King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Chapters: I Samuel Chapter 25, Psalms Chapters 140-141
Message: God’s Intercessors
Hello My Friend,
Yesterday as I was getting in the car to head out for work I had gotten extremely agitated when some people in two separate vehicles decided to have conversation in the street while there was garbage truck behind them and other people trying to pass them. On top of that, one of the very first stops I made the person asked me if I had any samples and was quite disgusted because I did not have any. I actually come across this quite often and it is usually the wealthiest owners who throw the biggest fuss. You have to wonder what happened to courtesy and kindness as we are in this selfish and evil, Me, Myself, and I generation, but I will say this, God, has a way of not only humbling us, but keeping us from following suit.
[Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.]
As we continue in the reading of 1 Samuel we learn that Samuel died and all the mourned for him, David, is still on the run, he and the men traveling with him were tired, worn out, and hungry. As he and his men were passing through the wilderness of Paran, David recalls that he helped a wealthy man named Nabal who had kept a farm nearby so thought perhaps he would show them hospitality and allow them to stay there.
[1 Samuel 25:2–5,8 And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 3 Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb. 4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. 5 And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: 8 Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.]
[a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance:] Abigail, was not only a woman knowledgeable in many things, she was a woman of virtue and integrity and that brought about her a beauty that was far more than a physical attraction. As for Nabal, he was just the opposite, and it showed when David’s men approached him and pretended that he had no idea who David was.
[1 Samuel 25:10-13 And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. 11 Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be? 12 So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. 13 And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.]
[there be many servants…that break away every man from his master.] Even if Nabal could not recall who David was, he knew that he had been on the run from Saul, but his perception was that he revolted against Saul. These words insulted David so much that he wanted to do was kill him. I have never been that angry as to want to kill someone for their false accusations, but I have been angry to where I wanted them to hurt as much as I was hurting. Acting out in anger only causes more problems because we are not thinking clearly so it is best that we take a deep breath, calm down and pray about it before doing anything hasty, [Ephesians 4:26-27 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.]
Yes, every time we get agitated we are opening the door for the devil to start feeding off that anger, even little things add fuel to the fire. David, sort of prayed as he headed over there, but all that seemed to do was anger him more.
[Psalms 140:1-4,7-10 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah. 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. 7 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. 8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. 9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. 10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again.]
[let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits,] Wow! What a prayer. Do not think that people did not know what hell was a real place before Jesus came here in the flesh, they were just as afraid of it as we are today. When I was younger, I grew up Catholic, we certainly knew that hell was real and sin would take us there. And we also did know that Jesus died on the cross and arose from the dead. What we did not know was that we needed to have a personal relationship with Him in order to keep from ending up in hell, [Romans 3:22-24 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:]
Jesus, died to save all souls, even if they are fools, which is what Nabal’s name means by the way, but He will only save those who believe in and receive Him as their Saviour. This is why it is important that we who are saved reach out to those who are unaware of the truth, as we may help save a life or even a few. Well, one of Nabal’s men went to Abigail and told her what happened, she thought that if she could reach David before he got to Carmel then she may just keep him from doing anything hasty.
[1 Samuel 25:14,17-20 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them. 17 Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him. 18 Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses. 19 And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal. 20 And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.]
[he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.] Talk about a rude and stubborn man, not to mention one who was selfish and unwilling to listen to reason. I imagine that Nabal’s men were not happy with the way he sent David’s men off and quite fearful of their lives. Nevertheless, Abigail sent provisions first, by doing this it showed that whoever was coming their way was coming in peace. When Abigail saw David, she quickly jumped off her donkey bowed herself before him and attempted to reason with him.
[1 Samuel 25:23-26 And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, 24 And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid. 25 Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 26 Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.]
[seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood,] Abigail, was no fool, she knew that God had used the young man to reach out to her to prevent David from doing anything out of impulse. Abigail, put herself in complete supplication and subjection to David, humbling herself, and goes on to encourage him and sort of gives him a marriage proposal once God handles Nabal himself.
[1 Samuel 25:28-31 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 29 Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. 30 And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 31 That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.]
[for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house;] A sure house! Is that not what Jesus does for those who put their faith and trust in Him as their Saviour. I believe the phrase is, A sure place, [2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.]
[then remember thine handmaid.] This has literally got to be the strangest marriage proposal that you have ever seen and from a woman no doubt. Abigail, asked David if he would marry her when her husband died, and David actually agreed that he would. This reminds me of my husband, he has this thing about women speaking their concerns to men, well when I speak my concerns anyway, as to not let the women influence the men. I always give him the examples of Deborah who God used as a judge and Abigail of how she was able to get David to reason. He is starting to come around in that he respects my concerns more now. God, actually gives much favor to the women who fear Him, [Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.]
While we certainly can make a mess of things without even trying, God will send intercessors to warn us before we make any rash decisions. There is a difference between judging someone and addressing them with our concerns, and if we are honest with ourselves, we all have been guilty of making judgment without fully knowing the situation. Abigail’s intercession stopped David from making one rash decision that would have caused innocent blood to be shed. Now, David responds to Abigail.
[1 Samuel 25:32-35 And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: 33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 34 For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 35 So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.]
[David received of her hand that which she had brought him,] Never let anyone tell you that God does not try to stop us from making those rash decisions out of haste. God, will always give us a way to escape any temptation, [1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.]
After David left from speaking with Abigail, I am sure that he had some time to reflect on what happened. He turns his focus off his pain, and on God and begins to pray.
[Psalms 141:1-5,8-10 A Psalm of David. LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. 2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. 3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. 5 Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. 8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. 9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.]
[Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth;] Our mouths can get us into more trouble than anything and let me tell you, it is much easier to accept chastisement from the Godly than God use someone wicked to do so, the pain and shame will not be so severe. Righteous judgment is what Jesus calls it, and that actually comes with patience and faith through our afflictions, [2 Thessalonians 1:3-5 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; 4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: 5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:]
David, thanked God for dealing with Nabal, in fact, God did actually handle him just as David prayed in that prayer. And as promised, David did not forget Abigail, after Nabal died, he took her as his wife. This Psalm was probably written to account for God using Abigail to intercede in this whole situation.
[1 Samuel 25:37-39,43-44 But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 38 And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died. 39 And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 43 David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives. 44 But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim.]
[that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal,] Can you see how God intercedes more than we think? While we do make our own choices, that does not mean that the Holy Spirit does not give us a nudge. And the Holy Spirit will use anyone to get His point across as well, even people to calm us down so that we do not make any hasty decisions that could be detrimental, [Luke 6:22-23 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. 23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.]
Jesus Christ Revealed/Magnified: [1 Samuel 25:28 I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.]
Today’s Prayer: Jesus, thank You for interceding when You gave Your life to save us from death and hell. Now, the life I live since I accepted You as my Saviour, is an awesome life, one that I know that You had a great hand in where I am today. I am not going to lie, it has not been easy as there are always challenges that attempt to derail my faith. Thankfully, You have given us the Holy Spirit to be our guide, and that includes using other Godly people help keep watch before our mouths speak in haste or even worse, our feet make rash decisions out of anger through the challenges. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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