How Abigail Stopped the Fool and Empowered the King
David W Palmer
Abigail is the example of using the power of words to elicit decisions and actions from the holy and righteous new creation, renewing the mind to God’s truth, and thus burying the old nature’s destructive intention. Here is an excerpt from her story.
Abigail acted quickly to prevent David from taking vengeance upon Nabal—the fool; his foolish actions and words prompted David to contemplate acting like a fool too. So Abigail, speaking to her anointed and God-assigned king, began humbly and then spoke God’s vision, calling, and word to him. In other words, she acted as God’s mouthpiece to speak only that which edifies and calls God’s will into being:
(1 Samuel 25:28–31 NLT) “Please forgive me if I have offended you in any way. The LORD will surely reward you with a lasting dynasty, for you are fighting the LORD’s battles. And you have not done wrong throughout your entire life. {29} Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the LORD your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling! {30} When the LORD has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, {31} don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the LORD has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”
This amazing speech and timeless declaration certainly is an eternal memorial—an exemplar for all time of what words spoken by a woman to her [potential in this case] husband can achieve. As a result of her humble intercession, David acted like God’s king; he threw off his foolish, fleshly nature, and left Nabal in God’s hands. Amazingly, within a couple of days, Nabal died anyway; Abigail walked away from his house and came to David, who was living out in the open. He married her. Why? Because he needed her insightful and encouraging words, her presence, and her companionship. The destined royal, Abigail, was instrumental in enabling him to become all God had called him to become. Without her timely wise words, presence, and person, he would certainly have acted like a common fool—but one in control of intoxicating power.
If you are a wife, I encourage you to imitate Abigail’s godly wisdom; celebrate your husband as a king; speak to him with honour and respect. Demonstrate your love and faith by humbly submitting to him in the Lord—respecting, celebrating, and reinforcing his God-given dreams, vision, calling, and ideas. Remember, Abigail teaches us to speak to the king in him, not the fool; speak to his new nature, not his old. Always expect the best of him; expect him to fulfill God’s assignment for his life; speak edification and impart God’s grace to his new nature—expecting him to walk in newness of life. Keep this in the forefront of your vision and call him to holiness, faith, and into the upward call of God’s purpose. Show him the respect commensurate with who he will be at the pinnacle of God’s call. And always, always, always, use every ounce of your faith, every word, your prayer, and vision, to underscore the truth that in God he is competent to fulfill God’s assignment and calling for him. This is perhaps where he needs you the most.
Remember, despite his superior size and strength, every man is fragile in his self-image of competence. In other words, your husband’s confidence in fulfilling God’s call for him to be holy, righteous, upright, and successful can wobble: “It’s not good” for a “man to be alone”; he needs a “helper” (Gen. 2:18 AMP). Your man needs you to speak creative, wise words that empower the king in him. If you feed the king with your words, not the fool, the king will win in the end. God bless you.
(1 Samuel 25:32–42 NLT)
