But the man was harsh and evil in his doings. Vital to the story, because the lessons have very much to do with this, her virtues. They shined and flashed out in spite of him. And this Mismatch contrast between the two characters, her beauty and her understanding, his harshness and his evil. It's intentional.
It is the Holy Spirit saying, I want you to pay attention to these things. Choose you this day, which character are you going to line up with? Uh This is Cross Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of 1 Samuel.
Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio. specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of 1 Samuel chapter 25 as he begins his message: Unwasted Virtue. 1 Samuel 25. If I had to make a list of people that I want to see when I get to heaven.
Abigail would be way at the top. of the list, not at the top. But she'd be way up there. She is my favorite female character of the scripture, and hopefully, well, not hopefully, but maybe you'll see it the same way by the time I'm done, or not. This is um A challenge.
For not only the women for the men too. It's just a virtuous character. Unwasted virtue is the title for its consideration. And here we have a godly man afflicted. by a murderous king, as we've been considering David through this study.
But now this virtuous woman, she is distressed by an evil husband. One of the great lessons from this chapter is that virtue is unwasted because God values it. regardless of what men may do with the virtue, In spite of those who turn out to be utterly evil fools, as her husband turned out. Turned out to be, God still valued her virtue. It was not wasted.
It was wasted on him, but not overall for her, because of the Lord. And so a brief introduction. We need to get going because we have a lot of information here. In verse one, then Samuel died, and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him and buried him at his home in Ramah, David arose and went down to the wilderness of Peran. Samuel's death is recorded just after Saul's confession and admission.
that David will be king. That's in the previous chapter. 20th verse. Samuel dies. This Samuel anointed Saul to be king, but he also anointed David to be king, and David will be the greatest of all the kings in Israel among men.
though Samuel will not see him reign. Samuel Was almost done with this fallen world. He still has some work to do, believe it or not. He had his chance to serve God, and he served well. It was a faithful priest.
And his qualities They too were not wasted on this king Saul. They were wasted on Saul, but they were not. Wasted overall before the Lord, and that is important to us because we can get discouraged in serving God. We can feel like it's just not. No one appreciates it.
We can feel unfulfilled, unappreciated. And the Bible has these lessons for us so that we'll know how to overcome such feelings. It says here in at the bottom of verse one, and David arose and went down to the wilderness of Peran. Two phrases linked together in that sentence to indicate the endless activity of God.
Well, actually this verse, I said sentence, I misspoke, I should have said verse. Two phrases in this verse indicate the endless activity of God. Samuel died, David arose. The work keeps going. It does not stop with the individual.
God raises up those whom He needs and And he will raise up David further, and he has men such as Gad and Nathan and many others. To this day. Verse two: Now there was a man in Maon. whose business was in Carmel. And the man was very rich.
He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
Now, this is Carmel in Mahon, as it says, and not Carmel to the north, Mount Carmel, where Elijah executed the pagan prophets, a different location. And it is in this area of Maon That Saul erected for himself a monument, because he was vain and vicious at the same time, and it's certainly in step with that personality. This is important to the story because Nabal Is going to be against David and for Saul, and there's a link. You can bet Nabal being so rich. He and Saul were buddies.
And the man was very rich, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. He's wealthy by measured through livestock. Job had more. When you don't like someone, you can add that. Yeah, it's not so great.
But he has about, where does it say again? 3,000 sheep. He has 3,000. More sheep than I ever have had. And he was sharing the sheep in Carmel.
Though this is important, I mean, now he's cashing in. This is like a harvest. He's gathering the wool from the sheep. Many of these sheep are going to be slain, dressed and ready to be eaten, or cooked and eaten. This is harvest time, festive time.
For Nabal, the money is just going to be flowing in. In verse 3, the name of the man was Nabal, and his wife, the name of his wife, was Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance. But the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.
There's much to be said about the original Hebrew that we're not going to say. We may bring one out here or there. The translators, again, they do a pretty good job overall. But you have to really work sometimes to to extract even more. Anyhow, This marriage between the beauty and the beast, the true beauty and the beast story, oh well, doesn't have a happy ending.
She was likely cast into this marriage. It was an arranged marriage for her. There's not much we know about it, but it is a mismatch. She is a sweetheart of a woman married to this monster, to the wrong man. Job was mismatched to some degree.
Hosea the prophet was mismatched. And it doesn't, Hosea worked through it. Job apparently did himself also, but life is under the curse, and we don't lose sight of that. We just have to figure out. how to respond to it.
And, you know, Job, when he was at his lowest point, she nudged him to curse God and die. And, like, well, I love you too. Uh Not That was not a virtue. And it wasn't presented that way. Anyway, it says here in verse three, And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance.
Now there are more virtues that she has than just these two. She ends up cleaning up the mess made by her fool husband. And don't undervalue where the Bible says the man was harsh and evil in his doings. There's no mincing of words. It's straight out.
And we're going to see by his behavior that Even God didn't care for him. That's pretty intense. When God strikes someone down, don't get on that list. Anyway, but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. Vital to the story, because the lessons have very much to do with this.
Her virtues. They shined and flashed out in spite of him. And this Mismatch contrast between the two characters, her beauty and her understanding, his harshness and his evil, it's intentional. It is the Holy Spirit saying, I want you to pay attention to these things. Choose you this day, which character are you going to line up with?
Nables thoughts May be expressed in the words of W. C. Fields.
Some of you may not know who he is, and I am not going to take the time to tell you. You can look it up. W. C. Field said, I am free of all prejudices.
I hate everyone equally. Ha ha ha ha ha.
Well, that was Nabal. He didn't like anybody except, I guess, someone who could do something for him. Anyway, he was of the house of Caleb.
Now, being from Judah, Caleb was. in Judah's territory, and the man Caleb uh was of Judah. You would think That uh he would be more sympathetic to David, who was of the same tribe. Oh, that would not be the case. Verse 4: When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.
David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.
Now, David was a shepherd, and so he knew he understood what was happening. The sheep would be the sheared, the wool would be taken, and then a great many of them would be slaughtered for food. And he anticipated this when his men were watching over the flocks of Nabil. He says, You know, he's got to come to shear the sheep, and that's when we're going to ask him. And for in return of of watching over his flocks.
We're going to ask for just a little gift.
Now, before we further develop that, why ten men? Why does he send a squad of men? Why not just one or two men?
Well, because he wanted enough men to bring back the goods. He's anticipating. And he's got 600 men with him. For sure, later on, we know their families are with them. We don't know exactly how much of the family is with them at this point, but it doesn't matter, 600 men.
It's a lot of men to feed.
So that's why he sends the ten, and verse six: and thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity. While I live in the caves, Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have. Remember, David is training these men. David was well-bred. He was taught manners.
It's very important to have good manners. We all have manners, but are they good or bad? And he uses the shalom of the Jew. He's telling these men to be respectful when you talk to. to him because uh David probably thinks you know these guys just might be hey We watched your sheep pay up.
And he wants to make sure there's no blunders like that. Verse 7: Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore, let my young men find favor in your eyes.
Verse 8, for we come. On a feast day, please give whatever comes to you, to your hand, to your servants. And to your son David. To your son David. Uh-huh.
He's not gonna take it that way. Specific instructions. Hoping for rewards. David is saying, Listen, I know you didn't ask us to watch over your flocks, but we both can benefit from this. And you certainly did benefit from it.
That's what he's saying.
So he says, Verify it with your. Servants, and figure it out. Consider how much loss you may have incurred had we not been there. The Bedouins were always looking to rob and steal from others. And David said, we didn't let that happen.
Verse 9.
So when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David and waited. Then Nabal answered, Now, this is the drama music, right? Then Nabal answered David's servants and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away, each one from his master.
Oh, man, you should not have said this. You know, you were fine telling David no, but mess him with his dad. Who is David? It doesn't mean he doesn't know of David because he knows the name of his father. He certainly knows who David is.
This was an insult. He's calling David's clan. A bunch of nobodies, unimportant people. He is intentionally insulting him. He uses Saul's adversarial nickname, the son of Jesse.
And He's too indecent. To show any respect. He should have just said, No, I did not ask for it, and I'm not paying for it. He could have said that and things probably would not have gotten ugly. But then he has to go and mess with his dad.
He continues, there are many servants nowadays who break away, each one from his master. Oh, that's just gasoline on the fire. It's another insult. He's calling David a rebel. against the good noble king Saul.
He's saying, David, you're a runaway slave. You have the audacity to ask me, who are you? Insignificant person, I would expect this kind of behavior from somebody from a nobody clan.
Well When the innocent run for their lives, they're not rebels. And that's what David was doing, he was running for his life. According to Nabal, David has no right to defend himself. Unfortunately, there have been whole governments like this where your identity is insignificant. Oh, communism is that way.
It's the party. You have no individual rights. You know, Stalin had farmers work out in the fields and the men and women work in the factories. the threat of being shot on the spot. There were soldiers there with rifles to make sure they farmed and worked.
You know, the sickle and hammer, agriculture and industry. for the good of the party, Meanwhile the people starved. Anyway, What do we do in the midst of Satan's work? There are people like Saul, and there are people like Nabal, and there are a bunch of other characters we're going to come up to that are here with us today. Ted Nabal just said.
I'm not helping, it would have been fine, but he couldn't help himself. His character was as such. He's such a fool, so arrogant, he can't help himself. He has to give cheap shots. That's why he, this is who he is.
If Abigail was virtuous, he is not. He's evil, and he is harsh, and it is coming out. And now David is going to be infuriated. Verse 11 further indicates to us what kind of person he is. He says, Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?
You know where he's from. He's from the house of Jesse. You lied. He might be talking about some of David's truths. What does it matter?
You don't know where all of Saul's truths are from either. But notice how the Holy Spirit forever has preserved for us Nabal's personal pronouns. It reminds us of the rich fool in the Gospel of Luke, in the 12th chapter, my barns, my silos, my grain.
Now seven times. We have the braggart use personal pronouns in this one verse. I, my, my, I, my, I. He thinks he's one of those self-made men. There's no such thing.
All God has to do, again, is pinch the airline. That's it.
Well, verse twelve.
So David, David's young men, turned on their heels and went back. And they came and told him all these words. What do you think that conversation was like on the way back to David? I pity the fool that, because Nabal is the fool. I pity the fool that would get up in David's face like that.
He doesn't know who he's messing with. These are hardened troops. These men have seen combat more than once. They have killed people up close. These are the wrong people.
You do not pull on their capes, and Nabal just picked the fight. Verse 13, then David said to the men, Two as men. Every man gird on his sword.
So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. See, it's personal. This is like, you talked about my dad, man. You're going down. And anyway, and about 400 men went with David, and 200 stayed with the supplies.
You know, it's not like, you know, Jesse was a good man. We know that. Uh if he were a bad man, maybe David wouldn't have been so upset, but This was nasty.
So he says, get your guns. David also girded on his sword, as I mentioned. It's personal. He's in the flesh now, no question. He's not, you know, the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He is not there. And it is because of people like Nabal. This is what they do to the righteous people. David's probably back writing psalms, and they come back. And what did he say?
He's still just strumming away. He said some bad things about your dad. And then all of a sudden, the music stops, and he's get your guns. Because of this one fool messes up everything. It just takes one.
Why is that law so written so? Anyway, Unfortunately for Nabal, He does not enjoy the anointed status that Saul has. David doesn't mind killing Nabal, he can skew him. Just long as Saul's not around.
So, about 400 men went with David, and 200 stayed with the supplies. This is a tactic David will repeat. Later on in another event. But these men, these 600 men, they were willing to share. The hardship and excitement Life with David as a fugitive rather than Submit to Saul.
They knew Saul, they would rather die than serve Saul.
So we come to the New Testament, and the New Testament says, okay, tone it down, son. I'm not asking you to lose your mind. I'm not asking you not to throw away reason, but you've got to understand what the goal is, the objective. The New Testament emphasis is not on get your guns. Paul writes 1 Timothy.
He writes to Timothy in his first letter to him. He says, I desire, therefore, that men pray everywhere.
Okay, that's a fair request from a Christian pastor to Christian men, or Christians in general. He says, lifting up holy hands, those in pursuit of righteousness and holiness and purity that want it. Then he says, without wrath. and doubting. Why does he have to say that?
Because This life stirs wrath and doubts. That's what it does to the righteous.
Now, you may be a Christian, a new Christian, yeah, ten years or so. You really don't have that much time, maybe, in action. You gotta give it time. It will come. And you will have all of your.
virtues and beliefs challenged. And you'll have to stand up to them. And that's what Paul is saying. He's saying, look, I know what it's like to be angry at things, I know what it's like to have doubts. But we can't give in to this.
We can't just say, get your swords, every man, and just go ahead forward with the wrath. Romans 12, he writes to that. Group of Christians, he says, repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
Now, what if Somebody just read that to David. I think he would say, Yeah, tell me when I get back to my harp. But right now, it's sword time. Anyway, verse 14.
Now one of the young men told Abigail, now, now, Abigail comes really close up in the picture. Nabal's wife. Saying, Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master. And he reviled them. Yeah, he did.
This young man knew that this was not going to have a happy ending the way it was going. He also knew who not to go to. He does not go to Nepal. And say, hey, you'd really messed up. He's going to kill everybody now.
But he goes. To Abigail. That tells us. that she was approachable, that she could do something. That she was not just, you know, just good looking.
He's trusting her. is virtuous, she's wise, she's industrious. She's got qualities. that again, wasted on this fool, but not wasted. Verse 15, but the men were very good to us.
And we were not hurt. nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them. when we were in the fields. He's confirming David's words to his men. And then to Nabal in verse 8.
The shepherds in those days. You remember in the book of Genesis when Joseph said, Oh, my family's all shepherds. The Egyptians say shepherds, those guys are thugs. They carry daggers and they kill you. I mean, they're very protective of their flock.
They're not the most noble people you'll come across. And that's why the Egyptians disdained them.
Well, why were they like that? Because out in the wilderness, there's no 911. You're it. And people wanted sheep, livestock, and oxen. They're like gold.
What happened to all of Job's livestock? They came and stole it.
So these were tough men. And yet, Davis' men were tougher. And they could have taken the sheep and killed them. And that's the point that they were trying to make to Nabal. Look, we could have just taken your stuff.
And because we didn't, and not only did we not, you benefited from it. How about just a thank-you note?
Now, that doesn't put him under contract. We may get to that in a minute, but let's go to verse 17.
Now, therefore, know and consider, he's still talking to Abigail, what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. They could see it in the eyes of those men. When they walked out, they did this. daggers in their eyes. He continues, for he is such a scoundrel.
That one can't speak to him. He can't even talk to the guy. He's venting. He's a servant venting to Abigail. This is her husband, but he knows, you know, she's not an irrational woman.
He knows he can say this at a moment like this. I don't think he'd just do it, you know, just on the fly, but this moment. dictated A severe situation was dictated to them. What to do, Abby? What are you going to do?
They're coming to kill us. And she does what I would never have thought to do. My way would have failed. I would have armed the men, set a perimeter in ambushes, you know, just tactics. Fire with fire.
She uses water on fire. And she prevails. She pursues peace with dignity and reason. And products and goods armed with reason and food. How do you stop a charging army of men?
Food. You put up a salad bar, that won't do it. But you put a meat bar up, then maybe you'll get them. Anyway. New Testament rings in on this behaviour of this woman.
Blessed are the peacemakers. But they shall be called the sons of God. She is a peacemaker. If you were to go to your Bible and have to say, okay, name three people in the Bible who are peacemakers. She has to be on that list.
And we're gonna see in a moment. He says, For he is such a scoundrel. I'm in verse 17. That one cannot speak to him. Literally, a son of worthlessness, belial.
It is like the ultimate. Word of contempt on someone. And this.
So if you had to name a list of scoundrels in the Bible, guess where Nabal would be? He'd be on the short list too.
So awful. Was this man that other adjectives had to be called in to describe him? Noxious, extremely unpleasant person. Uh Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Cross Reference Radio. This is the daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Virginia.
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