Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 25
We already knew that Abigail was beautiful and intelligent (25:3). Here, we discover that she was also a holy woman. God had sent her to David (25:32) and she declared God’s message to him.
In the Book of 1 Samuel, women gave a series of messages from God. First, Hannah declared how God would establish his rule on the earth (2:1-10). Then Israel’s women sang that David’s successes in battle would be much greater than Saul’s successes (18:7).
Now Abigail declared God’s promises to David (25:28-31). Samuel (15:28), Jonathan (23:17) and even Saul (24:20) had already declared similar things about David. However, Abigail’s words seem even clearer.
First, Abigail declared that, unlike Saul’s rule (13:13), David’s rule would last (see 2 Samuel 7:8-16). David’s family would rule after him and God’s king, called the Messiah or Christ, would come from his family (Matthew 1:1).
For that reason, David had to be a holy king, in other words, a king who belonged to God. David must not fight his own battles, as he had tried to do against Nabal. It was David’s duty and honour to fight God’s battles. David must not fight except where God had sent him to fight. So, David would only fight against God’s enemies; he must only fight when God had sent him to carry out an act of judgement.
God had chosen David to serve him as Israel’s next king. For that reason, it was especially important that David should not do wrong things. He was not just a soldier and a leader; he was a holy man. Saul was trying to kill David, but God was on David’s side. So David would live, but his enemies would die. They could not succeed; they were opposing the king whom God had chosen to lead his people.
Next part: David confesses his wrong plans (1 Samuel 25:32-35)
Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 450 page course book.
© 2014, Keith Simons.