Good morning. Would you turn to 1 Samuel chapter
25? Let's pray together. Our merciful Heavenly Father,
we come into your presence in Christ's name. And Lord, in his
name, we give thanks for who you are. Lord, what? An amazing grace. That you've
been pleased to make yourself known to us, and we give thanks,
we give thanks for everything that you are and how we thank
you for the complete salvation that we have in your son. And
we pray that his name might be exalted and that you would give
us the grace to see who he is and teach us what it is to actually
trust him as our all in salvation. May his name be exalted. Meet
with us for Christ's sake. Be with all your people wherever
they meet together. And Lord, forgive us of our many
sins for Christ's sake. Our sins are ever before us.
Lord, we ask that you would order our steps in your word. and let
no iniquity have dominion over us. Give us grace to love you
more and love one another more. And Lord, teach us to be servants
one to another. In Christ's name we pray, amen.
Now this is a beautiful story. Would you look in verse one, and Samuel died. That's gonna
happen to me and you. It's appointed unto men once
to die and after that the judgment. Samuel died and all the Israelites
were gathered together and lamented him and buried him in his house
at Ramah. And David arose and went down
to the wilderness of Paran. And there was a man in Mahon
whose possessions were in Carmel. And the man was very great. He
was a very wealthy man. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000
goats, and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. Now, the name
of the man was Nabal. His name means a fool. And the
name of his wife, Abigail. That means beloved of the father.
And she was a woman of good understanding and of beautiful countenance.
But the man was curlish and evil in his doings. And he was the
house of Caleb. Now, what kind of marriage did
they have? You wonder. How did she ever end up with
him? I mean, she's beautiful, good
understanding, and he's obviously a jerk. I mean, an evil man. And yet they end up in marriage.
And I wonder how this happened. But what I think more of, though,
is that Abigail's a type of Christ. And Christ's bride, what they
are in and of themselves could be described like this, couldn't
they? Curlish and evil in their doings. And Christ took us as
his bride. And so we see that this is a
type of the gospel. And let's go on reading. And David heard in the wilderness
that Nabal did shear his sheep. And David sent out 10 young men
And David said unto the young men, get you up to Carmel and
go to Nabal and greet him in my name. You know, that's what preaching
is. We preach in his name. That's our only authority. We
preach in his name. And thus shall you say to him
that liveth in prosperity, this wealthy man, peace be both to
thee and peace be to thine house. and peace be to all thou hast.
And now I've heard that thou hast shearers, now thy shepherds
which were with us, we hurt them not, neither were there aught
missing unto them. All the while they were in Carmel,
we were taking care of them. And as a matter of fact, they
protected them from the Philistines. Ask thy young men, and they will
show thee. Wherefore, let the young men find favor in thine
eyes, for we come in a good day. Give, I pray thee, whatsoever
cometh to thine hand, and to thy servants, and to thy son
David. And when David's young men came, they spake to Nabal
according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased."
Now, I think that's a beautiful picture of gospel preaching.
I'm to preach his word, we're to preach his word, and cease. Nothing more. Nothing less. And they ceased. Verse 10, And Nabal answered David's servant
and said, Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse?
There be many servants nowadays that break away every man from
his master. He's saying, I don't recognize
David. He's just a rebel against Saul.
Who is David? Why should I pay any attention
to anything he says? I couldn't help but think of
Pharaoh at this time, when Moses came to him, he said, who is
the Lord that I should obey him? And I love to think of Moses
thinking, you're fixing to find out. That's exactly what he thought. Verse 11, shall I then take my
bread and my water and my flesh that I've killed for my shears
and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be? I don't recognize
you. Now remember, this was God's
anointed king. God had already anointed him
king, but he didn't recognize him, did he? Verse 12, so David's young men
turned their way and went again and came and told him all these
sayings. And David said unto his men,
he was mad, He was angry. He says, gird ye on every man
his sword. And they girded on every man
his sword. And David also girded on his sword. And they went up
after David, about 400 men and 200 abode by the steppe. 400
men came to take care of this problem. David had complete intentions
of killing Everybody now he wasn't right in this and he goes on
to say I was wrong in this but he was mad He treats me that
way. I'll show him. That's what David
was thinking verse 14, but Here's where Abigail comes in but one
of the young men told Abigail Nables wife saying behold David
sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master and he railed
on them and But the men were very good unto us, and we were
not hurt, neither missed we anything, as long as we were conversant
with them when they were in the fields. They were a wall unto
us, both by night and day, they protected us in all the while
which we were keeping the sheep. Now therefore know and consider
what thou will do, for evil is determined against our master
and against all his household. For he is such a son of Belial,
A man can't even speak to him. He can't even be approached.
He can't be reasoned with. He can't be talked to. His mind
is so much made up. Now notice, David said, evil
is determined against all his house. What does that remind
you of? Because of this one man's sin, evil was determined against
all of his house. By the offense of one, many were
condemned. Romans chapter five. Now that's
just what the scripture teaches, isn't it? The scripture teaches
us that all men were condemned by Adam's sin. By the one man's
disobedience, many were made sinners. That's the teaching
in scripture. Now, I want you to think for
a moment about that. I was condemned because of what
somebody else did. Now, if somebody has a problem
with that, let me say three things. First of all, it's what the Bible
teaches. That's enough for us to submit,
isn't it? It's what the Bible teaches.
There's where the authority is. It's what the Bible teaches.
Turn with me to Romans chapter 5. Hold your finger there. Romans
chapter 5. Verse 18. Therefore, as by the offense
of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. Even so, by the righteousness
of one, the free gift came upon all men, and that's obviously
not talking about all men with that exception, it's talking
about everybody Christ died for, all men for whom he died, came
upon all men under justification of life. Now, this is what the
Bible teaches, and if somebody objects, What good would it do you or
me if we weren't condemned for Adam's sin? Have you stood on
your own? Just forget Adam. What if you
didn't have any connection with Adam's sin? How have you done
on your own? You're just in bad shape, aren't you? And here's
the third glorious thing about this. If we can be condemned
because of somebody else's sin, We can be justified because of
somebody else's righteousness. Just as truly as I was condemned
for Adam's sin, I can be saved by the very righteousness of
Christ. So this really is good stuff. This is good that this
happened. This has made salvation open
to every believer. Now, back to our text in 1 Samuel
25, verse 18. Then Abigail made haste. when
she heard that evil was determined against the entire household.
Then Abigail made haste and took 200 loaves and two bottles of
wine and five sheep ready dressed and five measures of parched
corn and a hundred clusters of raisins and 200 cakes of figs
and laid them on Asses. And she said unto her servants,
go before me, behold, I come after you. But she told not her
husband Nabal. Now she presented that which
would take away David's wrath. And that's exactly what our Lord
Jesus Christ did on our behalf. He presented that to the father,
which would actually remove and take away his wrath. What a blessing
of grace. And let's go on reading. And it was so, as she rode on
the ash, that she came down by the curve of the hill. And behold,
David and his men came down against her. They had every intention
of wiping everybody out. And she met them. Now David said,
surely in vain have I kept all this fellow hath in the wilderness,
so that nothing was missed of all that performed unto him.
And he hath required of me evil for good. So more also do God
unto the enemies of David, if I leave any of all that pertain
to him by the morning light, any that pisseth against the
wall." I'm going to kill everybody here. I mean, he was mad. I'm going to kill everybody here
because of this one man's sin. Now, David was wrong in his attitude. But could not the Father justly
say that about us apart from Christ? I'm going to kill every
one of them. Verse 23. 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. Oh, how she humbled
herself before David. And she fell at his feet and
said, now listen carefully what she said. Upon me, my Lord, upon
me, let this iniquity be. You see that, don't you? Did not our Lord say the same
thing? When he came into the Father's
presence, he said, upon me, upon me, let this iniquity be. Oh, what a beautiful type of
Christ Abigail is. Aren't you amazed that the Lord
came into the presence of the Father on your behalf and said,
on me is this iniquity? Let thine handmaid, I pray thee,
speak in the audience and hear the words of thine handmaid.
Let not my Lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial. You
know, she knew what her husband was. a son of Belial, that means
a worthless fellow, even Nabal. For as his name is, so is he. Nabal's his name, and folly is
with him. But I, thy handmaid, saw not the young men of my Lord,
whom thou didst send. He said, don't regard him. He
is what he is, I know that, but don't regard him. Remember, she's
bringing something to make up for what Nabal was. Verse 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 his navel. Now, she points out
to David, what you're doing is wrong. And the Lord has prevented
you from doing it. Aren't you thankful for preventing
grace? You know, there's no sin Any
sin, let's put it this way, any sin that you and I have not committed,
here's why. The Lord prevented it. You believe
that? The only reason, anything that
you haven't done, there's only one reason. The Lord prevented
it. Aren't you thankful for preventing
grace? Lord, prevent me. Lord, put a hedge around me.
Lord, don't let me even be led into temptation. Keep me from
evil. That was his advice. And she said, the Lord prevented
you from taking vengeance and shedding blood. Now remember,
the Lord said, vengeance is mine. I'll repay, saith the Lord. And
it's never right for us to try to seek revenge regarding anything. That's in the Lord's hands. He's
the one who sent it. He's in control of it. And we're
not to seek vengeance for ourself under any circumstance. Now David
was getting ready to do so, and Abigail says, the Lord has prevented
this. And she's actually pleading what's right. Now look what she
says in verse 27. And now this blessing, which
thy handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given
unto the young men that follow my lord, I pray thee. Now look
what she says. I pray thee, forgive the trespass
of thine handmaid. What a glorious type of Christ. She doesn't say, forgive Nabal. She says, forgive the trespass
of thine handmaid. Now she didn't do anything. She
didn't, as a matter of fact, everything she did was good.
She was beautiful and countenance. She was a woman of good understanding. Oh, can there be a better woman
alive than this woman, Abigail? And yet, she doesn't say, forgive
Nabal. She says, forgive the trespass
that thou had made. Now, what that is teaching is
how truly the sin of us became the sin of Christ. Now, he never
committed it. He never sinned, but our sin
became His so much that He was made to pray before the Father,
innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have
taken hold upon me so that I'm not able to look up. Now that's
Christ speaking and that's how truly the sins of His people
became His. You know, I was talking to Cody
Groover yesterday. What he said, we were talking
about this thing of our sins, Christ actually bearing them
to where it became his. And he made this statement, I
like this. He said, well, he said, the only hope I have is
that he bore them because if he didn't, they're still on me.
And I thought, oh my, that's something I can't even bear to
think about, it's my sin still being on me. But here, Abigail
says, I love the way she says this, 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.
Speaking to David. Yet a man, speaking of Saul,
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." You think of the union between the father and the son.
They're bound together in the bundle of life. And the souls
of thine enemies, them shall he sling out as the middle of
a sling. I think that had some reference
to David destroying Goliath. And he says, any enemy you have,
they're just going to be slung out by the father. He's an absolute
control. Verse 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, that
this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my
Lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my Lord
hath avenged himself. But when the Lord shall dealt
well with my Lord, then remember thine handmaid." Now, she reminded
him, you've been prevented. You've been prevented from sin.
Once again, Lord, prevent me. Can you pray that prayer? Lord,
prevent me. I know what I am and what I'll
be apart from your grace. Lord, prevent me. She said, the
Lord has prevented all this. Now look what David, how he replies
to her, verse 32. And David said to Abigail, blessed
be the Lord God of Israel. Oh, how quick we ought to be
to thank the Lord. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which hath sent thee this day
to me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou. which has
kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging
myself with my own hand." Once again, he's thanking the Lord
for restraining grace, for provenient grace, grace before grace. Now, I repeat, I hope every one
of us, beginning right here, have some understanding of how
sinful we are, that there's no sin we will not commit unless
the Lord prevents it. Now what that ought to do with
me and you is ought to make us cry out, Lord, prevent this in
me. Oh, may God give us grace to
understand that. Verse 34, for in very deed, As
the Lord God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from
hurting thee, except thou had hasted and come to me, surely
there has not been left undeniable by the morning light any that
pisseth against the wall. I intended to kill everybody.
So David received of her hand that which she brought him. And
I love to think of God the Father receiving what the Lord Jesus
Christ brought him. You know, he entered into the
very presence of God with his own blood, with his own righteousness. And the Father received what
he brought. So David received of her hand
that which he had brought and said unto her, Go up in peace
to thine house. See, I have hearkened to thy
voice and have accepted thy person. Now, I've accepted. How come? I'm accepted where? in the Beloved. Isn't it wonderful
to be accepted by God? Accepted in the Beloved. That's my acceptance. It's not
because of anything me. It's in the Beloved. And you
know what I can do now? I can go in peace. true and genuine
peace, knowing that all that God requires of me has been answered,
and I'm accepted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Go in peace. I've been accepted. Verse 36,
And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he held a feast in his
house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within
him, for he was very drunken. Wherefore, she told him nothing
less or more into the morning light. She didn't tell him about
what had taken place. He was too drunk to understand
what she was saying. Verse 37, but it came to pass in the morning
when the wine was gone out of Nabel and his wife had told him
these things, that his heart died within him. And he became
as a stone. And it came to pass about 10
days after that, that the Lord smoked Nabel, that he died. Now,
I don't know if he had a stroke. I don't know if he had a heart
attack, but the Lord gave it to him. When he heard the news from
his wife, Abigail, his heart died within him. He was so overcome
with fear, seeing what was getting ready to happen to him. And then
the Lord killed him 10 days later. Now, look at David's response. I think this is almost funny. Verse 39, and when David heard
that Nabal was dead, he said, blessed be the Lord. He didn't
have any, David, I think it's funny, anybody that comes against
me, David thought the Lord's gonna get them. I mean, and that's
the way he thought. I mean, look at him. He says,
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. He kept
me from doing what I shouldn't do. I'm thanking him for that.
And yet he took care of Nabal for me. I didn't have to do anything. You see, the Lord is always going
to take care of his business, isn't he? He returned the wickedness
of Nabal upon his own head, and David sent and communed with
Abigail to take her, him, to wife. As soon as he found out
that Nabal was dead, this could be my wife. And notice, and this
is the way the Lord does. Look in verse 40. And then the
servants of David came to Abigail, to Carmel, and they spake unto
her, saying, David sent us unto thee to take thee to him a wife.
He didn't ask her. He didn't ask her. He didn't
propose to her. He said, you're my wife. You know, that's what
the Lord does. Aren't you amazed at his grace
toward you? He didn't ask you. He said, you're my wife. You're
my bride. I'm taking you to myself. You're
mine. Sovereign grace. Oh, don't you
love sovereign grace? That's what we have here. He
said, the servants came. You're gonna be his wife. And
look at her response, verse 41. And she arose, and this is the
response of everybody. He says, you're gonna be my wife.
They don't say, no, I'm not. No, here's their response. And
she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, amazed
by his grace. and said, behold, let thine handmaid
be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord. Now
that's the response of God's people to his sovereign grace. I wanna be your servant. I wanna
wash the feet of your servants. And Abigail hasted. You know,
when the Lord's dealing with you, you never delay things.
You're in a hurry, aren't you? She hasted. and rose and rode
upon an ass with five damsels of hers that went after her,
and she went after the messengers of David, and she became his
wife. And David also took a Hinnom
of Jezreel, and they were both of them his wives. Now, somebody
says, explain that to me. I can't. You know, all this stuff
about these guys with all these different wives and so on. It
wasn't right. But he did it. I mean, he had
the copy of the Old Testament law, just like you and I have.
But he did it. And also, both of them became
his wives. But Saul had given Michael, his
daughter, this was David's wife before, after David had fled
from Saul, David's wife, to Phitele, the son of Laash, which is of
Galen. Isn't that a beautiful gospel
story? I mean, it so much typifies our Lord Jesus Christ. And I'm
thankful for this picture we're given of the gospel. Okay.