The ‘Holy Women of Israel” – Abigail
The ‘Holy Women of Israel’ – Abigail
“Many daughters have done well, with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness, but you excel them all… A woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord in wonder and awe, she shall be honored and praised!” (Proverbs 31:29-31, Amplified Version).
Did you know that the Talmud, the official rabbinic source for Judaism, includes a “Hall of Fame” that includes seven women? These are the prophetesses, the “Holy Women of Israel,” who hold places of honor and are of central importance in biblical history. These women are: Sarah (Genesis 11-23); Miriam (Exodus 2,15); Deborah (Judges 4-5); Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2); Abigail (1 Samuel 25); Huldah (2 Kings 22); and Esther.
In some cases, the Hebrew word for woman prophet, “nebiah,” was used in Scripture, which was an official title of sorts for an accepted spokeswoman for the Lord, a proclaimer of God’s word. But in other cases, the term prophetess included a woman who was divinely inspired, able to receive divine messages about the present or the future, as well as divine interpretations of the past. Prophets male and female were those who spoke what was on God’s mind, and often held up as models of personal sanctity and intimacy with God. In one way or another, during one time or another, the biblical prophetesses were honored as mouthpieces of God and vital to the history of the Jewish people.
There were other inspired women in the Hebrew Bible that deserved “Special Mention” and thus were included in an unofficial list of the Holy Women of Israel:
*The wife of Isaiah in Isaiah 8:3, for the significant name she gave her son that was actually a divine prophecy of Judah’s future;
* The Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-10, for being inspired to provide housing and food for the needy prophet Elisha, an example of divine hospitality;
* Rachel in Genesis 29-35, the long-suffering wife of Jacob for giving inspired names for her two sons, including Joseph (“May He add More”) and Benjamin (“Son of my Sorrow”);
* Leah in Genesis 29-35, the wife of Jacob who bore him six sons and one daughter, and was inspired to name one of her sons Judah, “This time I will praise the Lord,” who provided the lineage for Messiah Jesus.
* Ruth, in the book in her name, a Gentile who remained faithfully loyal to her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi when they traveled to Bethlehem; she was a direct ancestor of Jesus.
It is logical to consider that Solomon had inspired women like these prophetesses in his mind as he wrote Proverbs 31, as he stated that “many daughters have done well and were noble and virtuous.” But at the same time, as we read this passage, it appears that Solomon considered an unheralded woman in private life to be on a higher plane than these heroines of the faith. What makes his Proverbs 31 woman his ideal woman, “far more precious than jewels and her value far above rubies or pearls.” As impressive as this unnamed woman’s accomplishments, professional gifts and personal qualities might be, the fact is that this woman has now been renowned through the centuries for “reverently and worshipfully fearing the Lord in wonder and awe.” This anonymous woman is honored above all for her spiritual devotion to God in all the practicalities of daily life. Undoubtedly, Solomon held up all the holy women of Israel as he should. But here he is, claiming that this woman who combined impressive accomplishment with fervent and inspired faith tops all the rest of them! We will certainly witness bits and pieces of this Proverbs 31 super-woman in the lives of our seven prophetesses, and there is much we can learn from them as we study each holy woman in some depth.
THE STORY OF ABIGAIL
“David replied to Abigail, ’Praise the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! Thank God for good sense, your clever intelligence!’”
The tale of Abigail, Nabal and David in 1 Samul 22 reads like a fairy tale, maybe even a Broadway play. The plot has a tragic element and a comic element. It could have started with “Once upon a time” and ended with “They lived happily ever after.” The reading audience can feel free to interact with the story as it progresses.
Main Characters:
Abigail: (You may now cheer and applaud). The reader is told that our heroine Abigail is extremely intelligent as well as beautiful. In fact, the Jewish authorities tell us Abigail is one of the four most beautiful women in the Hebrew Bible, the other three being Rahab, Sarah, and Esther. She possesses so many positive qualities that one wonders if she could really be a historical figure She has been described as resourceful, quick-thinking, courageous, decisive, humble, cool under pressure, discerning, and able to keep her composure when the pressure is on. The name Abigail means “my father’s joy,” and she certainly lived up to that. In the story, Abigail also turns out to be one clear-headed negotiator, mediator, and exceptional peacemaker. At the end of her story, there is no doubt she shrewdly plans for the future as well, with maybe a little hint of the righteous manipulator in her. She might appear to be too good to be true, Abigail is never presented as a fictional character, nor does this story appear to be fictional in any way. This story really happened.
Nabal: (You may now boo and hiss). Only an arranged marriage could have put Nabal together with Abigail. He lived down to the meaning of his name: “Brutish Fool.” Nabal was a wealthy landowner who also happened to be a drunkard, a lout, and has been described as a churlish cad, an obstinate scoundrel, an incorrigible fool, and a cruel tyrant. Nabal proved to be his own worst enemy with a distinct lack of discernment. Nabal was the mirror opposite of his longsuffering wife Abigail in every way. Why Abigail remained committed to Nabal is beyond comprehension, except for perhaps the fact that Abigail had the integrity to be loyal to her marriage vows.
David: (You may now whoop and cheer once again). David has already been anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel, handpicked by the Lord Himself, but is now on the run from the current king, the rather crazy and murderous Saul. David has gathered a loyal horde of 600 men who would follow him anywhere. His headquarters was the famous cave of Adullam, where he gathered faithful followers like a magnet (1 Samuel 22:1-2), where “he was joined by all those who were in difficulties, or in debt, or who were embittered, and he became their leader.” David and his men have already rescued a town, Keilah, from the Philistines, so it’s clear that David and his men are innocent and on the side of the angels. Most importantly, David has already revealed why God called him a “man after God’s own heart.” Many times already in his travels and battles, David has “inquired of the Lord,” developing a habit of asking Yahweh for direction and guidance around every corner. For David and his men, the Lord is an ongoing reference point as they escape into the wilderness.
The Storyline. It happened that David and his men had wandered into the wilderness of Paran in southern Judah, near the village of Carmel. They had decided to help protect local landowner Nabal’s sheep and shepherds during the shearing season. But now David expected a favor in return, officially called at that time the “Law of Brotherhood.” This was the ancient version of a gentleman’s agreement in which if I do this favor for you, you in turn will do a favor for me . When David sent a group of his messengers to request food for his men from Nadal, Nadal obnoxiously answered, “What? Are you kidding? Why would I do a favor for you after helping me! Forget it! In fact, who exactly are you, anyway?” David of course was highly insulted, if not humiliated, and he lost his temper at Nabal for his blatant disrespect. Being in a rather rash mood, David vowed to go and destroy Nabal and all his household.
But now Abigail enters the scene by hearing about David’s plan and then immediately coming up with a solution. Without consulting Nabal, who was probably off on a drunk somewhere, she loads up enough food to feed 600 men: 200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep ready for a roasting, five bushels of toasted grain, 100 raisin cakes, and 200 fig cakes. She loaded all this food on some donkeys and met David on the road to Nabal’s homestead. She was one unarmed woman facing off with a ravenous, aggressive band of 400 angry men. She shrewdly offered the food, and then took responsibility for her husband’s rash rejection of David. The impressive humility of Abigail was demonstrated in word and deed. She bowed when she saw David, she called him “my lord” fourteen times, and claimed to be a “handmaiden” six times. The amazingly persuasive Abigail disarmed David and his men without a fight. David came to her thirsty for blood and vengeance, and she shrewdly kept him from committing an unnecessary bloodbath.
Abigail has been accepted as a prophetess down through the centuries for what she said to David during their face-off on the road to Nabal’s house. In verses 18-31, Abigail was inspired to predict David’s many military victories over his enemies, saying, “The lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!” And then she predicts David’s long rule on the throne, his successful future as king over Israel. “The Lord will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the Lord’s battles.” Her most poetic prophecy was beautifully expressed in verse 29: “Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the Lord your God, secure in His treasure pouch!” Other versions put it this way: “The life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God;” “Your God-honored life is tightly bound in the bundle of God-protected life.” “The life of my lord shall be so tightly bound with the Lord God, that you will sling your enemies like a stone from a sling.” “My lord shall be bound in the living bundle with the Lord your God.” Rabbinic sources believe that with these words, Abigail spoke prophetically of life with God after death, that “God bundles up forever the souls of the righteous with pleasure and honor,” that the life of David will be bound up in the eternal bundle of life with God.
True to her savvy self, Abigail revealed her cunning way of thinking about her future, too, as she said to David, maybe with a wink, wink, “After Yahweh has done these great things for you, please remember me, your humble handmaiden.” (verse 31).
So David freely accepted Abigail’s sin offerings of food and her sincere apologies for her husband’s rash, thoughtless actions, and David ended up this peacemaking session with a blessing over Abigail: “Praise the Lord Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! I thank God for your good sense and discerning intelligence! Bless you for keeping me from murder and carrying out vengeance with my own hands. For I swear by Yahweh, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nadal’s men would still be alive tomorrow!” (verses 32-34). And then David closed their conversation with the words, “So return to your home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”
But that’s not the end of the story by any means! It turns out that after David left, Abigail waited until the next morning to inform Nabal of everything that had happened. He immediately had a heart attack, lay motionless for a week, and then he died! And sure enough, David did in fact remember Abigail, and returned to Carmel after he heard of Nabal’s death, at which time he asked her to marry him. She was happy to become David’s wife, and they soon had a boy, Kilead. And now the curtain closes on this remarkable story of Abigail, Nadal and David.
“A soft word turns away wrath… A gentle answer deflects anger.” (Proverbs 15:1a).