

I challenge you to follow Hannah’s example and consider often the awesome attributes of God. A strong view of God will enhance how you live….and how you pray!

Lord, may we reject the ways of this world and its invitation to glory in a position of power and wealth. May we forsake the pursuit of earthly gain, the praise of others, and the desire to be someone special in the world’s eyes. Instead, may we humble ourselves before You and surrender all to You. Amen! 

At the end of chapter 1, after Samuel has been weaned, Hannah takes Samuel back to the priest, Eli, and dedicates him to the Lord for a lifetime of service.  

Second Thoughts

As she walks toward the temple, I wonder if Hannah is tempted to pull back on her previous commitment. Does she have second thoughts about completely dedicating Samuel to the Lord’s service as a priest? Maybe he could serve God closer to home. And, to keep her promise, does Hannah really have to give Samuel over for full-time service for his entire life? Sometimes when we make promises out of desperation, we later regret it and sometimes look for ways to compromise or justify a change of plans. Not so with Hannah. Hannah is absolutely faithful to her word.  

This visit to the temple is quite different from Hannah’s previous trip. Consider the contrasts in Hannah’s prayers. In 1 Samuel 1:10, Hannah made a desperate plea to God: 

She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 

Contrast this prayer with Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1:  

Then Hannah prayed and said,  

“My heart exults in the Lord;  

My horn is exalted in the Lord,  

My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,  

Because I rejoice in Your salvation.”  

We can learn a lot regarding prayer from this amazing woman. Hannah’s situation changed, and her prayers changed accordingly. But she was authentic in both. 

 There’s much talk in Christian circles today about being authentic.

There’s value to authenticity, but I sense it gets twisted at times. Sometimes Christians use their stance on authenticity as a license or justification for their sin, their weaknesses, their fleshly propensities. They might say, “I’m just being myself.” Let’s be careful with that attitude.  

Learning Alert 

I don’t want this false view of authenticity to alter what I see in Hannah as authenticity before God in prayer. When I sink low with feelings of fear and pain, I try to take them before God. In our weakness, let’s do our best to be authentic before God. That’s what Hannah did when she was both sad and happy.  

Over my many years on this earth, I have found that authenticity seems to come more easily to women than to men. Do you find that to be true? This might be an interesting discussion to have with a few trusted confidants.  

Since I’ve long been a corporate executive, my wife and I have attended many social functions over the years. Sometimes in these settings, we split up and have separate conversations with various small groups. After the party, when my wife and I are talking, she will say, for instance, “Why didn’t you tell me that Joe and Kim are having a baby?”  

Why? Because Joe, one of my coworkers, never told me his wife was pregnant. So I tell my wife, “I didn’t know.”  

The look on her face is priceless. “You work with Joe every day, and you didn’t know? What kind of friend are you?”  

I smile, and she smiles and shakes her head.   

My wife can find out more about my work associates in one hour at a social function than I will find out in six months at the office. She has a way of caring and asking questions that, with the demands of work, I just don’t get around to every day. She has a way of making a person feel it’s safe to be authentic. I don’t always have that gift.  

Am I Authentic Before God?

So, yes, I may make excuses about focusing on work and not being transparent and authentic in my corporate life. But when it comes to God, I need to be authentic! I shouldn’t treat God like one of the guys. I should and I must bear my heart and soul before Him. I don’t need to hang my dirty laundry out so everyone else sees it, but I should before God. He knows it all anyway. Being authentic draws us toward Him!   

We can learn much from Hannah.  

Help us, Lord, to be authentic before You. Not as justification for our weaknesses and sin but as surrender to You with honest pleadings for Your help. Lord, hear us, revive us, restore us, and answer us according to Your perfect will. And in times of joy may we—like Hannah— loudly and boldly exalt You! May we praise You always. Amen!  

Greatly distressed, [Hannah] prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. She made a vow and said, “O Lord of Hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life”…  

Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli [the priest] was watching her mouth. As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving… Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.”  1 Samuel 1:1-2, 4-5, 10-15  

A Monumental Story of Promise and Fulfillment    

Before God’s Word takes us through the lives of Saul and David, the opening chapter of 1 Samuel introduces us to a most amazing woman. Her name is Hannah, and she is a faithful servant of God who keeps her promises.  

I really love the story of Hannah. When it comes to character, integrity, grit, and passion, Hannah blows away the other important people we meet in 1 Samuel. She is simply awesome!  

The key characters involved in the story of Hannah are: 

• Hannah, the mother of Samuel   
• Elkanah, Hannah’s beloved husband and father of Samuel   
• Peninnah, Elkanah’s second wife   
• Eli, the priest   
• Samuel, the son of Hannah and future priest  

Chapter 1 provides the backstory of Samuel’s birth. His mother, Hannah, is greatly loved by her husband Elkanah. You would love her too. She is a treasure. But God closes her womb, so Elkanah marries a woman named Peninnah. Seems like a boneheaded decision to me, yet in an agrarian society, men need children if the family is to thrive and sometimes just survive. Nevertheless, taking a second wife is a faithless and stupid decision.  

The second wife is not nice, and she becomes bitter, insecure, and jealous of Hannah whom Elkanah so clearly loves. The fact that Elkanah has only married Peninnah for her body—to bear children—doesn’t endear him to Peninnah. She has many children, pleasing her husband but not increasing his love for her. Peninnah sees that Elkanah is utterly head over heels for Hannah. He loves Hannah greatly.   

So Wife #2 ridicules Hannah for being barren. Not exactly the Cleaver household. (That’s a reference to the TV series Leave It to Beaver. Check it out on Netflix if you’re too young to know this show!) Her inability to have children is terribly painful to Hannah, but the text states that the Lord had closed her womb (1 Samuel 1:5).  Clearly, God had a plan.     

Learning Alert    

As is often the case today, God’s plan for His children includes certain pain and distress that He uses to teach and grow us. The intended outcome is a stronger yet humbler followers of God.    

Some say that God only brings about good things, and Satan and/or natural circumstances cause pain and distress. This study of Amazing Women clearly shows, however, that God as the Architect of all that happens, and He uses both pain and joy to accomplish His purposes and develop His servants’ character.   

Some people don’t like that last sentence, and they’ve told me so. However, there is a purpose in pain. Physical pain, mental anguish, and broken hearts are difficult trials to endure. They sometimes tempt us toward bitterness. But God promises to carry us through such trials, and He emboldens our faith to trust rather than faint. He is able! If you’re hurting, I hope you believe that.   

Hannah Is a Shining Star   

Hannah is hurting, and we can learn from how she handles it. Specifically, Hannah turns to God in prayer and petition. She goes into the temple, weeping, and pours her heart out before the Lord as she asks Him for a son. In her prayers, she commits to dedicating her son to the Lord. The priest, Eli—seeing only her lips…moving, but her voice was not heard (verse 13)— thinks Hannah is drunk. Assuring Eli she isn’t drunk, she tells him of her plight and her petition to God. Eli blesses her and prays for her.  

Shortly thereafter, Hannah becomes pregnant with Samuel, whose name means “heard by God.” Samuel was born according to God’s sovereign plan, and He strengthened Hannah’s faith through her pain.  

Keeping Promises

Hannah now prepares to give her son fully back to God. She made that promise, and Hannah keeps her promise.  

Would Hannah’s devotion to the Lord and faithfulness to her promise have happened if she had easily conceived early in her marriage? Maybe, but maybe not. When she was barren, God seemed far from her, but the opposite was actually true. God was near, and He was working out His plan. He was forging Hannah’s character and preparing her for a blessing of great magnitude.  

There is purpose in pain.   

Learning Alert  

If only we would believe that God is at work in our lives when it seems He has abandoned us…. 

The truth is, Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV). Hannah can teach us about trust and faith in a sovereign God who is wise, loving, all-powerful, and close to us even when He seems far away.   

We can also learn much from Hannah and her passionate prayers. Yes, God may allow us to go through pain, but that doesn’t mean we take it lying down. Hannah goes to God and prays for His physical blessings upon her—and she doesn’t let go. God cares about our spiritual state, yes, but He cares about every other aspect of our lives as well. Let’s learn from Hannah’s passionate and unrelenting prayers to God asking Him to make things good and right in her life.   

Using Hannah as an example, Lord, teach us about faith and trust in You! Help us see that You aren’t far away even when it feels like it. Grow our faith to go beyond our feelings and help us rest in the promises of Your Word. Remind us of the mighty deeds You have performed in the past. Remind us that our current difficulties are not difficult to You. You are able, and You will bring Your perfect plan to pass! All praise be to You, our mighty God and King! Amen!