A Reminder of God’s Providence

1 Samuel 25-26 

1)  David’s Reasonable Request (25:1-9)

a)  Nabal “was very rich…harsh and badly behaved.” vs 2-3

b) Abigail was “discerning and beautiful” vs 2-3

c) It’s sheep shearing season and David makes a reasonable request.

i) “Let my young men find favor in your eyes” and treat them as your own servants in this celebration.” vs 4

2) Nabal’s Disrespect and David’s Response (25:10-13)

a) Nabal Responds to David’s Request

i)  “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” vs 10-11

b) David Responds to the Disrespect

i) “Every man strap on your sword!” vs 13

3) God’s Providence through Abigail’s Intervention (25:14-35)

a) As David reacts, God intervenes. Abigail gets word about David’s plan and proceeds to rush to David.

i) “Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves and two skins of wine and five sheep already prepared and five seahs of parched grain and a hundred clusters of raisins and two hundred cakes of figs.” vs 18

b) She greets David quickly and respectfully (vs 23-31)

c) She reminds David of God’s Providence

d) David listens to God’s reminder and doesn’t pursue Nabal.

i) Verses 32-35, “Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! Blessed be your discretion…For as surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, who has restrained me from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, truly by morning there had not been left to Nabal so much as one male.”

e) God used Abigail’s Intervention to Remind David of His Providence and Faithfulness.

4) Nabal’s Death and God’s Glory (25:36-44)

a) Abigail tells Nabal of the events after “the wine had gone out of him” verse 37

b) The news causes Nabal a heart attack of some sort

i) “his heart died within him” vs 37

ii) “ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.” vs 38

iii) “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

iv) “Blessed be the Lord who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal…The LORD has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” verse 39

c)  After Nabal’s death, David takes Abigail to be his wife. (vs 39-42)

5) The Continued Tension between Saul and David (26:1-8)

a) “So David and Abishai went to the army by night. And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head, and Abner and the army lay around him. Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now please let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.” vs 7-8

b) “Just because the circumstances make it possible for me to do a certain thing, doesn’t mean it’s God’s direct leading for me to do it.” -Pastor Derek

6)  David’s Mature Response (26:9-16)

a) “Do not destroy him, for who can put out his

i)   “Do not speak evil against one another.” James 4:11

ii)   “Do not grumble against one another” James 5:9

iii)  “Encourage one another and build one another up.” 1 Thess 5:11

7)      Saul’s Humility (26:17-25)

Lessons from Chapters 25-26

a) TRUST IN GOD’S PROCESS

b) TRUST IN GOD’S PROVIDENCE

c) TRUST IN GOD’S