Nabal’s name means “a rude and ill-bred person, brutish, fool.” An accurate description of the man! But he was rich. He was shearing sheep. Party time! But suddenly, something happened to spoil his fun. David’s young men arrived and asked him to give them whatever he thought they deserved. How delicate, polite, and gentle was their request!

David had been anointed king but was rejected by Saul. A few faithful ones followed him and acted in the background to preserve Israel against enemy attacks. Without realizing it, Nabal had been protected by them. Like Laban, the only reason he had sheep to shear was because of a downtrodden man. Occasions of shearing in Scripture teach us how God can use bad things to bring about His purpose and to secure His pleasure.

This world has rejected Christ. Like David, He is the rightful King but is not yet reigning. In his rejection David was caring for his people—even ungrateful, beastly ones like Nabal. It is just how the world thinks of Christ. Nabal replied, “You deserve nothing. You are useless. David is a nobody. He deserves nothing.”

David had protected Nabal. Nabal rejected him rudely. What would you do? What would I do? Just what David planned—vengeance. But God is gracious with us as He was with David. He used Abigail to preserve David from acting wrongly. God’s purpose is to put David—the man of His pleasure, after His own heart—on the throne. So Abigail intervenes, and David is preserved by leaving vengeance to the only One who can say, “vengeance is Mine.” The outcome is that David receives a beautiful bride and an untarnished throne.