Day 1221: The danger of anger - 1 Samuel 25 vs 4 - 17

4-5 David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, so David sent ten young men. And David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, and go to Nabal and greet him in my name. 6-8 And thus you shall greet him: ‘Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have. I hear that you have shearers. Now your shepherds have been with us, and we did them no harm, and they missed nothing all the time they were in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favour in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

9-12 When David's young men came, they said all this to Nabal in the name of David, and then they waited. And Nabal answered David's servants, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants these days who are breaking away from their masters. Shall I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers and give it to men who come from I do not know where?” So David's young men turned away and came back and told him all this. 13 And David said to his men, “Every man strap on his sword!” And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.

14-17 But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master, and he railed at them. Yet the men were very good to us, and we suffered no harm, and we did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore know this and consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.” 1 Samuel 25:4-17 English Standard Version

David spent much time 'in the wilderness' hiding from Saul. During that time he and his men sought to be on friendly terms with others in the region. And so it was that the keepers of Nabal's sheep could testify that they had been “very good to us, and we suffered no harm. We did not miss anything when we were in the fields, as long as we went with them. They were a wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.” But David also had men to feed, and so he asked Nabal if they could share in what was provided for the shepherds. He did this in keeping with the customs of men of the east.

Nabal's response was abrupt, and he sends the men off empty handed. Proverbs 11:23-24 comes to mind which says: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” Or, as the NLT paraphrases it: “Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” Nabal stood to lose everything! But Nabal was not the only one at fault. How did David respond to Nabal's surliness? (vs 13)

It seems David took Nabal's words as a personal insult and his response was to go to war! Proverbs 15:1 says “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” David's anger had certainly been stirred up. As followers of Christ we are called to “Be angry . . . but not to sin.” We're “not to let the sun go down on our anger, and to give no opportunity to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27) James 1:19-20 says: “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Whether at work, or with friends or family, that is something we need to take to heart.

Fortunately, God watches over His people and many a time intervenes to keep them from stumbling. Abigail receives a report of how her husband had behaved, and she does not flinch when the servant says to her “consider what you should do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his house, and he is such a worthless man that one cannot speak to him.” Oh may that never be said of any of us who call Jesus Lord and Saviour.