Audio Download

1 Samuel 25:23–44 David Marries Abigail, Part 2

[Study Aired July 20, 2026]

Today’s study is a continuation of how David came to marry Abigail. It reveals Abigail’s wisdom in acting with grace and secretly bringing a peace offering to David and humbling herself to take the blame for her husband’s foolishness. Abigail also made her husband, Nabal, aware of her encounter with David and his men who were bent on taking revenge against him. As a result, Nabal’s heart died within him and finally gave up the ghost after ten days. 

Nabal’s death, therefore, paved the way for David to be married to Abigail, who represents the church of the Lord’s elect. The study therefore highlights our coming into the church of the firstborn or the heavenly Jerusalem.

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,   

Abigail Meets David

1Sa 25:23  And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
1Sa 25:24  And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

In this context, we can look at David as representing the Lord and Abigail as the church of the Lord’s elect. Abigail seeing David is therefore we, His elect, coming to see Christ as He is. As we get to know Christ in the spirit through His word, we purify ourselves to be like Him. 

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 

Abigail lighting off the ass and bowing down to David signifies that as we are being given victory over our flesh, represented here as an ass, our obedience or submission to the Lord is being perfected. Verse 23 therefore, is similar to the following verse:

Gen 24:64  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. 

In this case, Isaac represents Christ and Rebekah signifies the church of the Lord’s elect. It is when we come to know the Lord in the spirit through His word that we are given victory over our flesh as we see Rebekah light off her camel. 

Abigail falling at David’s feet and asking David to let the iniquity of Nabal come upon her in verse 24 shows us that our suffering as the Lord’s elect in this life is for the salvation of the human race. Abigail asking David to let the iniquity of Nabal fall upon her is the same as Paul saying that he wished that he was accursed regarding his fleshly brethren or Israel. 

Rom 9:2  That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 
Rom 9:3  For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 
Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 

As saviors of the world, our suffering in this age complements the suffering of Christ for the atonement of all humanity. We are therefore, saviors of this world.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 

Oba 1:21  And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S. 

1Sa 25:25  Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send. 

Abigail regarding Nabal as the man of Belial is significant. According to Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Dictionary, Belial can mean wicked, ruin or destruction. Nabal being described as the man of Belial shows that he represents the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy as shown in the word of the Lord.

Joh 10:10  The thief [the devil] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 

As we shall see later in this study, Abigail ended up marrying David when Nabal died. It indicates that as the Lord’s elect, we have the devil as our father, before we are married to Christ. 

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.  

Abigail telling David that she did not see the young men that David sent implies that when we had the devil as our father, we did not recognize the Lord’s elect whom the Lord sent to us. At that time of our walk with Christ, our spiritual condition is described as follows:

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 

1Sa 25:26  Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

It is important to note here in verse 26 that Abigail’s asserted that it is the Lord who had withheld David’s hand from shedding the blood of Nabal. This assertion throws out the false doctrine that we have our own unhindered will to do good or to commit evil. To do evil or good is all of the Lord. Yes, we do make choices, but our decisions are influenced by the Lord. This is exactly what the following verse is seeking to address:

Pro 16:1  The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.   

Abigail also stated that those who hated David and sought evil against him would be as Nabal. As we shall see later, Nabal died suddenly. This implies that they who seek to do evil against us as the Lord’s elect, shall not prosper in their scheme. It also indicates that vengeance belongs to the Lord and that we do not need to avenge the evil that is meted out to us. We are, however, admonished to do good to those who hate us and in so doing, we heap coals of fire on their head. 

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Rom 12:20  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 
Rom 12:21  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

1Sa 25:27  And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord. 

The blessing that Abigail brought to David and his young men was the food that she provided for their upkeep. The details of her provision are as follows:

1Sa 25:18  Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.  

As indicated, Abigail represents the church or the assembly of the Lord’s elect. In the previous study we showed the spiritual significance of the food and the drink that Abigail or the church of the Lord’s elect provides to us as follows: 

All the food and the drink (wine) represent the word of the Lord. Remembering that the number two signifies a witness, the fact that there were two hundred (2x10x10) loaves and cakes of fig and two bottles of wine means that we must have a witness of two or more in the scriptures to establish a doctrine. Abigail bringing the food and the drinks implies that it is in the assembly of the Lord’s elect that we become exposed to the truth of the word of the Lord and are given to establish doctrines based on two or more witnesses. 

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 

It is also important to note that there were five already-dressed sheep and five measures of parched corn. The parched corn is dried kernel of corn that has been dry-roasted or toasted over heat. Both the parched corn and the already-dressed sheep represent the meat of the Lord’s word. The number five means grace through faith. Abigail bringing five measures of parched corn and five already-dressed sheep means that it is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we receive grace through faith to understand the meat of the word of the Lord. 

1Ti 3:15  But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 

Abigail also told David here in verse 27 that what she had provided is a blessing. It is indeed a blessing to be given the keys of the kingdom of heaven to understand the truth of the Lord’s word through what every joint supplies.

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  

1Sa 25:28  I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days. 

In verse 28, the Lord through Abigail told David that the Lord would make a sure house for him. In the Bible, the first time that the word “house” was used referred to a family. 

Gen 7:1  And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Gen 12:1  Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

What we are therefore being told is that the Lord has prepared a family for us, His elect. This family is the house of the Lord of our brothers and sisters in Christ or the church of the firstborn. It is important to note that it is the Lord who prepares us this family to help us fight the battles of the Lord. This means that it is through what every joint supplies that we are given to see that the battles we are going through in this life are the Lord’s battles. Our being brought into this family of the Lord’s elect is also to ensure that evil is not found in us all our days as shown in verse 28. This is possible through the Lord’s judgment of our flesh.

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 

1Sa 25:29  Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling. 

It is reassuring to note that even though the Lord will raise up adversaries to seek our lives as instruments of the Lord’s judgment, they shall be destroyed by the Lord in the final analysis. By comparing scripture with scripture, we can see that this verse is the same as the following verse:

Isa 54:16  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. 
Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

1Sa 25:30  And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel; 

The work that the Lord Jesus did in the life of David according to all the good that he had spoken about refers to what the Lord is doing in this age regarding His elect. This involves granting us the grace to understand the mysteries of His kingdom, judging us in this age to conform to His image as we learn righteousness and providing our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus. This work of the Lord is what makes us overcomers and qualifies us to be rewarded with the rulership of this world when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. 

Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? 
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 

Php 4:19  But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.    

1Sa 25:31  That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.

Here Abigail is admonishing David that he should not have a troubled conscience because of his desire to spill blood of Nabal for no good reason and that he should not claim his own victory. What Abigail said emphasizes the role of the body of Christ. It is the church’s duty, through what every joint supplies, to teach us to avoid evil. We are not to repay evil with evil, but allow the Lord to take vengeance on our behalf. Victory is the work of the Lord and does not rest in man.

Pro 21:31  The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the LORD. (GW) 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

Abigail also reminded David that when the LORD has dealt well with him, he should remember her. When the Lord has granted us the grace to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven and continues to deliver us from the influence of the flesh through His judgment, we should continue to provoke our brothers and sisters to love and good works and not forsake the assembling of the Lord’s elect.

Heb 10:24  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 
Heb 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  

1Sa 25:32  And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
1Sa 25:33  And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. 
1Sa 25:34  For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. 

In verse 32, David showed His appreciation to the Lord for bringing Abigail his way. We must be grateful to the Lord in bringing us to this assembly of His elect. It is through the church that our eyes are opened, our ears hear the mysteries of the kingdom, and our feet are restrained from evil as we see David confess to Abigail that her intervention had prevented him from committing evil. 

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 
Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:
Heb 12:26  Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 

Abigail Came to Nabal

1Sa 25:35  So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. 

What is important here is the fact that David told Abigail that he has harkened to her voice and has accepted her. As indicated, Abigail represents the church of the Lord’s elect. It is in the church of the Lord’s elect that we must pay heed to the voice of the Lord through what every joint supplies. 

Heb 12:25  See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven:

David accepting Abigail signifies our need to submit to the church of the firstborn through its leadership. 

1Th 5:12  And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;
1Th 5:13  And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. 

1Sa 25:36  And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light. 
1Sa 25:37  But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone. 
1Sa 25:38  And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

Nabal here can also represent the people of this world and our brothers and sisters in Babylon, who are under the sway of the devil. Abigail came to meet Nabal feasting as his heart was merry. The people of this world, including our brothers and sisters in Babylon are focused on feasting, which gives temporal enjoyment. A careful look at the Bible shows that most of the feasting recorded had to do with pagan kings. Gradually, the church system of this world embraced these temporary enjoyment through feasting as we see them celebrating Christmas, Easter, birthdays, mother’s day, father’s day, etc. However, this is not consistent with our walk with Christ. The Bible depicts the Christian walk as a stranger on a journey who does not meddle with the affairs of this world. We are also likened to a soldier in a war who must embrace suffering as the way to overcome an adversary. 

Heb 11:13  These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.  

2Ti 2:3  Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
2Ti 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

With Nabal being drunk, Abigail was not able to say anything to him.  Spiritually, Nabal being drunk means that Nabal was under the fury of the Lord to bring him to his death. When we are being brought to spiritual death, there is no way that we can hear the word of the Lord, as we see Abigail’s inability to talk to Nabal. 

Isa 63:6  And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Verses 37 and 38 show us the death of Nabal who was being judged by the Lord. The fact that Nabal died after ten days signifies that Nabal’s sins have reached the heavens, since the number ten means the fullness of the flesh. 

David Marries Abigail

1Sa 25:39  And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 
1Sa 25:40  And when the servants of David were come to Abigail to Carmel, they spake unto her, saying, David sent us unto thee, to take thee to him to wife. 

In verse 39, David was very grateful to the Lord for preventing him from committing the sin of murder. It shows us that to do good or evil is not by ourselves and that it is the Lord who works all things after the counsel of His own will. 

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 

The death of Nabal offered David the opportunity to be married to Abigail. It signifies the Lord destroying all that held us bound to Babylon or the church system of this world, in order for us to be joined to the church of the Lord’s elect represented by Abigail. What held us bound to Babylon is the false doctrines in our heavens which are symbolized by the great river Euphrates as shown below:

Rev 9:13  And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 
Rev 9:14  Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. 

1Sa 25:41  And she arose, and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord. 
1Sa 25:42  And Abigail hasted, and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers that went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife. 

It is worth noting that Abigail was ready to wash the feet of the servants sent by David. We are in the church of the Lord’s elect to serve our brothers and sisters. 

Gal 5:13  For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 

Finally, Abigail became the wife of David. It highlights our ultimate marriage to Christ in the fullness of time, when the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. 

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 
Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

1Sa 25:43  David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives. 
1Sa 25:44  But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Phalti the son of Laish, which was of Gallim. 

The mention in verses 43 and 44 of David’s wives Ahinoam and Michal (who was given to another man by Saul) is another way of saying that we used to be part of various church systems of this world, until Christ came to drag us out to become part of the church of the Lord’s elect, symbolized by Abigail. 

Heb 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 
Heb 12:23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 
Heb 12:24  And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 

May His name be praised, Amen!!