David and Abigail

As many who have followed me for a bit, I have fallen into the Psalms, and I can’t get up! (As if I would want to.) The Psalms are a majestic collection of poetry, of heart felt human experiences that constantly challenge me in my own frail attempt to follow the true King. As many of the Psalms are written by David, my study on the Psalms has spurred me on to looking at the life of David, is the main contributor to this book, and to follow the victories and tragedies of the shepherd King of Israel.

Many times in the narrative, we will see the Lord Jesus, imperfectly, yet a reflection of His spirit in a man with weaknesses.

1 Samuel 25:39-42

39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The LORD has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife.
40 When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.”
41 And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.”
42 And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.

Consider the last 2 to 3 weeks for Abigail. She was the wife of a wealthy, though foolish man, who was in the midst of harvest, bringing in bounty from the fields. She lived the life of privilege, having five young women tend to her every need. Since no offspring is mentioned, she may have been a very young woman, with much to look forward to.

Her husband appeared to be completely in control of his business. He had many workers providing help for the harvest and seemed to experience every good thing God could provide.

When resistance, or difficulty came to the household, she could rest easy, for Nabal was not one to let anyone simply take advantage of the business or household. It was just a few days back when she witnessed her husband upbraiding some young soldiers as they came “begging”, and may have thought nothing of it.

Then a servant comes to her and shatters her idyllic life. An army was approaching, 400 men with swords, being led by a man that was highly successful at winning battles against experienced armies. What chance did Nabal’s household have? And this approaching army was coming for blood, simply because Nabal spoke foolishness.

Her actions showed her to be wise, acting quickly to head off a massacre. She led a small contingent of Nabal’s household, taking with her gifts of food, into a confrontation with the approaching army. Things may have turned out very poorly for her, but she met a man that could be reasoned with.

Her actions impacted David’s resolve to inflict massive damage and death on her masters household, and allowed God to bring about a focused, end result. Nabal’s death was at the hand of God, and the household was spared the bloodshed it seemed at one point destined to experience.

Abigail had kept her household safe. Although she lost a husband, there is no record of her assuming the property rights and taking over the business. It was a possible outcome that she would then take Nabal’s place of leadership in the business. Rare but possible.

Now shift over to David. He had been a man on the run, and his family life was simply non-existent. He witnessed a woman who exercised great wisdom and humility, having saved him from a huge mistake. He had been denied his first wife, Mical, by his father-in-law, and realized that Abigail had recently become a widow.

Does it not make sense that he take her as his wife, for the very simple reason of relieving her of her widowhood? He initiated the death march on Nabal, and though God finished the work, Abigail experienced the fallout of widowhood.

Consider the courtship of David and Abigail. Servants told her to be his wife. That’s it. No wooing, no romance, no mystery of relationship. Get over here woman – be my wife!

Abigail submitted to the servants message and became David’s wife. It seems this action of taking wives was to become an issue for David. In our very next verse, we find that David found another woman and he “took her” also.

1 Samuel 25:43-44

43David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives.
44 Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.

Herein begins the wife taking life of David.

Michal	1 Samuel 18:20-27 1 Samuel 19:11-17 1 Samuel 25:44 2 Samuel 3:13-14
Ahinoam of Jezreel	1 Chronicles 3:1 2 Samuel 3:2 2 Samuel 2:2
Abigail of Carmel	1 Chronicles 3:1 2 Samuel 2:2 2 Samuel 3:3
Macaah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur	1 Chronicles 3:2 2 Samuel 3:3
Haggith	1 Chronicles 3:2 2 Samuel 3:4
Abital	1 Chronicles 3:3 2 Samuel 3:4
Eglah	1 Chronicles 3:3 2 Samuel 3:5
Bathsheba	2 Samuel 11 – 12 1 Kings 1

These are his wives that we know of. Concubines were part of David’s life also. This “taking of wives” caused David much heartache in his future reign. Where did he get this idea that it was an acceptable way to live before the Lord? Did not Samuel provide guidance for this part of his life.

Deuteronomy 17:17 And he (the king) shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

Could David have been ignorant of this direction from his God? Did he see multiple wives as the “normal” lifestyle due to his spiritual mentor Samuel having many wives? That is not possible since there is no mention of Samuel having any wife little lone multiple wives.

So where did the future king get this idea? Was it just that he was virale, needing the attention of more than one wife? Was it a power play to extend his influence over other nations? (Notice Maacah, was of the kingdom of Geshur)

Was it that Saul provided an example of multiple wives? For all of Saul’s weaknesses, he restrained himself to one wife, Ahinoam, and one concubine Rizpah.

David took Abigail, and followed suit with seven other women. Who knows how many concubines. Why he took so many wives we may never know, except for Bathsheba, but we will get to her eventually. Family strife was the norm for David, and eventually it would bring him to the brink of loosing his kingdom.

David and women. A point of weakness in this man of God!

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