Lance Wubbels - Bible Nobodies Who Became Somebodies: 50 Inspirational Characters Who Prove that Anyone Can Be Special in Gods Kingdom

S eptember 11 was a day of unthinkable horror and destruction, but it became a day for American heroes. Heroes were everywhere you looked. Giants rose out of relative obscurity to cast long shadows across the smoke and dust and rubble.Ordinary American citizens suddenly caught in the crossfire of terrorism, put their lives on the line to preserve the lives of others.

In that sudden moment of time, the real heroes of our world stood out as brilliant luminaries cast against the darkest night. Most of them remain nameless to us, but their undaunted faces are engraved forever upon our hearts. This book is a tribute to their remarkable stories and a reminder of what true heroism and patriotism are.

ISBN: 0-7684-3046-1

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Now Samuel died, and all Israel assembled and mourned for him;
and they buried him at his home in Ramah. Then David moved down
into the Desert of Maon. A certain man in Maon, who had property
there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats
and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
His name was Nabal and his wifes name was Abigail.
She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband,
a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.

1 SAMUEL 25:1-3

T HE STORY OF ABIGAIL owes part of its charm to its unexpectedness. It is a marvel to find a woman of such excellence married to a man so vulgar and rude as Nabal. He is the ultimate jerk who treats everyone as though he owns them, the creep who is so easy to despise.

It seems likely, given Abigails grace and worth, that her marriage had been arranged by their parents and not by Abigails choice. Nabal was a descendent of the noble family of Caleb, and he was a man of considerable wealth. Family and property were powerful factors in the marriage market back then and often overlooked a thousand shortcomings, of which Nabal had an abundance. Money talked just as loudly then as it does now.

David had come to take part in the nations lament at Ramah for the death of the prophet Samuel, who had been both Davids master and friend. David did not, however, dare to trust himself in such close proximity to King Saul. As soon as the burial was over, David returned to the sparsely populated region of Paran, at the extreme south of Judah. His military presence in these borderlands had brought tranquillity and safety to the inhabitants there.

At the time of Davids sojourn in this district, Nabal held his annual sheep shearing. This event was equivalent to the harvest of the flock masters and was commonly finished with a joyous feast. It was a season of liberality and goodwill. In the present situation, David knew that Nabal had specific reasons for being satisfied with the returns from his shepherds, for David and his men had been the literal guardians of Nabals property. It was a tacit understanding, an unwritten law, that David and his men should be rewarded during this time of celebration.

But when David sent messengers to remind Nabal of his obligations, all they received was a full blast of the surly mans meanness. Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? (1 Samuel 25:10) It was such a wicked reproach that when David heard it, he was so angered that he ordered four hundred of his men to arm themselves and follow him, vowing to not leave a single male survivor in the house of Nabal. Thus David was about to break the peace of the land, to seize the possessions of strangers, and to stain himself with the blood of peaceful citizens. Nabals insolence, as horribly offensive as it was, did not justify death for himself or for any of his people. David would have appeared before God and all the world as an outlaw and certainly would have been considered unworthy of the crown of Israel.

However, one of the servants who heard Nabal hurl his insults told Abigail what happened, and how night and day [David and his men] were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them (v. 16). This servant trusted the wisdom of Abigail, though he considered her husband such a wicked man that no one can talk to him (v. 17). The servants appeal was not in vain, for Abigail quickly loaded stores of supplies on donkeys and personally met David as he and his men approached. With remarkable tact and intelligence, she fell at Davids feet and knew exactly what to say and how to say it to get past Davids anger and into his heart.

One might have thought that the prospect of Nabals death at Davids hands would have been welcomed by Abigail, especially when his insolence invited it. But revenge was not her way. She was loyal to her husband, despite the fact that he deserved nothing. Though it might be impossible for Abigail to love him or respect him, Nabal is her husband, and she will do whatever she can within her power to stand between him and his foolishness. She does not dismiss his dreadful conduct, but she can truthfully tell David that Nabal is a fool by nature and not worthy of his regard. She goes so far as to say, My lord, let the blame be on me alone (v. 24).

Davids eyes, still burning with wrath, rest upon this woman so fair, and he carefully considers her words. What can his response be but to be overwhelmed? His anger subsides, and Nabal and his people are spared. Abigail even congratulates David, telling him that the Lord has withheld him from shedding blood, touching upon his conscience and turning his gratitude to her into thanksgiving to God (vv. 32-34). It is hard to tell a man he is doing wrong, especially when he is full of anger, much less keep him from taking offense, but that is exactly what Abigail did. She is a remarkable woman of the highest virtue.

Abigail also placed before David a high ideal for the future. By her promises of the rich blessings with which the Lord would give to David, she gave such clear and distinct expression to her firm belief in the divine election of David as king of Israel that her words almost amounted to prophecy. For the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORDs battles (v. 28). Then followed the well-known words, full of deep meaning and bursting with hope for the future: The life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God (v. 29). The metaphor is taken from the custom of binding up valuable things in a bundle to prevent them from being injured. The reference here is to the safe preservation of the righteous on this earth in the gracious fellowship of the Lord in this life, so that no enemy can harm him.