Day 64 – 1 Samuel 25:2-11

Scripture Review

1 Samuel 25:2-11

"And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel."

(1 Samuel 25:2)

"Very great" here means he was great in possessions, not great in character. He had massive flocks, and that meant he had status, money, servants, and influence. Sheep-shearing was not just work. It was payday. It was a season of increase, celebration, and provision. This was a time when generosity should have been easy.

"Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb."

(1 Samuel 25:3)

Abigail is a woman of "good understanding." That means she has discernment, wisdom, sound judgment. She is also of "beautiful countenance," meaning her appearance is lovely. But Nabal is "churlish and evil in his doings." Churlish means harsh, hard, rough, selfish, mean-spirited. He is not just unpleasant in personality. He is evil in his doings. His problem is not merely bad manners. His heart is wrong. I notice he was "of the house of Caleb."Caleb was a man of faith and courage. Nabal came from a good line, but he did not walk in that spirit.

"And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep."

(1 Samuel 25:4)

David hears that Nabal is in a season of abundance. David is in the wilderness, but he is paying attention. He knows this is a perfect time to ask for help.

"And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:"

(1 Samuel 25:5)

David sends ten young men as representatives. And he tells them to "greet him in my name." David is being open, respectful, and honorable. He is not hiding who he is.

"And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast." (1 Samuel 25:6)

David begins with peace. Three times the word appears: "Peace." Peace to Nabal, peace to his house, peace to all he has. This means David is not coming with a threat. He is coming with blessing.

"And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel."

(1 Samuel 25:7)

David now explains why he is asking. His men had been around Nabal's shepherds, and they did not abuse them, rob them, or trouble them. "Neither was there ought missing" means nothing was lost, nothing was stolen, nothing disappeared. David's men could have taken anything. But they did not. They acted as protection, not as predators.

"Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David."

(1 Samuel 25:8)

David says, in effect, "Check the facts." "Ask thy young men." This was not some made-up claim. Nabal could verify it. David says, "we come in a good day." That means this is a season of abundance, feast, and celebration. This is a fitting time to give.

This is also a modest request, "whatsoever cometh to thine hand." David is not demanding a fixed amount. He is saying, "Give what you can. Give what is at hand." He even calls himself "thy son David."

"And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased."

(1 Samuel 25:9)

The young men do exactly what David told them to do. They give the message faithfully, and then they stop. That little phrase "and ceased" shows they left the matter in Nabal's hands.

"And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master."

(1 Samuel 25:10)

Now Nabal reveals his heart. "Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse?" He talks as if David were nobody. Then he makes David out to be a rebellious servant, "there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master." He treats David like a runaway slave, not like the deliverer of Israel.

Proverbs 18:23 says: "The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly." David asked humbly, but Nabal answered roughly.

"Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?"

(1 Samuel 25:11)

Nabal says my "my bread, and my water, and my flesh." That is the language of a selfish individual. Everything is about his ownership, his control, his comfort.

He will not even admit what David's men had done for his servants. He acts as if these are just strangers. Wealth had filled his hands, but it had not softened his heart. Nabal speaks like an someone who believes everything begins and ends with him.

Do you know anyone like that? This has helped me examine how I respond to people in times of abundance in my life.

David is poor in the wilderness, yet he speaks peace, shows restraint, and asks graciously. Nabal is rich in Carmel, yet he speaks with contempt, ingratitude, and selfish pride. This is building to become a strong warning from God.