Abigail

1 Samuel 25:17  

Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.

David and his men had been a protective force around Nabal’s men who were keeping sheep near them. Some time after that, David sent men to Nabal’s area and asked for similar kindness, but Nabal didn’t have the same attitude with David’s men. When David heard the report that Nabal had insulted him, he took four hundred armed men with him to straighten things out. David was sure that Nabal and his men would all be dead by morning.

But Nabal’s wife, Abigail, heard about the situation from one of their servants. She was a quick-thinker. Knowing that her husband had probably enraged David, she put together a generous gift of food that would be plenty for David’s men and sent the food on donkeys. When Abigail came to meet David, she got off her donkey and bowed before him. Her respectful body language and word choices let David know that she and her husband were not in agreement about how to treat people.

Most of the time, married couples should display a united front and let others know that they agree on most basic issues. However, this was a good time for Abigail to stand up for herself.

Because Abigail showed enough wisdom and strength of character to bow before David (and sent his men loads of food), she saved the lives of her husband’s male servants.

David saw such strength in Abigail that, waiting until after he heard her husband was dead, he sent for Abigail with the request that she become his wife.