1 Samuel 25:14-17 Bear and Her Cubs!

 ”Now one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both by night and day, all the time we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.”“ I Samuel‬ ‭25‬:‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. He reviled them: One of the servants who witnessed Nabal’s response to David’s men tells Nabal’s wife Abigail that Nabal reviled David’s men and by extension, David. To revile means, “to treat with contemptuous language.”

b. The men were very good to us: Nabal’s servants told Abigail of the valuable service David’s men performed. Abigail then knew that David and his men deserved compensation.

c. Know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined: Nabal’s servants read the handwriting on the wall. They knew that David would not take such an insult (theft, actually) lying down. For their own sake and for the sake of the household they asked Abigail to do something (consider what you will do).

d. He is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him: This explains why they did not appeal directly to Nabal. The book of Proverbs had not yet been written, but they still knew the truth of Proverbs 17:12: Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly.Therefore, they made this life-or-death appeal to Abigail.

Bear and Her Cubs!

We live in the woods and have seen more bears this year than any other year. We had a year old cub climb our back fence and attempted to get into a bird feeder. Unable to pull it down the mama bear climbed the fence to show her cub how to do it! Several days later another mama bear with a yearling and a newborn cub only weeks old paid us a visit. Fortunately we weren’t outside and in between them!

But, Proverbs 17:12: Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, rather than a fool in his folly. 

Let that sink in!

Blessings