Abigail - Woman of Wisdom and Strength

I previously wrote about how uncommon it was for women to be mentioned in the scriptures. I am finding more instances of women than I thought there were.

The Old Testament has many amazing examples of strong, courageous, and virtuous women. In 1 Samuel 25, David sent ten of his men to Nabal, (David had previously shown his herdsmen and servants protection and good will) asking for provisions; Nabal was very rude and refused.

David was so put out by this he determined to kill Nabal and all in his household; however, when Nabal’s wife, Abigail, heard what happened she took matters into her own hands.

18 ¶ 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.

Here, she is being very proactive.

19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.

And did this all on her own.

23 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,

…

25 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.

27 And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.

Here we see the power of a good, strong, and virtuous woman. David was on the way to kill Nabal and everyone in the household. Abigail proactively went to meet David and asked forgiveness of him for what her husband had done, took food and offerings to him and his men, and smoothed everything over.

Proverbs 31:10 surely is shown here:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Just a bit later we see one of the great examples of “what goes around comes around” in the scriptures.

36 ¶ And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

37 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.

38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died.

It gets better!

39 ¶ And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the Lord, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the Lord hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.

In the end, Nabal was struck dead and Abigail marries the king. Sounds almost like a fairy tale.