Deeper Reflection
DAVID WAS COMPELLED to become an outlaw by Saul’s pursuit after his life. “Operating in accordance with the practices of his time” as outlaws, David and his men “needed to stay alive” and so, “they must creatively scrounge for provisions”²⁶. Typical outlaws might have pounced on Nabal’s men and robbed him of his sheep,²⁷ but David and his men protected his workers like “a wall” to them “both by day and by night” from wandering outlaw groups and foreign raiders (v.7; see 1 Sam 25:16). And David expected to be rewarded for protecting Nabal’s workers and sheep. David’s request to Nabal, “Please give whatever you find at hand…” (v.8), appears to be undemanding. However, Nabal’s refusal (vv.10-11) had so angered David that he “girded on his sword” with 400 men, intending to kill, not just Nabal, but every “male of all who belong to him” (vv.13, 21-22). Why? Because “he has returned me evil for good” (v.21). This was in stark contrast to what Saul said about David for sparing his life: “you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil” (1 Sam 24:17). This reflected David’s greatness in character. But David’s intention to kill Nabal and all the males in his household shows that beneath great character there can still be fault lines. It is wise to humbly assume that however godly we may be by God’s grace, there are still fault lines in our lives that are yet to be surfaced.

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²⁶ Robert B. Chisholm Jr., 1 & 2 Samuel, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Baker, 2013), 165

²⁷ Robert B. Chisholm Jr., 165