Daily Reading: 1 Samuel 25:1-3
Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down into the Desert of Paran. 2 A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel. 3 His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings—he was a Calebite.
Samuel the prophet faithfully served God and the nation of Israel as it transitioned from the time of judges to the rule of kings.
The name Samuel derives from the Hebrew elements shema meaning "hear, heard" and el meaning "God". God has heard.
Samuel was a judge and prophet of God who led Israel for over forty years. Samuel also anointed the first king of Israel, Saul, and his successor David. Samuel possibly wrote the books of Judges, Ruth, and large portions of First Samuel.
Samuel was an important guy, who lived an important life. But life has chapters in it. This chapter 1 Samuel 25 says: “Now Samuel died,” and David finds his life has led him to a desert place quite literally.
The loss is more grievous at this juncture when Saul has grown so outrageous and David is driven from his country; never before had David needed Samuel more than now, if David is going to be the greatest human king Israel will ever know this is necessary- this painful chapter is necessary in David’s life for him to get to the place of declaring Great is the LORD!
If God is leading you down a desert path expect there to be something beautiful (Abigail) to be found in the journey (1 Samuel 25:3).
Nabal means “fool”.
Abigail means “my father is joy”.
Nabal “The Fool” is (Surly Mean)
vs
Abigail “my Father is Joy” (Intelligent and Beautiful)
Isn’t that so true though? David in Psalm 14:1 writes: “The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Maybe David was thinking of Nabal.
Praise God that in David’s difficult season he could find “Abigail”- my Father is joy. That is what we need when the chapter turns and the story seems to be going a way we didn’t expect and might not prefer.
The prospect of the righteous is joy Proverbs 10:28- you are going down a desert road caused by the death of someone you loved, well the prospect is you are going to find Abigail something beautiful in the desert that your heavenly Father is joy.
Here is a life lesson from Abigail- when it comes to important life planning don’t get fools involved (1 Samuel 25:19).
There will be chapters in your life where you might be tempted to declare it’s been useless I am being paid back evil for all the good that I have done, but just wait Abigail is right around the corner and is coming (1 Samuel 25:21,23).
David might have lost Samuel but God provided Abigail exactly what he needed; beauty, intelligence, political shrewdness, and material wealth for that next chapter in David’s life, becoming king. David didn’t need Samuel anymore, he needed what God provided Abigail.