"Abigail"

Overview

Abigail: A Supporting Cast Member Who Points to Christ

Among the supporting characters of Scripture, Abigail stands out as a woman whose courage and wisdom changed the course of a moment—and whose actions quietly foreshadow the work of Christ. Her story unfolds in 1 Samuel 25. David and his men had been camping in the grazing lands of a wealthy man named Nabal, whom Scripture describes as "surly mean and ill-natured." Rather than taking advantage, David's men had served as a protective wall around Nabal's shepherds and flocks. By ancient custom, a thank-offering of provisions was due. But when David sent servants to request it, Nabal mocked him: "Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse?" 1 Samuel 25:10-11. Insulted, David strapped on his sword, gathered four hundred men, and set out to take vengeance with his own hand.

Abigail's Threefold Action

Word reached Abigail, Nabal's wife, who acted swiftly. Loading donkeys with bread, wine, sheep, grain, raisins, and figs, she rode out to meet David. When she saw him, she dismounted, fell on her face, and did three remarkable things:

• She took the guilt upon herself. "Upon me alone, my lord, be the guilt" 1 Samuel 25:24—though she had done nothing wrong.
• She interceded for her husband, asking forgiveness and reminding David that the Lord had restrained him from blood guilt. Notably, she spoke of God's deliverance in the past tense—the "prophetic past"—as if it were already accomplished, because what God wills is as good as done.
• She saved David from himself, urging him to fight the Lord's battles rather than his own, and reminding him of the sure house God would build for him 1 Samuel 25:28-31.

David's response is striking: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion… who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from working salvation with my own hand" 1 Samuel 25:32-33.

A Greater Intercessor

Take the guilt. Intercede. Save. Does this remind you of someone? Abigail's actions point us beyond herself to the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes, "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" 2 Corinthians 5:21. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took upon Himself the guilt of every human being—past, present, and future—and paid the penalty in full at the cross. And He continues to intercede: "He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" Hebrews 7:25.

A Pastoral Word

When we honestly assess our own lives, we echo Paul's cry: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Romans 7:24-25. If Abigail reminds you of someone who once lovingly told you, "Don't do that"—give thanks. If she reminds you of a time you offered that same loving word to another—good. But best of all, if her story reminds you of Christ, who truly takes our guilt, intercedes for us at the Father's right hand, and saves us from ourselves, then better still. Our lives, Abigail tells David, are "bound in the bundle of the living" under the care of our God 1 Samuel 25:29—a promise made certain in Jesus Christ.

Transcript

Would you open your Bibles please with me this morning to first Samuel the 25th chapter for our study? 1s

First Samuel the 25th chapter. Has anyone ever said to you, 9s

ah, don't do that. Perhaps you had determined to do something, 19s

but yet that person came to you and as they reflected on what you had determined to do, 24s

they said, don't do that. Don't do that. 32s

We're studying today in the Old Testament and we're studying about David. 39s

David had determined that he was going to take a specific action. 45s

Thankfully, a woman by the name of Abigail came along. 52s

Abigail is one of those supporting cast members. All some along. 58s

Pastor Maloneck and I are exploring a different supporting cast member from Holy Scripture. 63s

Those people that perhaps are lesser known than the main figures that we study. 70s

You know, the David's and the Moses and Peter Paul Mary, it was kind of big figures, 77s

but surrounding them, there's this host of supporting cast and Abigail is part of the supporting cast. 85s

What Abigail had said to David was, don't do that. Don't do that. 95s

As we study today, ponder the actions that Abigail took and ask yourself this question. 105s

Who does she remind me of? Who does she remind me of? 119s

Well, let's get the backdrop for our study today. 127s

David and his men were camping in the grazing land of a man by the name of Nabol. 133s

The scripture gives a very succinct but pointed description about Nabol. 141s

It says that he was surly mean and ill-natured. 147s

Well, what David and his men did as they were camping on the grazing ground of Nabol is they protected Nabol's men. 156s

They protected his herd. They didn't steal from Nabol, but rather they protected him while they were there. 171s

So, an ancient day there was a custom. 181s

When you would do something like that, it was then customary to receive a thank you from the person that was the recipient of your actions. 185s

And so it would have been customary for some sheep to be given to David and his men as a thank you for the kindness that had been shown to them. 195s

So, David made that request of Nabol. 206s

And this is what Nabol's response was. 212s

Look when he pleased, at verses 10 and 11 of chapter 25 of First Samuel. 217s

But Nabol answered David's servants. Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? 227s

There are many servants today who are breaking away from their masters. 236s

Shall I take my bread and my water and the meat that I have butchered for my shears and give it to men who come from I do not know where? 242s

Well, Nabol knew who David was. 257s

All of that dialogue that he was having and the questions that he was posing. 263s

He knew exactly who David was. 268s

This was an attempt to be little David. 271s

The word gets back then to David. 277s

Exactly what Nabol had said. 280s

And the Scripture tells us that David turned to his men and said, 283s

And he would be able to strap on your swords and while leaving some of the men behind David took 400 men to go to Nabol. 289s

David was determined in the actions that he was going to take. 306s

Look over please at verse 21 of chapter 25. 312s

Now David had said, surely it was in vain that I protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness. 317s

So that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. 329s

But he has returned to me evil for good. 333s

God do so to David and more also. 339s

If by morning I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him. 343s

David had determined exactly what he was going to do. 353s

Enter, stage left, Abigail. 364s

Abigail was the wife of this serley mean and ill-natured guy. 371s

And word had come to Abigail. 379s

Word had come from one of the men here of Nabol in the field. 383s

And the man said, they were very kind to us. 387s

They were good to us. They were like a wall to us. 390s

They protected us. 394s

But now this is what David is intending to do. 396s

Abigail quickly, quickly went into action. 403s

She gathered a bunch of bread, wine, sheep, grain, raisins, cakes of figs. 406s

And she put them on the donkeys and off she went to go and to talk with David. 414s

We pick up in verse 23. 422s

When Abigail saw David, she hurried and elated from the donkey and fell before David on her face, bowing to the ground. 428s

She fell at his face and said, upon me alone, my Lord, be the guilt, upon me alone, my Lord, be the guilt. 438s

What was the first thing that she did? 451s

That she communicated that she was taking the guilt of her husbands, actions upon herself. 455s

She had done nothing wrong. 467s

There was nothing that she had done that she should be guilty of. 470s

And yet she was taking the guilt of the other upon herself. 474s

We go on. 485s

The second thing that she does is she intercedes for her husband. 486s

She intercedes and she's asking for forgiveness. 492s

We continue on in verse 24, halfway through. 497s

Please let your servant speak in your ears and hear the words of your servant. 502s

My Lord, do not take seriously. 508s

This ill-natured fellow, Nabol. 511s

For as his name is so is he. 514s

Nabol is his name and folly is with him. 518s

But I, your servant, did not see the young men of my Lord whom you sent. 523s

Just a little aside here. 532s

Nabol's name meant fool. 535s

Now you have to wonder, don't you? 539s

About the parents who named their child fool? 542s

But then you have to wonder about Abigail the spouse of Nabol, 548s

who affirms the name that had been given to her husband, 554s

affirms the fact that he was simply a fool. 558s

She goes on. 564s

Verse 26, now then my Lord, 566s

as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, 571s

since the Lord has restrained you from blood guilt 575s

and from taking vengeance with your own hand, 579s

now let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my Lord, 584s

be like Nabol. 589s

Isn't it interesting that she is speaking in the past tense? 592s

She is speaking as if David had already stayed his hand. 599s

She is speaking as if David had already said, 605s

put the swords away. 609s

We've run into this before with the prophets. 613s

Sometimes you will hear them speak in what's called the prophetic past. 616s

In which they speak about a future event to come, 620s

but they speak about it in the past tense. 624s

It's a way of communicating so sure is the will of God 627s

that if God wills it, it's already done. 632s

And so she is speaking here about the will of God 638s

and she's speaking about it in the past tense 641s

as if it's already occurred. 644s

She goes on with her intercession, verse 27. 648s

And now let this present that your servant has brought to my Lord, 655s

be given to the young men who follow my Lord. 660s

Please forgive the trespass of your servant. 664s

For the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure house 668s

because my Lord is fighting the battles of the Lord 672s

and evil shall not be found in you so long as you live. 677s

She's asking for forgiveness. 685s

She's reminding David of the dynasty that God will build for him. 689s

And she's reminding him, fight the Lord's battles, 695s

not your own battles of vengeance. 700s

She goes on with the intercession, verse 29. 707s

If anyone should rise up to pursue you and to seek your life, 713s

the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living. 717s

What a beautiful phrase. 722s

Under the care of the Lord your God, 724s

but the lives of your enemies, he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling. 726s

When the Lord has done to my Lord, according to all the good that he's spoken concerning you, 735s

and is appointed you Prince over Israel. 740s

My Lord shall have no cause of grief or pains of conscience, 743s

for having shed blood without cause or for having saved himself. 750s

And when the Lord has dealt well with my Lord, 755s

then remember your servant. 760s

She communicates to him, 764s

that he is in the bundle of the living 766s

that God will provide protection, 770s

that the sting of his hand and not doing what he had determined to do, 774s

the sting of his hand would mean that David would not have grief 780s

over the actions of what he was intending to do to an aball. 784s

What then does she do? 793s

But she takes the guilt upon herself 795s

and intercedes asking for forgiveness. 801s

And what's the outcome? 807s

Look at verse 32. 811s

David said to Abigail, 815s

but, blessed be the Lord that God of Israel, 818s

who sent you to me today, 822s

blessed be your good sense, 826s

and blessed be you who have kept me today 829s

from blood guilt and from avenging myself by my own hand. 833s

She takes the guilt on herself. 842s

She intercedes and she saves David from himself. 849s

Takes the guilt, intercedes, saves. 858s

Does that remind you 866s

of anybody? 868s

In second Corinthians, the fifth chapter, 874s

the Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit 879s

writes this, 883s

for our sake, he made him to be sin, 885s

who knew no sin so that in him, 890s

we might become the righteousness of God. 893s

The Lord Jesus never sinned. 907s

He couldn't. 913s

He was God in the flesh, true God and true man. 914s

But the Lord Jesus was made sin, 919s

as all of our sin was placed upon him. 923s

All of our past sin, all of our presence sin, 928s

all of our futures sin, 930s

the sin of every human being that ever was 932s

or ever will be every single human. 936s

Was is or will be the guilt 942s

was laid upon Jesus. 947s

And on the cross, 951s

the Lord Jesus paid that sin death. 952s

He died in our place, 958s

the righteous for the unrighteous. 959s

The guilt less for the guilt T. 963s

He took our guilt upon him, 969s

and one forgiveness. 975s

And he bruised the seventh chapter. 979s

The Scripture says this, 983s

He is able for all time to save those 986s

who approach God through him, 990s

since he always lives to make intercession for them. 994s

See the Lord Jesus Christ intercedes to the Father, 1002s

for the believer. 1006s

The Lord Jesus Christ says, 1009s

that sin is charged to my account. 1011s

It's paid in full. 1015s

I paid for that sin. 1018s

The Lord Jesus intercedes to the Father, 1021s

and the Father then looks at us 1024s

through the eyes of what God has accomplished 1028s

through the Lord Jesus Christ. 1031s

He takes the guilt upon him. 1035s

He intercedes for us. 1039s

And Romans the seventh chapter. 1043s

Paul writes this, 1046s

Rechid man that I am. 1049s

Who will rescue me from this body of death? 1051s

Thanks me to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1055s

Paul in an honest assessment 1061s

of himself understood the depth and the breadth of his sin. 1063s

As we honestly look at our own lives, 1068s

we understand the depth and breadth of our sin, 1071s

how we transgress the ways of God, 1073s

we understand the condition of sin that we are in. 1076s

We understand that we are a sinner from the moment 1080s

that life begins at conception. 1083s

We understand that we are in need of a Savior. 1086s

That understanding comes by the gracious action of God 1092s

through the Word in our lives. 1096s

Paul says, 1100s

Rechid man that I am. 1101s

Who will save me from this? 1102s

Who will rescue me from this? 1104s

And then he says, 1107s

Thanks me to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1108s

If Abigail, if that's supporting cast member, 1119s

Abigail reminds you of someone, 1125s

who turned you one day and out of love simply said, 1129s

don't do that. 1135s

Well then good. 1139s

If Abigail reminds you of a time that you went to someone 1142s

and out of love you said, 1146s

don't do that. 1150s

Don't do what you've determined. 1152s

Then good. 1158s

But if this story about Abigail reminds you, 1162s

if this story reminds you about the one 1166s

who takes away truly all of our guilt, 1169s

the one who intercedes for us and the one who saves us, 1175s

if this story reminds you of the Lord Jesus Christ, 1183s

who's taken our guilt, 1188s

who intercedes and who has saved us, 1190s

if this story reminds you of him, 1193s

well then, 1199s

all the better, all the better. 1204s