Rejection, Retaliation, and Refocus

INTRO

We’re getting close to finishing our 13th study of a book of the Bible, and this is the 240th lesson. That means we’re one-third of the way through this study of the Bible. This can feel like a duty, just another day of stuff to get though. Or we can approach it every day, asking God what He wants us to learn today. Our phrase for 1 Samuel is Anointed One. The Anointed One always steps in at an unlikely time.

TEACHING

1 Samuel 25:1–3: Samuel died, and all of Israel was there to mourn and bury him at his home in Ramah (v. 1). Most of those who mourned Samuel didn’t like him, disobeyed what he said, but honored him in death. David and his men moved about 100 miles south of Masada to the wilderness of Paran.¹Verse 2 introduces Nabal who lived in Maon and had a business in Carmel nearby. He was a wealthy man who carried a good deal of cash with him as he went back and forth. Carmel may not have had the best reputation. It was where Saul built a monument to himself (1 Samuel 15:12), and

it was where Samuel refused to go when he told Saul that ruling the kingdom of Israel would not remain in his family line (1 Samuel 15:26). The man was Nabal, and his wife was Abigail, a beautiful and intelligent woman, whose name means “My father is joy.” Nabal, a Calebite, was harsh and evil (or surly and mean), and his name means “fool” (v. 3). Abigail plays the role here as the anointed one. In verse 25, Abigail described her husband Nabal as “this worthless man… [who] lives up to his name.”

1 Samuel 25:4–8: David heard that Nabal was shearing his 3,000 sheep, so he sent ten young men to take greetings to Nabal (vv. 4–6). They were to tell Nabal they knew he was shearing sheep, and that when his shepherds were with David, they were protected, not harassed (v. 7). Since it was a feast day, the young men were to ask for Nabal’s generous support (v. 8).

1 Samuel 25:9–13: David’s request was legitimate and worthy. The young men did as David had instructed them (v. 9). Nabal responded by suggesting that David, the anointed one of God, was a runaway slave (v. 10). Nabal had a spirit of arrogance and control that hindered his desire to give. Everybody knew David. Even Abigail knew David. Nabal was intentional in his insults of David.

In this process, David was rejected (vv. 10–12). When his men returned and told David what Nabal had said, David retaliated (vv. 12–13, 21–22). David responded in anger and armed 400 soldiers (v. 13). In verses 21–22, David repeated he was going to retaliate because he had been rejected.

David’s reaction goes against everything he had done in the past:

• 1 Samuel 17:28—David was rejected by his brother Eliab.
• 1 Samuel 17:32–33—David was rejected by Saul who said he wasn’t big enough or strong enough to fight Goliath.
• 1 Samuel 17:37—David responded to both rejections in faith . . .“The Lord delivered me.”

Perhaps Nabal’s rejection seemed different from these because it came when David was tired, hungry, and on the run. This was not how David usually responded. After Saul tried to kill David (1 Samuel 18:11), David refused to retaliate (1 Samuel 24:10).

Rejection can take us by surprise and bring out the worst in us. Satan uses rejection as an opportunity to speak lies about who we are (1 Peter 5:8).

1 Samuel 25:14–19: One of Nabal’s men told Abigail what had happened with Nabal and how well David’s soldiers had protected them (vv. 14–16). The servant said that Nabal was “such a worthless fool nobody can talk to him!” (v. 17). “Worthless fool” can be understood as a scoundrel or a son of worthlessness.²In response, Abigail gathered a huge store of supplies and loaded them on donkeys (v. 18). She sent her servants on ahead, but told her husband nothing (v. 19).

1 Samuel 25:20–31: As she rode through a mountain pass, Abigail saw David and his men approaching at a distance (v. 20). David had just announced his plans for retaliation again when Abigail approached David and fell on her face before him (vv. 21–23). Through Abigail’s actions of humility, of taking on the guilt that was not hers, David refocused. Abigail identified David as her “lord” 14 times in chapter 25. She recognized David was the anointed king, and she still asked to speak to him directly, much like Esther approaching the king without an invitation. The word “listen” is used 1,100 times in the Old Testament and means to hear or obey. MacArthur explains, “It implies the listener is giving his or her total attention to the one who is speaking.”³David should have recognized that God had a bigger plan, rather than focusing on what Nabal wouldn’t do (2 Corinthians 4:18). In verse 28, Abigail prophesied about David’s dynasty that would be established through the Lord. She went on to describe the protection God would give David (vv. 30–31).

1 Samuel 25:32–35: David praised the Lord for sending Abigail to him. God used Abigail to change David’s actions and save the lives of Nabal and his men (vv. 32–34). David then sent Abigail home in peace (v. 35). David recognized that God is the avenger, not him.

1 Samuel 25:36–44: When Nabal found out what Abigail did, he had a seizure, became paralyzed and died ten days later. Abigail went to David and they were married.

CLOSING

Jesus was rejected, but He never retaliated. He kept His mind on God. When we face rejection, we need to refocus back on God. We belong to the Lord because of what He has done, not what we have done.