And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name: And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel. Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David. And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, WHO IS DAVID? AND WHO IS THE SON OF JESSE? THERE BE MANY SERVANTS NOW A DAYS THAT BREAK AWAY EVERY MAN FROM HIS MASTER. SHALL I THEN TAKE MY BREAD, AND MY WATER, AND MY FLESH THAT I HAVE KILLED FOR MY SHEARERS, AND GIVE IT UNTO MEN, WHOM I KNOW NOT WHENCE THEY BE? So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
1 Samuel 25:4-12
Some people have a proud attitude towards “others”. It is important not to look down on anyone. Prisoners, handicapped people, the blind, the deaf, the maimed, the sick, the homeless, the hungry, foreigners, widows, orphans and the unfortunate are all precious to God.
The church, God’s people, Christians, pastors and God’s servants are also precious to God. You must be careful when dealing with these groups of people.
Nabal’s attitude towards David’s servants reveals an unfortunate attitude towards “others”.
David simply asked Nabal to remember him and his men in the day of his prosperity. He reminded Nabal that he had come in a time when everything was wonderful and working well. “Please give us a very small percentage of your wealth so that the men who have helped you so much over the last few months can have a little meal.”
But Nabal’s answer was laced with a harsh, unfeeling and arrogant attitude.
“Who is David?” he asked.
There are many rebellious and worthless fellows out there!
How can I take my bread, water and meat and give it to a group of stupid and irrelevant people.
To Nabal, “others” were stupid and unimportant people. But Nabal was wrong! Nabal was the fool! Nabal was the worthless and rebellious man of Belial. That was his wife’s testimony about him. His wife called him a fool. It is important for wives to make an accurate diagnosis about the man they are married to. Indeed, it is important for all spouses to come to a proper and accurate assessment of the person they are married to. This will help you to deal wisely and appropriately with the person you are married to.
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, 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. 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.
1 Samuel 25:23-25
Nabal died because he failed to help “others”. God struck him down and gave his wife to someone else. It is important not to see others as worthless and stupid people.
It is important to see others as important people God has sent you to. It was Nabal who was a drunkard and who destroyed his life through drinking. He had the arrogance to call others worthless and rebellious people. Nabal was shocked when he discovered that he was the big fool.
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. 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.
1 Samuel 25:36-37
There is no need to die because you forget “others”! “Others” are important to God. You will live because you honour others. You will be blessed because you remember “others”. You will prosper because you remember “others”. You will become a “darling boy” because you remember “others”. You will become a national hero because you remember “others”.
This book is God’s revelation to you about “others”. God is showing you what is important to Him! God is showing you how your life will be transformed just by thinking about “others”. God is showing you that the way to greatness, fame and honour is by remembering, helping and caring for “others”!