Beauty & The Beast

II Samuel 25:1-3 ".....And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran. 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. 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." Quick Synopsis: David is still running from Saul with a band of 600 men. He has found refuge near Maon, in a place called Carmel. While in Carmel, David met Nabal’s shepherd’s and had given them protection. It is sheep-shearing time, and David hears that Nabal is near by. Hoping to find favor with Nabal, he sends ten of his men to ask for provision, for himself and his 600 men. He instructs his men that when they greet Nabal to be sure and tell him how they protected his shepherd’s while they were in Carmel. Nabal gives a very rude response to David’s men. He says the word "my" so many times in verse 11, we have to assume that he was not just rude but selfish as well. "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. 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?" (II Sam. 25:10-11) This response makes David angry, so he gathers 400 of his men and they take off to destroy all that is, or belongs to Nabal. Nabal might be of the house of Caleb, but he certainly did not inherit Caleb’s characteristic’s. Enter Abigail: The Bible tells us that Abigail "was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance." How she found herself married to a "churlish" man, I will never know. However, she did not let her circumstances keep her from being a godly woman, who was quick on her feet! She had outward beauty and inward strength! This shows in her haste to fix this situation before they’re all killed. You know, sometimes a situation calls for quick thinking and immediate attention. While it is true that women are the weaker vessel, that does not mean that we are unable to think for ourselves. We need to be ready to "make haste" when necessary. There isn’t always time to stop and consult a friend. When Abigail’s servant told her of what was about to happen, she took action immediately! "Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them." (II Sam. 25:18-20) I think Abigail had probably been in this type of situation before. She knew her husband, and how unreasonable he could be. Maybe he was lost. Perhaps Abigail was unequally yoked. Still, she knew when to speak and when not to speak. And now was not the time to sit still and be quiet! In doing what she did, she protected her entire household. She showed wisdom and faith in her actions. She showed discernment in keeping it (for now) from her husband. Today, women toss the word "submission" around so carelessly. They use it to manipulate their husbands or families, or even their circumstances, rather than to glorify God. I’ve even seen women use it to get out of service in God’s house. But for Abigail, there was a higher cause than her own selfish desires. II Sam. 25:23-25, "And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send." What a difference it makes when you approach a situation the right way. Begging for forgiveness, Abigail carefully appeals to David by praising him and his reputation first. (II Sam. 25:26-32) She tells David in verse 25, that her husband is what his name means (which is "a fool".) She used great tact to diffuse and disarm what would have been a disastrous situation. In verse 32, David realized that she had been sent by God to keep him from making a great mistake. Back at Nabal’s house: When Abigail returned to her home, she had every intention of telling her husband of her actions but she could not. Why? Nabal was drunk! Apparently, Abigail knew (probably from experience) that you cannot talk sense to a drunkard.. So, she held her peace until the morning. When Nabal is sober, Abigail tells him what she has done. The Bible says that "his heart died within him and became as a stone." Ten days later, the LORD smote him and he died! Most women today would have told Abigail not to tell her husband. But God blessed Abigail for being a godly wife. He made her free. In verse 39, it says that David praised the Lord for keeping him from making a hasty decision, and then he asked Abigail to marry him. Abigail graciously accepts. Women today would think Abigail was nuts for accepting David’s proposal!!! This guy didn’t even have a house or any income to speak of!!! But Abigail’s faith was in God. You know, even though she was married to a "fool", Abigail still stuck by him because he was her husband. For all Abigail knew, she was going to be with Nabal for the rest of her life. Did she whine, or complain? Did she call her friends and tell them what a thoughtless and selfish husband he was? No, she stayed faithful to him, and to God. God knows what we’re going through and he gives us the strength to handle each trial, each day, in His way. He doesn’t always do things the way WE think He should, or even as quick as WE want Him to. But God knows what is best for us. Whatever the trial, whatever the circumstance, no matter what we’re going through, there are people around us watching. They need to see us be faithful through it all. God will take care of us if we’ll just trust him. Only He can make you FREE! (Thanks to Mrs. Starr)

Are You A Blessing Or A Blot?

II Samuel 11:1-2, " And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Both were honorable men, whose names are included in the list of David’s mighty men, found in II Samuel 23:34-39. As far as we know, all was going well in Uriah’s house until he was called off to war. Back at the palace, King David is taking a "personal day." Instead of being out on the battlefield, where he belonged, he "tarried still at Jerusalem." David is about to show us, that not being in your place, nor keeping your focus where it belongs can cause disaster! Likewise, Bathsheba seems to have nothing to occupy her time, so she decides to take a bath. This would seem to be a small thing except she chose to do it on her roof top. The following events would not have taken place if both had been where they belonged. David belonged on the battlefield, and Bathsheba should have bathed under the covering of her own roof. However, both were to blame for the events that followed. II Samuel 11:4-5, "And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child." Once David knew that Bathsheba was someone’s wife, that should have been the end right there. Sadly, it was not. David could conquer nations, but he could not conquer his lust. He saw this woman, he lusted after her, and he took her. There is no record of Bathsheba resisting. She DID NOT have to lay with David. She DID NOT have to be disloyal and unfaithful to her husband. She CHOSE to play the part of a whore. Bathsheba proves that we need to stay busy working for the Lord. When you are busy doing the Lord’s work, you seldom have time for a leisurely bath. Also, we women need to be careful of our appearance. It is true that a man should turn his eyes, and not lust after a woman. However, women have no business putting it out there for ALL to see either! Bathsheba had an honorable father, and an honorable husband. Why didn’t she use this influence to prevent David from committing such an horrible act? Instead she fulfilled the role of a harlot, and forever became known as an adulteress. The Bible does not record her repentance for this act either. It reminds me of Proverbs 30:20, " Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness." At this point the best they can do is confess their sin to God and to Bathsheba’s husband and try to make things right. Sadly, that is not what they decide to do. II Sam. 11:6-13, "And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house." David tries to reunite Uriah with Bathsheba in hopes that they will be together and then they can pass the child off as Uriah’s. However, Uriah refused to go home. Not because he didn’t want to see his wife, but because he knew his place was on the battlefield with the other honorable men. David then tried to get him drunk and send him home! But Uriah was more honorable drunk than David was sober. David’s sin was getting deeper and deeper. II Samuel 11:14-17, "And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also." Sin always takes you farther than you want to go. Ecclesiastes 10:8 says, "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." God puts a hedge of protection around the homes of those who choose to follow him and serve him. And there are actually people out there who would try to break through and destroy that hedge just to satisfy their own lust. Sadly, many homes are destroyed today by the sin of adultery. Thankfully, both David and Bahsheba repented of their sin (after they were found out, II Sam. 12:1-12) and God was merciful. Though their sin was not without consequence. Their private sin became a public scandal. (II Sam.16:21-22) God had given David everything a man could hope for, and yet David chose to put it all on the line for one moment of adulterous sex. Matthew Henry said, "Lust blinds the eyes, hardens the heart, sears the conscience, and deprives men of all sense of honor and justice." Bathsheba became the only blot on David’s life. She could have prevented this by being faithful to her own husband, but she chose to go along with David in sin. She is certainly not the example of a godly wife. Just out of curiosity, how many women or young girls do you know that are named Bathsheba? How about Abigail? There’s a reason for that. There is a big difference between a blot and a blessing. Which would you rather be? Don’t be a blot on someone’s life. Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (My thanks to Mrs. Starr for her help)