1 Samuel 25:1-42
Yesterday I was praising David for how he restrained himself when he had the opportunity to get revenge against Saul. But as we see here in 1 Samuel 25:1-42, circumstances can change things. David sends his men to ask Nabal, a wealthy herdsman, for provisions for he and his men. You see David's troop had been in this area for awhile and had actually been acting as protectors to Nabal's herdsman and their flocks. Nabal refuses David's request very rudely, and when David finds out, he and 400 of his men strap on their swords and head out to kill Nabal to avenge the wrong done to them. No restraint this time.
So I asked myself What's the difference here? What's caused this poor reaction in David? I went back and read some of the passage and what struck me was how anger played a key role. David was totally caught off guard by Nabal's rudeness. When his men relayed what had happened, he immediately got angry and things went downhill from there. Now the Bible doesn't tell us that getting angry is a sin, but we are told to not sin in our anger. David missed that mark here and we can too. (Believe me, I speak from experience.)
Getting angry is just part of life. So what can we do so that we don't respond like David the next time unexpected responses or circumstances make us angry? Tami W.
QUESTION: What version(s) of the bible is most often used on Back To The Bible programs? What version does Woodrow Kroll teach from?
I have struggle with anger practically all my life and then i will hold grudges until i get ready to let it go.Which is wrong according to the bible, so the best way i really see to deal with this issue taking off gaurd by anger is to not let the sun go down on your wrath,quickly go to resolve the issue in a meek and gentle spirit.
Doug,
Dr. Kroll typically uses the English Standard Version or the New King James Version. And as he always says, "The best version of the Bible is the one you read."
Meredith
P4 Team Member
Anger is quite interesting when it pertains to sin. Anger is like a drug that clouds wisdom ad sound judgement. It is extremely difficult to submit to God when I am angry and it is much easier to serve self and turn away from Him. It'd be nice to have an Abigail come to calm us down everytime we flare up though!
On another note, I still struggle with why David and especially Solomon are allowed to have more than one wife when it is so evil today. I have an even harder time with this when Solomon writes the Song of Solomon expressing his longing for his bride to be, the Shulamite woman yet later has several thousand wives and concubines.
One interesting difference between the incident with Nabal and with Saul is that with Nabal, David felt like he was "owed" something. In the case of Saul, I don't believe that David ever thought that he was "owed" the kingdom. In his relationship with Saul, David was willing to let the Lord's timing unfold. However, with Nabal, David took matters into his own hands. Another difference is that with Saul the conflict was between David and Saul. In the matter of Nabal, there were other people involved as well. It might be true, I think it is for me, that we are more likely to take matters into our own hands when those we care about have been offended or hurt. Anyone else feel this way?
I try not to react when I am angry but sometimes it is difficult. The good thing is we can ask our Lord and Saviour to forgive our actions and our thoughts. To me though, Saul was God's anointed King, Nabal was a horrible and ungodly man based on what the Bible says. David would never lift his hand against God's anointed. Still the reaction should be the same, show love and not hate.
Sometimes people are angry at their priest or pastor and react especially when their opinion is not accepted. We have to learn to count to 10 or a 100 if needs be. A quick call on our Lord is always rewarding. Anger and retort cause a great deal of confusion and sometimes unnecessary harm to each other. Do it Jesus' way.
Hello Meredith,
Thanks for answering my Question.
David was a man. He may of not been only thinking of himself but of his men, also. I think the point here is that he did not avenge. He did wait and listened to Abigal. She really loved her husband to be bold enough to go to David and plea for Nabal's life. Anger can be very descrutive if we let it. God did avenge for David. Nabal died.
Wow I wasn't looking forward to a long reading tonight and I told myself slow down and read it word for word. And I found out Nabal was killed by God not David. For some reason I always thought he took Abigail and had her husband killed on the front lines. I think I mixed up stories with some other one. Well I think if we abide in Christ and Christ in us daily taking up our cross and seeking his will the act to revenge won't be there. And another good thing to learn from these passages is Christ intervened and David did not seek revenge, God takes care of His own. That is good to see and to know. I try to love others and walk a mile in their shoes as my Mom taught me. And it is a good thing to remember even today. May we all walk a mile before judging.
Where is David's wife, Saul's daughter had she died for him to take another wife?
David might have got mad or just was upset because it not only effected him but all his troops. He maybe thought that he deserved it. But either way we have to let God control it and I think he did do that by sending Abigal.
Dora, if you would open your bible and see for yourself, you'll know that this chapter is not finished till two verses later, where it explains that Saul gave his daughter away to someone else when David left and it's a sad story later on with what David was going to do. Yeah, I don't get it either how, some of the prominent men, such as David and Solomon, whom God used mightily can have multiple wives. I guess because the law didn't state that they should have just one wife. It baffles me. But I guess it's a cultural thing, but that was kind of the thing to do in the OT times even in China. I don't get it. I am just glad that now it's all changed.
And I think David was angry at Nabal but not Saul was because Saul was "the anointed" king, but Nabal was nobody. Of course not to say then he has the right to kill him and his whole household, but I think that's David's mindset, anyway.
Tami, I have never actually seen in that light!! Wow thanks for the insight. As a man, I have found the life of David so inspiring due to the fact that he was so natural...i can relate to it. I hope though that soon I will see the life of Jesus himself as the "natural" life. I pray that men everywhere will find inspiration and help in looking at the life of this David, and that in time, we will see Jesus the Christ as the example.
Dora,
Michal, the younger daughter of King Saul, and David, the popular and handsome warrior, had what appeared to be a good beginning in their relationship. They loved each other, but her father had an evil purpose in arranging their marriage. Saul hoped to get David killed in a battle with the Philistines to win Michal's hand. David prevailed. Saul's plot failed, and the couple was married.
Sometime later, Saul attempted to kill David at the couple's home. Michal helped David escape the wrath of her father. For years, David was forced to flee in the wilderness, hiding in caves and foreign countries, while Saul continually pursued him. David had no contact with Michal in this period of his life.
Though Michal was still married to David, Saul gave her as wife to a man named Paltiel.
After Saul's death, David finally ascended to the throne of Israel, as God had promised. He had taken other wives in the meantime. The greatest threat to David's reign were members of Saul's family. Nearly all of them died in uprisings, but David sent to have Michal returned to him. She was forcibly taken from Paltiel and brought back to David.
Michal was an idol worshiper who showed no respect for the God of Israel. At the end, she despised David and scorned him openly. She died childless, much as a divorced woman. Her life is one of the tragic episodes in the history of Israel, another result of King Saul's heart of rebellion against God.
Ray
Biblical Correspondent at Back to the Bible