Abigail [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright when you see your intercessor your mediator and you hear what he has to say. You will you will drop your plans of bitterness. You will aspire to that which is noble and other words the gospel changes everything that's faster welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole I'm doing pretty excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series titled God used who and you may just be surprised as presented at red know the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now.

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When you and your spirit hear the word of the Lord, and you hear God telling you who you are and you are broad-minded of your destiny when you see your intercessor. Your mediator and you hear what he has to say to you, you will drop your plans of bitterness, you will aspire to that which is noble and other words the gospel changes everything where you look at a hidden jewel.

Her name is Abigail on the most beautiful names that all the world. I have a daughter named Abigail.

We knew we were going to name her Abigail before we ever had her when she was just a dream when she was just something we imagine that spirits my wife said she always wanted to have a girl and name her Abigail because the Bible said Abigail was a discerning a wise and beautiful woman intelligent and and then at the time that was was born. It was a time in my life in the 90s in which God had just done a remarkable thing and brought so much joy into Marge's the fruit of joy, just a rounding whole move of just joy. My life is filled with so much joy and laughter and Abigail means my father's joyful or my father's joy.

Abigail she's in first Samuel chapter 25.

This is an absolutely scandalous story that a woman would do what she did and she is so discerning and she is so brave and so intelligent and wise changes the course of history and changes a king's heart. First Samuel chapter 25 we need to go through this whole story.

So it's a long text but it's a the story tells itself, verse one. Now Samuel died. It's important to the story. David's David's life was changed by the prophet Samuel. Samuel anointed David with a flask of oil in the field to Bethlehem and Samuel has died and all Israel assembled and mourned for him and they buried him in his house at Ramah. Then David Rosen went down to the wilderness upon and there was a man a man on his business was in Carmel and the man was very rich and was very rich. He had 3000 sheep thousand goats. This is a very wealthy person and he was sharing his sheep in Carmel on the day of the gives few thoughts as we go to the store the day of the shearing of the sheep on a large estate like this was a day of celebration. It was a day in which they were going to reap a lot of profits and there's a big celebration.

It would usually go on now, the name of the man was not a ball in the name of his wife Abigail. The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved. He was a Caleb night he's from the clan of Caleb David heard in the wilderness did not ball was sharing his sheep.

So you stop and just admitted David is from the same clan so they are kinsman and that's important to the story David expects that he would receive hospitality from not ball so David verse five sent 10 young men and David said to the young men go up to Carmel and go to not ball and greet him in my name, and thus you shall greet him. Peace be to you and peace be your house in peace be 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 that they were in Carmel.

The positive side, what is been happening as you learn a little bit more about the couple verses is a David's got a group of 600 men now. He's been on the run from King Saul, who is got murderous intent towards David. David is eventually not be exalted to the throne over all of Israel northern and southern kingdom. He is going to be the king over all, but right now he still been on the run.

He's developed this ragtag group of of of fighting and and they are hungry and their tiredness or stick with. They had been providing protection over nutballs property they been guarding around all the sheep and all of the herds and all the shepherds and they had not lost any thing during this period time so Dave is making his appeal based on what we've been blessing you could you bless us.

Now at this day of celebration number verse eight. Ask your young men and they'll tell you therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we, feast day. Please give whatever you have at hand to your servants and to your son David so when he says that to your son David here is the future King of Israel who is saying where Ken and he calls himself like a son to not ball as a gesture of humility we David young men came. They said all this to not ball in the name of David and then they waited and not ball answer. David servants who is David, and who is the son of Jesse there many servants these days are breaking away from their masters shot take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed her.

My shearers and give it to men who come from. I do not know where so David young man turned away and they came back and told him all this and David said to his men.

Everyman strap on his sword, and every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword and about 400 men went up after David while 200 remained with the baggage they left 200 back with all of their possessions and he took 400 of them ready to slaughter them but one of the young men told Abigail one of the servants of not ball broke ranks and came and boldly told Abigail what was going on said verse 14 behold David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master and he railed at them. If the mint was very good to us. They were wall to us both by night and by day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheet therefore know this and consider what you should do for harm is determined against our master and get all this house made such a worthless man know he would speak to one of the bold conservative feels comfortable coming to Abigail with this news to save and Abigail made haste, and took 200 blows into skins of wine at five sheep already prepared a 5C is a parched grain. 100 clusters of raisins and to undertake surveys and laid them on donkeys, and she said to our young men goal before me, behold, I come after you, but she did not tell her husband not ball and as she rode on the donkey and came down under the cover of the mountain. Behold David and his men came down toward her and she met them that David had said. Surely in vain have I guarded all that this fellow has in the wilderness so that nothing was missed of all that belong to him and he has returned me evil for good. See how his temperament has changed.

Earlier he was calling snowball as if he were like a kinsman. The he's called himself, your son David.

Now he's just this fellow you know how it is when everything turned in only one I call somebody's name then verse 22 God do so to the enemies of David and more also, if by morning. I leave so much as one male of all who belong to him. It's always kind of a struggle as a preacher to decide whether the tell you what the Bible actually says in a certain verse because is not always derated and sometimes there's some potty humor and here and I just did struggle whether the tell you this or not but you should know that the Hebrew actually says try to put it as delicately as I can God do so to the enemies of David, a more also, if by morning.

I leave so much is one relieving himself against the wall. That's exactly what it says.

Sorry about that. Sorry about that, but that's what it said. Verse 23 Manion snow talent right will have more teaching moment from today's imported series. Glad you heard about it with your use of the lead and experience it in the hypothalamus left but neither of myself as a love story from beginning to end spiritual bride of house the perfect bike. The Bible tells you is not an amounts of the links to interlock with any man who is found another woman tasted the sweetness of God's love for you this night from a woman who asserts for 25, which is unfortunately defined fully by Dr. the five love languages size incredible reality that God pursues us and left constant lover of myself.

Ancient biblical accounts explode in the high etc. this proposal and showing his embrace. Evelyn after the match made in heaven, lover of my soul gospel is shared when you get to Alan Wright Ministries.

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When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.work. Today's teaching now continues here once again is when Abigail saw David she hurried and got down from the donkey and fell before David on her face and bowed to the ground. She fell at his feet and said on me alone, my Lord, be the guilt. Please let your servant speak in your ears and hear the word to your servant. Let not my Lord regarding this worthless Pharaoh not fellow snowball for as his name is so is he not ball in his name and folly is with him, but I your servant did not see the young men of my Lord, whom you sent.

Now that my Lord, as the Lord lives in is your soul lives of the Lord is restrain you from blood guilt and from saving with your own hand now, then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my Lord be as not ball and now let this present that your servant has brought my Lord be given to the young men who follow the Lord please forgive the trespass of your servant for the Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure house and now her spirit turns and she begins to bless and she begins to prophesy to him. The Lord will certainly make my Lord a sure house, because the Lord is fighting the battles of the Lord and evil shall not be found in you. So long as you live. If men rise up to pursue you and to seek your life. The life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living and the care of the Lord your God, what a beautiful verse. It is actually the word for bundle here can mean document and scholars think is actually a reference to the book of life. Men rise up to pursue your secure life like my Lord, shall be bound up in the book of life and the lives of the enemies he shall sling out from the hollow of a sling that had been long before that word had spread the David defeated Goliath with some simple small stones in a sling and now she invokes that images says this is what God's going to do to your enemies. Verse 30 and when the Lord has done to my Lord, according to all the good that he spoken concerning you and is appointed you Prince over Israel, my Lord shall have no cause of grief or pangs of conscience for having shed blood without cause or from the Lord taking vengeance himself, and when the Lord has dealt well with the Lord. Then remember your servant. She saying you are blessed you are, the future King of Israel.

God is going to deal with your enemies, he is going to establish you and you are going to rain and therefore you do not need to bring about this evil of slaughtering this estate and have that blood guilt on your hands and when you are on your throne. She says remember me. I don't know how much prophetic insight she had and what exactly she meant by remember me that she is going to become David's wife after her husband dies and when she said, my Lord, my Lord, she accommodated my Lord, you know, in Hebrew that also can mean my husband my husband my husband verse 32. And David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel who sent you this day to meet me. Blessed be your discretion and blessed be you who have kept me this day from blood guilt and from avenging myself with my own hand for as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel lives who is restrained me from hurting you, unless you would hurried and come to meet me. Truly, by morning there not been left in the ball so much as one male. Then David received from her hand. What she had brought him and he said to her go up in peace to your house. See, I have obeyed your voice and I have granted your petition and Abigail came to not ball and bold he was told the feast in his house like the feast of the king wasn't a king but is acting like a king and not ball his heart was very marry within a 40 is very drunk so she told him nothing at all to the morning light in the morning when the wind had gone out of not ball his wife told him these things in his heart, died within him and he became as the stone in about 10 days later the Lord struck snowball, and he died when David heard that not all was dead. He said, blessed be the Lord's avenge the insult I received of the hand of not ball as Micah servant from wrongdoing.

The Lord has returned the eve of not ball on his own head and David sent, and spoke to Abigail to take her as his wife. Scholars think that this was probably the act of what was known as becoming a kinsman redeemer for in the culture where widows were often left very vulnerable. It was often the expectation that closeness can would then marry that widow and so this may be what David is doing here and he takes her as his wife. Verse 40 when the service of David came to Abigail, they said to her. David has sent us to take you to him as his wife and she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, behold, handmade is a servant wash the feet of the servants of the Lord, and Abigail hurried and Rosen mounted a donkey and her five young women attended her to follow the messengers of David and became his wife.

David also took that no one of Jezreel, both them became his wives and Saul had given me a call. His daughter David's wife to polity, the son of light niche who was of Colleen. What a story it was a story.

It's a story of contrasts nor me. By contrast, like something that is very different. But when you put it next to something that's its opposite, it is stands out so much. One drop of blue food: one drop of grape juice on dark blue carpet now not that big a deal. One drop of grape juice down to white carpet.

It's all you can see is everything in this story just stands out in contrast, sometimes contrast is used in great literature as a literary device that one of his famous openings of a novel Charles Dickens tale of two cities. It was the best of times it was the worst of times was age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, humor often depends also on contrasts right where it's not what you expect and then suddenly you see something a contrast like somebody told me this week about woman that was in church and she was she was talking to a lady she didn't know she started gossiping about the pastor verse and you know the pastors just I don't like him.

His sermons are boring and long is not a very good-looking man then I don't think is very nice person. Either she's going on like that in the second lady said said meant do you know who I am and First Lady said no who are you she said I'm the pastor's wife, whereupon the first lady said you know who I am passive I said no. I said good option when contrast this to say so there's a little humor in this area of the contrast that are here there's contrast here in the contrast of course between Abigail and her foolish husband not ball but there's also a contrast between David and not ball and we don't have time to look at it, but in chapter 24 that precedes this and chapter 26 that follows it. In both stories. David has an opportunity to kill King Saul, but says he will not raise his hand against the Lord's anointed and he restrains leaving vengeance to the Lord and we are reminded, therefore, that Saul lurks in the background of this story. David wouldn't even be on the run, except for Saul who is a maniac. By this time as it is a contrast between King David, a worshiper of God and King Saul who is so narcissistic and there's a contrast here. Also implied between Abigail and McCall, who is later depicted in the Scripture as a woman who was David's wife who despised David and disdained the fact that he worshiped in unfettered way. Also, even though she's not mentioned in the story. If you know the story of David. You can't help but think how different this encounter is then what David experiences when he is on his throne, having secured the borders and has all luxury and goes up in the palace to the roof one day and sees a woman bathing nearby and has to have her and he takes Bathsheba and his egregious sand and has Uriah, her husband killed in battle and you are left wondering what would have been different had there been an Abigail to intercede and so all of these contrast and not least of which is the contrast between the way David was going to act and then what David actually did because in life. Isn't it amazing that sometimes this the greatest contrast can be our own character.

The difference between my flesh and who I am in the flesh and and and who I am in the spirit can be night and day. And so it is with David and we see here the way of life. Let's go through the story a little bit.

David was in a fight and moved in the first place.

The elder statement statesmen and a mentor to him. Samuel has died. So David was in grief and sometimes when things have been taken away from you. There's sadness, but part of grief also is sometimes you get mad and David had been trying to help, not ball, and he set up camp all around him, so that is kinsman's words would be protected protected from petty predators protected from intruders and while shepherds over large flocks would lose some of those animals. Not one animal had been lost. As long as David and his men had been protecting them hospitality in that culture was not just a nicety.

It was an expectation if you had a relative come to visit you, even if they won a relative just a stranger come to visit you.

It was expected that you would help provide.

He had been on the run from Saul, he had had a chance to kill Saul, but had not and now he is hungry he is thirsty and is 600 men are hungry and thirsty and when not ball sends back this early response.

David like Popeye that had all he could stands. He couldn't stands no more going today's teaching on Abigail from the series I've used who we get Alan in the studio back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life.

In today's final word. Glad you've heard about it with you. You believed in mind. My experience at the Hyatt with the left, but neither of myself as a love story from beginning to and spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bike.

The Bible tells of his kind moms are the links to two women walk with her anymore and it's gonna member the woman tasted the sweetness of God's love for you is pretty woman who searched for 25 2014 only fully gauge my doctor. The five love languages size incredible reality that God pursues us in life comes to my wife and mother of myself. Ancient biblical accounts explode in the heart except Christ proposal and showing his embrace and live. After the match made in heaven, lover of my soul.

The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I banks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at got work as we look at the life Abigail. What's the lesson that we are uncovering in this two-part series, we are our daughter's name is Abigail. We knew that we would name her Abigail because my wife love that name before. Where had children as if she says she is a wise beautiful woman and deeds she was working to learn not just about the wisdom that Abigail had and her sense of savvy and how it was that her actions accomplish so much, but exciting thing in this story Daniel is to see how Abigail represents to us the picture of Christ. It will see about this house.

She comes on behalf of the foolish husband to intercede of her own initiative humbled herself and that they can' servant, taking the blame for wrong, that she had not committed in so doing averts the righteous wrath of David and St. so many people this is what God's done for us in Jesus.

So as you listen and you follow the story, Abigail pay heed not only to her wisdom and take good counsel from that but learn of Jesus. It's a powerful picture.

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