Marks of a Wise Woman
1 Samuel 25:1–44
1st The Region Where Nabal Lives Reminds Us of Saul
1 Samuel 25:2 (NIV)
A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
Maon: Region in which Saul almost captured David (1 Samuel 23)
Carmel: A few miles away – where Saul made a monument to himself (1 Samuel 15)
2nd Nabal and Saul Were Both Wealthy
3rd Nabal and Saul Were Given to Fits of Anger
1 Samuel 25:25 (NIV)
I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man.
1 Samuel 20:30 (NLT)
Saul boiled with rage at Jonathan. "You stupid son of a whore!" he swore at him.
1 Samuel 20:33 (NLT)
Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan, intending to kill him.
4th Both Nabal and Saul Were Fools
1 Samuel 25:25 (NLT)
I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don't pay any attention to him. He is a fool, just as his name suggests.
*The name Nabal means "fool."
1 Samuel 13:13 (NIV)
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said.
1 Samuel 26:21 (NIV)
Then Saul said... “Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.”
1 Samuel 25:3–5 (NLT)
This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings. When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal:
1 Samuel 18:5, 30 (NIV)
Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army... The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle, and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and his name became well known.
1 Samuel 25:6–17 (NLT)
[Story of David’s men approaching Nabal, Nabal’s insults, and Abigail being warned by a servant.]
1. A Wise Woman Doesn’t Procrastinate
1 Samuel 25:18–19 (NLT)
Abigail wasted no time... She packed them on donkeys and said to her servants, "Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly." But she didn't tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.
Procrastinate:
To defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost.
2. A Wise Woman Has A Humble Spirit
1 Peter 5:5–6 (NLT)
"God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.
Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.
1 Samuel 25:23–24 (NLT)
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed low before him. She fell at his feet...
1 Samuel 25:24–28 (NIV)
Repeated references to Abigail calling herself David's servant, asking forgiveness, and showing reverence.
3. A Wise Woman Takes Responsibility
1 Samuel 25:24–28 (NLT)
She fell at his feet and said, “I accept all blame in this matter, my lord...” [She intervenes with wisdom and ownership.]
“Leadership is taking responsibility while others are making excuses.” – John Maxwell
“The moment you take responsibility for everything in your life is the moment you can change your life.”
4. A Wise Woman Speaks Prophetically
1 Samuel 25:28–30 (NLT)
[Abigail declares the Lord will reward David, speaks to his future leadership, and calls him to rise above vengeance.]
Psalm 25:14 (MSG)
God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in.
5. A Wise Woman Speaks Wise Words
Proverbs 10:13 (NIV)
Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning.
1 Samuel 25:31 (NLT)
Don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance.
Proverbs 4:7–8 (NLT)
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.
1 Samuel 25:3 (NLT)
This man's name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman.
Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.
