David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you today to meet me! May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.”
–1 Samuel 25:32-34
It is alarming how easily revenge takes shape. Someone wrongs us and we immediately react. Whether we use hurtful words or destructive actions, human nature lends itself to repaying evil for evil.
After guarding Nabal’s flocks from invaders for some time, David sent word to Nabal, asking for some food for his troops. When Nabal refused, David was furious and decided to get even. Calling his men together, he vowed that not one male would be alive in Nabal’s territory by morning.
Enter Abigail, an intelligent and beautiful woman, according to scripture. When she gets wind of how her husband has treated David, she whips up a meal for 200 angry men. She hopes that her hospitality and care will disarm David’s anger and that her husband’s life will be spared. But she doesn’t stop there. She has the audacity to speak to David, gently reproving him for his plan.
“You don’t want to have needless bloodshed on your conscience,” she reminds him. “You must not think of how you can avenge yourself; God is going to protect you.”
Much to David’s credit, rather than getting defensive and being shamed by her words, he accepts them graciously and recognizes how closely he had come to a disastrous outcome. “Thank God for sending you here; thank you for your good judgment,” he commended Abigail.
Gracious confrontation is a scarce commodity in today’s culture. Abigail was bold enough to face a difficult situation head-on. She did not simply offer a gift of food to appease David’s anger; she called him out on his plans and reminded him of God’s providence.
In our roles at Loma Linda University Health, it is important for us to be listening to God’s voice so that we can discern when we need to speak the truth in love. In addition, it would be well for us to take wisdom from David, who was humble enough to listen and change his course of action.
—Kathy McMillan is director of Employee Spiritual Care at Loma Linda University Medical Center.
