Women of the Bible Part 11

Arrogance, greed, and selfishness had conspired to rob Nabal of any good sense he might once have possessed. Thinking himself a great man when he was only a small one, he lost everything. Abigail was Nabal's opposite, a woman whose humility, faith, generosity, intelligence, and honesty made her wise. Rather than putting others at risk by an ungoverned tongue, her gracious words saved lives.

When David heard the news of Nabal's death, he sent word to Abigail, asking her to be his wife. This time it was Abigail's choice whether or not to marry. She accepted, becoming David's third wife and eventually mother to his second son, Kileab.

Unlike Michal, who had been a mere p.a.w.n on a chessboard, Abigail was a woman who rose above her circ.u.mstances to change the course of events. Though Scripture doesn't offer details regarding her daily life, it is logical to suppose she was a good wife to Nabal. Even her entreaty to David was the act of a good wife. Perhaps her marriage was the catalyst for her character, helping her to cultivate contrasting virtues to Nabal's vices. Regardless, through her quickwitted action, she spared her husband's life and goods. It was G.o.d, not Abigail or David, who paid Nabal back for his arrogance and greed.

Tuesday HER LIFE AND TIMES.

FOOD.

Two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs-what a feast! Abigail put together a marvelous meal for David and his men.

Even though famine was not unknown in the area, Palestine had the reputation of being a "land of milk and honey." The most basic food of the land was bread. The bread of biblical times was coa.r.s.e, dark, and rich. Field workers often brought two small hollow loaves of bread with them, one they filled with olives and the other with cheese. Abigail's offering of two hundred loaves of such bread formed a bountiful beginning to the meal for David and his men.

Wine was the common drink in this hot land. Juices fermented quickly in bags of animal skins. Often wine was mixed with water to provide a refreshing drink with meals. Wine also was used as a disinfectant (Luke 10:34) and as a medicine (1 Timothy 5:23).

Next Abigail took five "dressed sheep." No, this didn't mean the sheep wore clothes appropriate for the trip; it meant they were killed and skinned and ready to be cooked. Because the sheep were dressed, David's men merely had to build a fire and cook parts of the sheep to eat. Sheep, both young and old, formed a major part of the Israelites' meat diet, as did calves, goats, and different types of birds. Hunters also brought in venison, antelope, and other wild animals, and fishermen provided many types of fish for eating, something the Israelites complained about missing while they were wandering in the desert.

The bushel of roasted grain was a food that could be eaten anywhere, anytime. Since David and his men were often pursued, such food would have been a helpful addition to their diet. Such roasted grain along with a bit of wine often formed a quick lunch for field laborers (Ruth 2:14).

Now for dessert-or at least something sweet. Abigail gathered one hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs. Palestine swelled with the produce from the vine and fig tree, so much so that the tree came to be known as a metaphor for safe, abundant living: "During Solomon's lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree" (1 Kings 4:25). Fresh fruit of many different kinds was available year round, but the first fresh figs of the year were considered a special delicacy. Dried figs and raisins also made excellent food for the traveler, perfect for David and his men.

The women in Israelite households (some things never change!) customarily prepared the meals. They usually prepared food in a mixed form; that is, small pieces of meat, vegetables, rice, grain, and sometimes fruits were mixed together to form the meal rather than being kept separate, as is common today. The Israelite diet could be almost as varied-depending on the season and the individual's wealth-as many of today's people have come to expect and enjoy.

New Testament writers used food as a metaphor for spiritual nourishment. Paul talks about the milk, rather than solid food, required by new Christians (1 Corinthians 3:2), and the writer to the Hebrews writes of those Chris tians whose spiritual growth is so slow that they still require milk rather than solid food (Hebrews 5:11 - 14). Jesus reminded his disciples that "life is more than food" (Luke 12:23-26), and that we shouldn't worry so much about it.

Wednesday HER LEGACY IN SCRIPTURE.

Read 1 Samuel 25:2 - 42.

1. What do you imagine it was like for Abigail to be married to Nabal on a day-to-day basis?

2. How would you have dealt with a husband like Nabal? What kind of person would you have become?

3. How did Abigail deal with an arrogant man (Nabal) and an angry man (David)?

4. How do you react when someone in authority over you makes a bad choice? If the choice affects you, what should you do?

5. How would you like to grow in the way you relate to men?

Thursday HER PROMISE.

Abigail was a courageous woman, who made the best out of a difficult situation. She knew the cultural principles at work here: Nabal-out ofjust plain good hospitality and out of grat.i.tude for the protection David's men had provided - should have given David's men what they asked for. Yet when David sought vengeance, Abigail interceded, realizing that vengeance wasn't something that was up to David-or her-to give.

Years of living with Nabal did not seem to have made Abigail bitter, nor had the years caused her to look for ways to get back at him and seek revenge. The Lord honored Abigail for her consistency, her generosity, and her willingness to continue on the right path, no matter how difficult. In the same way, G.o.d continues to honor those who are faithful even when faithfulness brings difficulty and hardship and pain. He doesn't promise to always deliver, as he delivered Abigail, but he does promise to go with us.

Promises in Scripture Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me; O Lord, be my help."

You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

0 Lord my G.o.d, I will give you thanks forever.

-Psalm 30:10 - 12 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always protect me.

-Psalm 40:11 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your G.o.d.

I will strengthen you and help you; 1 will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

-Isaiah 41:10 Friday HER LEGACY OF PRAYER.

David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord, the G.o.d of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands."

- i Samuel 25:32 - 33 Reflect On: 1 Samuel 25:2 - 42.

Praise G.o.d: For calling you to be a peacemaker in your family, neighborhood, and world.

Offer Thanks: That G.o.d knows every challenge facing your marriage.

Confess: Any bitterness you may have harbored about your marriage.

Ask G.o.d: To use your relationship with your husband to strengthen your character and increase your faith.

Lift Your Heart If you haven't yet made a commitment to pray daily for your husband, do so today. Set aside a few minutes to surrender your marriage to G.o.d, specifically asking him to bless your spouse. Try to refrain from focusing on your laundry list of complaints and instead pray for the needs you know your husband has. Ask G.o.d to shape your marriage relationship and use it for his purposes. Relinquish any desire you may have to control your husband; instead, ask G.o.d to work in his life.

Father, I ask you to bless my husband in every facet of his life-his health, his work, his relationship with our children, our relationship together and his relationship to you.

Let nothing and no one, including myself hinder your work in his life.

The Woman of Endor.

Her Character: Compa.s.sionate to Saul on the eve of his death, she exercised power by acting as a medium.

Her Sorrow: To have delivered a hopeless message to Israel's king.

Key Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:3 - 25 Monday HER STORY.

It was a night for frightening apparitions. Squinting through the open doorway, the woman stiffened, retreating a step. A face loomed before her, floating on its own like a full white moon in the outer darkness. Before she could close the door, she felt fingers gripping her wrist.

"Please," the voice insisted, "consult a spirit for me, and bring up for me the one I name."

The large man pushed through the door, followed by two more men. She could smell his fear as he swept past her and sat down on the couch.

"Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?" she replied.

"As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this," he swore.

"Whom shall I bring up for you?"

"Bring up Samuel," he said.

So the woman sat down and yielded herself, making her soul a bridge for the dead to walk across.

Suddenly she screamed, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!"

The king calmed her, saying, "Don't be afraid. What do you see?"

"An old man wearing a robe is coming up," she said.

Saul bowed down and prostrated himself, his face in the dirt.

Samuel said to Saul, "Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?"

"I am in great distress," Saul replied. "The Philistines are fighting against me, and G.o.d has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do."

Samuel said, "Why do you consult me, now that the Lord has turned away from you and become your enemy? The Lord has done what he predicted through me. The Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors - to David. Tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also hand over the army of Israel to the Philistines."

The woman shuddered, the message delivered. Little wonder the king had seemed so desolate. Fear had crushed the life out of his once-strong face, hollowing the eyes, etching deep lines across cheeks and forehead.

Taking pity, she spoke to him: "Look, your maidservant has obeyed you. I took my life in my hands and did what you told me to do. Now please listen to your servant and let me give you some food so you may eat and have the strength to go on your way."

Kindly, she served what may have been Saul's last meal. The next day he was dead. Wounded in battle, he fell on his own sword, determined to finish the job before his enemies could reach him. True to form, Saul, who had always tried to control his destiny, controlled even the manner of his death. But he could not control what happened next. Discovering his body, the Philistines celebrated by severing his head and hanging it in the temple of their G.o.d. Then they tacked his naked corpse to the walls of a nearby town as a trophy. Israel's first king had become a gruesome spectacle.

The woman of Endor is a strange character, steeped in the occult yet kind and motherly in her att.i.tude toward the tormented king. For some reason, G.o.d allowed her to call up the prophet Samuel even though necromancy (conjuring spirits for the purpose of knowing or influencing future events) was strictly forbidden in Israel.

Perhaps she had become a medium because women in those days had so little power. Or perhaps it seemed an outlet for her helpful nature. But by yielding her soul to spirits, she was abusing herself in the deepest possible way, distorting her dignity as a person for the sake of obtaining power. How fitting that Saul, who had always tried to control the future, spent his last moments consulting her, breaking his own law in the process. Step-by-step, his insecurities had taken control of him, reducing his soul and disabling his ability to depend on G.o.d rather than on himself.

That night the woman of Endor had looked into the eyes of the most powerful man in Israel and had seen the terror there. Did the vision shake her? Did she recognize herself in him? Did her encounter with a true prophet cause her to forsake her trade as a medium? We have no idea what became of her. Sadly, her meeting with Saul marks one of the lowest moments in the life of Israel's first king, revealing his disintegration as a man whose future was destroyed by disobedience.

Saul's tragic ending reminds us that the antidote to fear is always trust. Only faith can cure our worst nightmares, and faith is a gift that is either fed by obedience or starved by disobedience. Forsaking our own desire to manipulate and control people and circ.u.mstances, we must trust G.o.d to use his power on our behalf.

Tuesday HER LIFE AND TIMES.

WITCHCRAFT.

Ironic, isn't it, that the same Saul who refused to heed Samuel's prophetic words when he was alive now disobeyed the very laws he had put into effect in order to hear from Samuel one last time. Saul's desperation must have been very great for him to consult with a medium, to dabble in the occult.

Ancient peoples felt as though they were living in close contact with the spirit world around them.They depended on divination-foretelling the future - to help them avoid possible troubles ahead, and used occult rituals to attempt to gain control over people, objects, and even nature.

Magicians studied the entrails of animals and the flights of birds to discover information about the future. They examined the stars and interpreted dreams. They called on the dead to make use of their wisdom. At times, they even gathered information from such common occurrences as a sneeze.

Right from the start, G.o.d commanded his people not to have anything to do with witchcraft in any form. His words are clear and firm-we might even think harsh: "A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death.You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads" (Leviticus 20:27).

Today, when the interest in spiritism and mediums is once again strong, it is good to consider what may be fueling the fascination. Words like waiting, depending, surrendering, and obeying rankle. We would much rather find ways to control the course of events. Yet the spiritual life is often counterintuitive. When we embrace the way of faith and trust in G.o.d, following him even when the path is unfamiliar or unknown, what seems like it should diminish us actually enlarges us. The story of Saul and the woman of Endor reminds us that there's really nothing new about human behavior. Under the skin we all experience the same desires, temptations, and needs. Then, as now, our happiness lies in faith and trust.

Wednesday HER LEGACY IN SCRIPTURE.

Read 1 Samuel 28:3 - 25.

1. The woman of Endor enters this story fearfully. Why was she afraid?

2. Who do you think appears in 1 Samuel 28:13? Is it really Samuel or a spirit impersonating Samuel? Explain why you think so.

3. What do you learn about occult practices from this story?

4. How, if ever, have you consulted spirits (horoscopes, cards, books, fortune-tellers, Ouija boards) to plan your future or just for "fun"? Why do you think the Bible says that nothing like this should ever be done, even for fun?

5. Consider how kind the woman is to Saul in 1 Samuel 28:21- 25. If someone who practices the occult can also be such a kind person, how do you think that should affect your views on occult practice and pract.i.tioners? Why?

Thursday HER PROMISE.

In a backhanded sort of way, the woman of Endor reveals for us our need to trust G.o.d. As human beings, many of us are like Saul, afraid of the future, estranged from our loved ones and G.o.d, willing to go anywhere for help. But G.o.d is our only true source of help and comfort. He has promised to guide and direct us and plan our steps. He doesn't promise to reveal the future to us, but he does promise to go with us as we step into it.

Promises in Scripture O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

- Isaiah 30:19 - 21 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your G.o.d will come ...

he will come to save you." ...

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness....

Only the redeemed will walk there.

- Isaiah 35:3 - 4, 8 - 9 This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

-Jeremiah 6:i6 Friday HER LEGACY OF PRAYER.

Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your G.o.d.

-Leviticus 19:31 Reflect On: 1 Samuel 28:3 - 25.

Praise G.o.d: That he protects us against evil.

Offer Thanks: That G.o.d doesn't hide himself from those who love and follow him.

Confess: Any dealings you may have had with the occult: using tarot cards, consulting horoscopes, visiting fortune-tellers, reading occult books.

Ask G.o.d: To cleanse and free you from any ill effect of your contact with the occult.

Lift Your Heart Sometimes we expose ourselves to the occult naively-reading horoscopes in the daily paper, consulting a medium on a whim, or thinking tarot cards simply an innocent game. At other times our interest is more serious, based on a desire for knowledge, healing, or power over others and ourselves. If you have ever dabbled in the occult, now is the time to come clean before G.o.d. Express your sorrow and your resolve to follow G.o.d by removing from your home anything remotely related to the occult. Confide in your pastor or a mature Christian friend about your involvement, asking them to pray with you as you seek G.o.d's protection and forgiveness.

Father, forgive me for my involvement in the occult. I want nothing whatever to do with the realm of evil. Draw me out of the darkness and into the light of your presence. Free me from any lingering effects of my involvement and help me to trust you completely for my future.