1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 18 – 20

· Abigail made haste. As a woman of good understanding, she knew that the best time to settle a quarrel is quickly. I say the best time because it’s always a good time to settle a quarrel (if possible). We read in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Would you characterize yourself as a “peacemaker?” Someone says, “Yeah like the Colt revolver.” HA!

· Ok let me try again and soften it up a little bit. Would you characterize yourself as someone who wants peace around you, in you and through you…, to everyone in your life and in every relationship you have? If you said no to that then I’m one to cast doubt on your salvation, if you call yourself a Christian. God does this work in the hearts of those that are His. Sons and daughters of God have at least the deep seeded desire to be active about peace…

· Peace is not the absence of conflict or the avoidance of inter-relational problems. In fact, it has to involve those things (conflict and inter-relational problems). Peacemaking is the opposite of that NOT having a problem. It’s active only WHEN there is a problem! A peacemaker is like David against Goliath. They run into the quarrel to defeat that which stands against love, unity, and reconciliation. The peacemaker is just simply not ok, they are not settled, when the quarrel is continual…, when it doesn’t have to be. And this is a primary work of God in the heart of the faithful.

· Now, Paul said in Romans 12:18, “If it is possible as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” And there are circumstances where you have strived for unity in the bond of peace and the other person has denied reconciliation. In that circumstance, not only are you free and clean in the eyes of God but He will deposit into you a peace that passes your own understanding. At that point becoming a refuge for the brokenhearted. So, there is room for continual quarrel, but in the life of a believer, that room only opens to you when you’ve done the peace making and you’ve been rejected…

· Jesus, whom you follow, Jesus Himself is the ultimate Maker of peace. He ran into the quarrel between man and God. Romans 5:10 says, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” And it is Spirit, that Leader, that King, Jesus Christ whom we espouse that we posses as our Lord, Savior and dwelling in our heart of hearts Master. So, if this is not in you, this peacemaking, then are you possessed by the Holy Spirit?

· I didn’t say peace loving. Don’t get this twisted. Someone says, “Yeah, I’d be receiving if they apologized and groveled at my feet.” Yea, so would Satan. Jesus said in Matthew 5:9 that the children of God, the sons of God are peace MAKERS. You make the peace where there is no peace. If you’re a Christian and you don’t do that, either you’re not a Christian or you’re in conflict within yourself. Knowing what is good and right and choosing what is dark and wrong. That’s why Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers… Because if you’re a Christian and you are not one that originates peace in an argument or relationship, where peace is possible, then you are NOT blessed.

· Blessed in the Greek is the word, “Makarios,” and its literal meaning is “happy, happier, fortunate, supremely blest, and well off.” Peacemaking is a divine work. Quarreling is a satanic work. It’s just that simple. Proverbs 20:3 says, “It is honorable for a man to stop striving, since any fool can start a quarrel.”

· Peacemaking is a salute to Jesus, it is a required evidence of someone who is counted by God as faithful. Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Remember Matt 5:9? For they shall be called “sons of God?”) And Galatians 3:26 says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

· Now, please don’t walk away from this and sigh into the thought that you need to go make peace in every quarrel of your life. That’s your flesh talking. Go and sigh into the thought that you need to go and honor God. You need to go and actually walk out the faith you so gladly and readily confess. Because it’s not you that is the peacemaker, it’s Christ through you.

· Ok, back to the best time to make peace, Jesus said in Matthew 5:23-24, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary quickly…”

· She does what her husband will not because of his foolishness and here is unequally yoked on display (as we discussed last week). She can’t even tell him about it… If she did, she’d be stopped and they’d both be in harm’s way… So, she does all this rightness alone…

· This scene and her actions aren’t without controversy. Some would argue with good biblical footing that what she is doing isn’t right…, and that rather than betray and disrespect her husband, she should have perished with him… You can make a case for that. Perhaps God would have preserved them on account of Abigail’s righteousness just like what happened at Sodom and Gomorrah… Everyone wants to find their “ride or die,” right…, how far does that go? Maybe a tip, don’t look or pray for a “ride or die,” look and pray for a peace maker! That’s where the honor and blessing is!!!

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 21 – 23

· We see her doing what Nabal should have done… Notice again, just like we saw in the previous chapter, it is the wise person, the better person, the person of understanding, the beautiful person that is willing to bow in reverence and in humility…

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 24

· Abigail is a rare, very rare ultimate person! Look at this accountability. “Not my fault!” “It was because of what they did!” “If they hadn’t of done so and so then…” Not her. “On me. On me…” Her accountability even for the fault of someone else in order to serve them and protect them, incredibly rare and incredibly Godly!!

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 25 – 31

· The messaging is respectful, it is humble, and even it is unfair. She requests that David put the iniquity of her husband upon her which isn’t fair but this is the move of the righteous. This is exactly what Jesus did for me and in my place. Where He was completely perfect and innocent, He stood before His accusers as guilty and did not refuse them because what He was doing, He was doing for me. Greater love has no man than this, that one would lay down His life for His friends…

· The depth of your character and worth is not found in what you will do for yourself but what you will do for others. And what’s even more, for those that won’t do the same for you. That is love. This is why the best love stories also include tragedy because the emotion of love is incredible but the sacrifice that love (required to even be love at all) is heartbreakingly grievous. But do you actually love that which you have not suffered to serve and protect? Love suffers long... Read 1 Corinthians 13…

· Abigail shows the understanding and beauty assigned to her in how she covers her husband even though he would object to it… There’s an element of this scene that to her must feel like pure loss, which is a component of love…, a necessary component. That song was actually true, “Love Stinks!” HA!

· And her plea to David who is incensed that his men are being forsaken and Nabal is abusing all that he has been given through his selfishness, her plea in the moment is to remember, remember who you are in the Lord. Not who Nabal has made you to be in the moment… Not how that terrible person and their terrible foolishness has made you feel. Remember… Remember who you are!

· That’s why she reminds him of the sling… And also removes him from the moment and encourages him to think about how he will feel about what he’s doing when it’s all over and time has passed… It’s incredibly tactful and wise on her part! Wise…

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 32 – 35

· Just a little life lesson here…, if someone is a bit grumpy, give them some respect, speak kindly to them, and give them a snack! HA!

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verse 36

· While she is handling business, Nabal is wasting himself and his time in dissipation. From the outside looking in this is one of the saddest scenes of this chapter. This is a glimpse of hell on earth. Which is an element of being unequally yoked… She comes home from literally saving her husband, serving and protecting him and their home…, everything they have and their children and she’s not greeted, appreciated, celebrated, she can’t even share the depth of her experience, righteousness and wisdom. All because he is serving his flesh while she is serving her family.

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 37 – 38

· Share something beautiful and righteous and pure with your spouse and they become like a stone…, will you share again? Abigail won’t, literally! HA! Many believe he had a stroke. Some believe his heart was broken by his wife. It doesn’t matter. The point is he’s not rich anymore… Why? He never was… And now that’s just been revealed.

1 Samuel Chapter 25 Verses 39 – 44

· Ok single fellas, take note. If you’re on dating websites, do a word search using verse 41! HA! Sad fact though, nice guys and many times, nice gals many times… finish last… But you singles would be wise to look beyond what they can offer physically to see if there is any true beauty there… And true beauty always looks like Jesus.