Deeper Reflection
AS NABAL’S SERVANT warned Abigail of the coming danger from David, he advised her: “Know and consider what you should do” (1 Sam 25:17). The speeches of Abigail (vv.24-31) and David (vv.32-35) reflect the timely providence of God in Abigail’s actions (vv.18-24a). The divine purpose behind the divine providence was: “the LORD has restrained” David from “his own impulsive folly and wrong”³⁰ in “shedding blood without cause” (vv.26, 31). This restraint of divine providence is repeated four times to underscore its emphasis (vv.26, 33, 34; 1 Sam 25:39). The divine purpose for this divine restraint was expressed in Abigail’s words in light of David becoming God’s appointed king: “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” (v.31, NLT). Abigail was in an emergency crisis that demanded quick action. The Hebrew word mashar occurs four times in 1 Samuel 25 – “hurried” (vv.18, 23) and “quickly” (v.34; 1 Sam 25:42), three of which reflect God’s timely providence. Abigail “hurried” to gather bread, wine, sheep, grain, raisins and figs to be sent to David (v.18). Then she rode on a donkey to meet David (vv.19-20). When she saw David, she “hurried” in dismounting from her donkey (v.23). David saw “the LORD…has restrained me” through Abigail’s coming “quickly” to meet him (v.34). The narrator sums up verses 18 to 35 as “the LORD…sent you this day to meet me” (v.32).

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³⁰ Dale Ralph Davis, 257