There is a story in the Old Testament of a woman who was an expert at dealing with angry people. Abigail is described in 1 Samuel 25 as beautiful, approachable and intelligent. On the other hand, her wealthy husband, Nabal, was an angry, mean, wicked man.
In the times of arranged marriages, often the best women were taken by wealthy, but not always good, men. It’s interesting that the same kind of mismatched marriages often happen today, when we marry by choice.
As the story unfolds, Nabal’s unkindness and insults have angered David, the future king and a mighty warrior who happened to have an army of 600 camped near Nabal’s land. David was a good man who could sometimes act recklessly when provoked. In his anger he set off with 400 of his men to kill Nabal and every man in his charge.
When Nabal’s servants heard of David’s plan, they ran first to Abigail, probably having watched her repair her husband’s blunders before. Abigail took immediate action and went out to meet David with gifts and persuasion. Humbly, she reminded him of his great destiny and the burden of needless bloodshed. This godly woman was respectful and straight-forward in her approach and won his favor without making use of her beauty and feminine charms.
After having single-handedly turned back an avenging army, Abigail returned to find her husband blissfully unaware and very drunk. I’m sure she was the one to become angry this time, but she calmly waited until morning to tell a sober Nabal what had almost become of him. The shock must have been too much for him, because in 1 Samuel 25:38 it says "his heart became like stone." and he died ten days later.
This story has a happy ending. When David heard of Nabal’s death, he praised God for keeping him from revenge and he remembered the woman who was so wise in handling his anger.
- When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal’s wrongdoing down on his own head.” Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.
Abigail knew that
A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
David found out that
The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Proverbs 15:3
Walking With Women of the Bible
by Lynne Chapman
