1 Sa. 25: David Takes Wives

1 Samuel 25:31 "My master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the LORD has brought my master success, remember your servant."

David and his men go into the desert, and there's some rich guy with a lot of land and beautiful wife. Out of the goodness of his heart, David and his men guard this landowner's (Nabal) flocks. Eventually, David goes and asks for a favor for all this guarding. Nabal loses his mind, because he claims he doesn't know who this guy David is (even though his wife knew he killed Goliath with a stone from a sling). What's more, Nabal didn't ask for David to guard all his stuff. Despite David's friendly greeting, to a point I can understand Nabal's d-baggish response.

This response riles up David to the point where he wants to wipe out Nabal's entire staff, pissing against a wall (KJV) or not. Abigail finds out about this whole plan, and she brings an offering of peace (so David gets a bunch of food, anyway) and rational conversation. Abigail assumes the blame, deflecting the judgment off of Nabal, and staying David's hand of vengeance. She calls the no longer inevitable bloodshed "needless," and I tend to agree, because this whole vignette on the surface looked like David being presumptuous. It looks like David picking out some rich guy, guarding his land without being asked, and then expecting great reward. Does that also not speak to how we expect reward for our token actions?

Anyway, David was ready to wipe out this entire gaggle of fools, but Abigail appeases David. Its a pretty amazing soliloquy from verses 26-31. Of course David would be protected. Of course David's enemies would be hurled away "like a stone from the pocket of a sling." David probably knew all this, but needed to be told. Abigail, David's servant, wants to be remembered in David's success. Abigail could see what God was doing with David.

Abigail eventually has to tell Nabal what happened, and he died he was so shocked or mad or depressed. His heart became like a stone, the Bible says. Of course David gets the girl, marrying Abigail shortly after that. And Ahinoam. What happened to Michal, who loved David? Saul gave her away to some other dude. So this all seems like a thickening plot. And a soap opera.