Episodes in scripture are fascinating to reflect on what they say about the human condition.
There is this particular episode that features the man who would be king, David. He is not king. He is a fugitive from the law. The king is the law and that king has seen David as a threat and has made David essentially public enemy number one. Although that’s what the king says, even that king has acknowledged that David is innocent, David has acted with honour and even more than that, there’s an acknowledgement that David will be king.
Some people recognise David as the king in waiting. Some people, however, are content to side with the king and see David as a threat. Maybe those who side with the incumbent king are just exercising self-preservation. The king has already completely decimated a town of priests because of supposed allegiance to David.
There’s this fool, though, that really has spat in the face of kindness offered to him. This fool is rich in cattle and flocks. That means his flock could be under threat. To help with that, David – a man who knows about looking after flock – goes out of his way to ensure protection is offered to those who look after this fool’s flocks. It’s a simple request to see if his young men can have some food to help them out.
The fool, though, trash talks David and his men and essentially says that he has no idea who this David is other than being a fugitive of the state. David gets this message and reacts.
If it wasn’t for Abigail …
How on earth did she end up with the fool? But end up with the fool she did. She has to live with the fool as his wife and tolerate his foolishness. This situation, however, poses a threat to more than her. It poses a threat to the entire household, which includes quite a number of those hired by the rich fool.
She hears, she considers, she acts.
Her efforts saved the household. Her efforts also prevented David from taking matters into his own hands. Her appeal and generous offering to David lets him know beyond a shadow of a doubt that indeed he was about to make a foolish decision. He was bout to be no better than the fool in his foolishness.
It took a woman of wisdom to make the peace and ensure that only one fool was going to be a part of the story. It took a woman of wisdom to see the need for people she lived with to do what it took to avoid a perilous fate. It took a woman of wisdom to apply the finishing blow to the fool by letting him know just how foolish his decision was sending the brother into a coma from which he would never recover.
It’s no surprise that on discovering that the fool had died, that David was quick to invite Abigail to become his wife. What an upgrade for Abigail. Unlike her foolish previous husband, she recognised David for who he was. When you recognise the anointed for who they are and engage with them with the due respect, that is depositing something that will come up smelling very well for you. It’s fitting that a son that David will have from another woman will still make it his point of duty to personify wisdom as a woman. That son could have taken it from the wisdom he received from the episodes of his Dad’s life. Episodes like this.
Abigail is described as a beautiful woman – the most outstanding feature of her that surely would make her attractive to most is that wisdom of hers. Proving again that wisdom is practical, wisdom is considered and wisdom is clinical.
(Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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