Abounding Grace

Guest (Male): What to do when you're provoked by the folly of another? The answer is right around the corner on Abounding Grace.

Guest (Male): Whether it's on the freeway, at home, or in the workplace, each one of us at some point will be confronted with the foolishness of another. There's no escaping it in this world. How do we respond at those times and how should we respond? Let's give thoughtful consideration to that here on Abounding Grace with Pastor Ed Taylor. If you were with us last time, you'll remember that David was provoked by the folly of a man aptly named Nabal, which means fool. Well, David made some mistakes in how he responds that we can all learn from. We'll listen into a conversation he had with Abigail in 1 Samuel chapter 25.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Now David it said, surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. So he's just stirring up. Just continuing to repeat the whole thing over and over again. May God do so, verse 22. And more also to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light. Now when Abigail saw David, she hastened to dismount from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed to the ground.

So she fell at his feet. This is a sign of humility. And said, on me my Lord, on me let this iniquity be. And please let your maid servant speak in your ears and hear the words of your maid servant. Please. Let not my Lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. She knows her husband.

Guest (Male): She gets it.

Pastor Ed Taylor: For as his name is, so he is so is he. Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I your maid servant did not see the young men of my Lord whom you sent. Now therefore my Lord as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek harm from my Lord be as Nabal. And now this present which your maid servant has brought to my Lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my Lord, verse 28.

Please forgive the trespass of your maid servant. For the Lord will certainly make for my Lord an enduring house, because my Lord fights the battles of the Lord. And evil is not found in you throughout your days. Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life. And the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God. And the lives of your enemies he shall sling out as from the pocket of a sling. It's interesting. They know the whole story. They know what's going on with David.

Word has gotten around the kingdom. She just described it in in a very accurate way. And at the same time you find while her husband has cast his lot with King Saul, it's very clear that Abigail has cast her lot with David. She knows the story and the fool has come to the wrong conclusion, and the joy of the father has come to the right conclusion. And as she rehearses it, no doubt it's encouraging her, but it's also encouraging David. It says in verse 30, it shall come to pass when the Lord is done for my Lord according to all the good that he spoken concerning you and has appointed you ruler over Israel, when you become king, that this will be no grief to you.

You look back on this and it won't be any big deal. When you become king this in perspective, this won't be any big deal. Nor offense of my heart uh of heart to my Lord either, that you have shed blood without cause or that my Lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my Lord, remember your maid servant. Abigail comes to David in wisdom and humility. And you can just pray uh when those times when you lose it in the flesh, and you just kind of throw up your hands and say I can't take it anymore and it's going to take things into my own hands.

You want to pray that God will sends you someone that's filled with the joy of the father to speak some truth into your life, to paint the right picture for you. You're the anointed king, man. Kings don't do this. You know Saul's chasing. He's doing the same thing that you now want to do to Nabal. I know he's a fool. I married him, man. I I know who he is. I live with him. I have to deal with this every day. It was wrong. I'm going to make it right. I mean there's some some power and there's just truth in acknowledging it's just wrong.

And I want to make it right. And here Abigail will you know Jesus would say it later. He'd say no greater love is than this, than one would give um sacrifice or lay down his life for a friend. Abigail's ready to take it all upon herself, lay down her life. She recognizes the reality and she's willing to take the price to take the penalty for all of his servants for her whole household. This is an honorable wife. Not one that speaks ill of her husband, even though there was reason. She spoke the facts. And yet she keeps her vow.

Today we would see this as a part. Every wedding service that we have as we have the uh blessed privilege of officiating when one man and one woman comes together for marriage. And we have whether it's on this stage or it's out at a park somewhere and we have the ability and the joy to walk them through their premarital and we there to officiate and then we get to the vows. We're going to get to a phrase that we 're going to ask you to repeat. And I believe Pastor Matt had mentioned this in a previous Bible study last week.

We're going to get to a phrase that will challenge every single marriage at one time or another. It's not a phrase that we pay too much attention to. Even as I was speaking to uh a couple that just recently got married that are still in the joy of their honeymoon. They're not thinking too much about this phrase, but they need to. Even as you and I need to. Even as I have seen it play out very real and practical in my own marriage. Both in the early days when I wasn't walking with the Lord and in the very recent days when we're probably the strongest we've ever been in our relationship with the Lord and facing some of the most dramatic, difficult times, you need to understand this phrase.

It still applies today and I believe Pastor Matt um shared this with you and I would just reaffirm it. Your vows include for better or for worse. I would say in Abigail's life this is a worse. That the mistake of her husband has just about led to the destruction of their entire family. Including Abigail, she didn't speak up. I would say it's worse. You say would you say it's worse? I mean of all the things that we face, is anybody come with 400 people to destroy everything that you know? I mean we've never faced something that drastic, but this is pretty sad.

And yet while she does speak the truth of the situation, she still honors her husband. Stands in the gap for her husband. Willing to lay her life down for her husband. What would happen in our marriages when you have both the husband and the wife willing to do that for one another? In the better times, but more importantly in the worse times. Because certainly the longer you are with your spouse, the more worse times you see. That's just the way it is. I mean I don't know at what point at in in some of your marriages, certainly not all of them, but at what point in your marriage you go I I this is not the guy that I married.

Or this isn't the gal that I dated. And then you begin to hear all these things that we hear as pastors all the time. You know I just don't love him anymore. As if it was only a feeling. Yeah your feelings might be you know really going through it right now. Yeah you might not be feeling it, but love is not primarily a feeling. Love is a commitment. It's a choice. And in the in the Lord love is really something that flows in us, especially in those impossible times. And so you hear you know I just not in love anymore.

Okay. Then then just continue to do what you're supposed to do and your emotions will follow. Well no I don't want to do what I'm supposed to do. I'm married to a fool. That's his name. I should have known. Hi my name is Joy of the Father. What's your name? Fool. God they didn't he hid that name for me. I used to call him by his nickname, but no no I married a fool. And no doubt this is one of the most foolish things that he did. And what do we find Abigail? Not selling him out.

Not saying go ahead and take him out. I've been wanting to somebody to take him out for a long time. You are an answer to prayer, David. And I'll just take my guys and I'll get out of the way and it'll be fine and no this is an honorable woman. May the Lord bring us honorable men and women that are committed to the Lord. That honor only comes through a relationship with God. She speaks the truth into his life. What you're about to do is wrong. You are the anointed king. Here is what you expected.

Please I will take responsibility. I'll take it. And here I wish you would have come to me. It wouldn't have happened this way. It's encouraging. Her focus was on David's future. Her focus was on what may happen in the future. And though her husband deserved it, she didn't want David to do it. She wanted the matters to be kept in the hand of the Lord. That's what she submitted a bad marriage to, the hand of the Lord. Not to the divorce court. Not to adultery. Not to pornography. Not to talking bad about your spouse to your friend.

Not by throwing your husband under the bus. Not by making fun of your wife. She committed it to the Lord. She even in a public way committed it to the Lord. One day David you're going to be king. Just remember me. Remember me when you're king. Don't forget this. Just the characteristics here are beautiful and she says something so incredible here in verse 29. It says yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life. But the life of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God.

It's just a beautiful statement. You're tied up with the life of the Lord. King Saul's not going to get you. You're going to be king. You're going to be all right. You are tied up with the bundle of the living. I get this picture of just being being overcome by the protection of God. And he was she was not only encouraging him in what would happen in the future, but encouraging him that Saul's after you but man you're going to be all right. You're bound up. I mean that's where we want to be. We want to be bound up in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God.

That's where we want to be. I think Jesus will put it a different way in John chapter 15 when later as we study John on on our weekend services we're going to learn all that beautiful. We're going to spend a few weeks just learning about what it means to abide in Jesus Christ and for Jesus to abide in us. I think that this is a picture of that. Bound up with the bundle of the living. Just bound up so tightly in the things of the Lord. Such a sweet thing for her to say. A picture of being cared for.

A picture of you know it's real popular now for for moms to be carrying around their babies in those little sacks and they just man some of the kids I don't see for years. They Where are they? They're in the sack. Every time they're all around in the sack. I mean they're their their feet touch the ground in the sack, you know. And it's exaggerating, but what a cool thing. I don't remember that being I didn't remember any of our that being existing when we had any of our kids. We just carried them by their ankle over our shoulders already, you know.

It's like we didn't have something happen so tight, but but I get that picture. The reason your moms you keep them so close and the reason some of you dads keep them so close, they're bound up in the bundle of the living with their dad or with their mom. It's just so beautiful. So close, so tight, so safe. David that's to you. Don't blow it. Don't think take things into your own hands. Notice verse 32. Uh verse 38 shall come to pass when the Lord has done all for my Lord according to all good that he spoken concerning you and has appointed you ruler over Israel that this will be no grief to you, no offense uh to the heart of my Lord.

Either that you have shed blood without cause or that my Lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my Lord, remember your maid servant then David said to Abigail, blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent you to uh sent you this day to meet me. And blessed is your advice. And blessed are you because you've kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. Doesn't it remind you of Deborah and Esther that would come Deborah before her and Esther that would come after her, that Abigail altered the course of history by being obedient to God.

And you could change the whole course of history just by remaining obedient. It was indeed verse 34 as the Lord God of Israel lives who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you would hasten and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males will been in love to Nabal. So David received from her hand what she had brought and said to her, go up in peace to your house. See I have heated your voice and respected your person. Then Abigail went to Nabal and there he was holding a feast in his house like the feast of a king.

And Nabal's heart was merry within him and he was very drunk. Therefore she told him nothing little or much until morning light. So it was in the morning when the wine had gone from Nabal and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him and he became like a stone. Then it happened after about 10 days that the Lord struck Nabal and he died. And God did take care of it. I mean that's pretty dramatic. It's pretty crazy thing. You read through the Bible, man. You just read some crazy things. Like Nabal received I mean this reminds me of in the New Testament I was just reading it recently in devotions Ananias and Sapphira.

It just God chose to take care of it right then and there. I mean that that's I think what happened in Ananias and Sapphira and what happened in Nabal here many times in our our own flesh, that's what we deserve. We look at Nabal, what a fool. But we look at ourselves and how many times have we been just as foolish with our mouths? Have we been just as just as foolish in treating other people? Or or like Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament where we've lied to the Holy Spirit. Where we've grieved the Holy Spirit.

Where we've tried to make it look like something to others when in reality it wasn't that at all. And yet God has been very gracious with us and very merciful with us. Not like Nabal where his heart died within him. He became like a stone and then after 10 days he's done. I mean that's and I don't I don't know that's a that's a hard one. God just dealt with it in his way. I I think that David really reveals to us the the value of receiving correction. You know and really receiving Let let me show you something.

Turn over to Proverbs as we wind down. Proverbs chapter 15. David was a very wise man to receive correction. You and I would be very wise to receive correction when it's appropriate. When it fits the situation, when it's sent by God. Not not necessarily just everybody's opinion. Not just necessarily well this is what I think about the but true reproof, true correction that's sent by God, it's wise for us to receive. Notice with me in chapter 15 which just seems to be a chapter filled with um great insight on correction. Notice verse five of Proverbs 15.

It says a fool despises his father's instruction, but he who receives reproof is prudent. Notice verse 10. Harsh correction is for him who forsakes the way and he who hates reproof will die. You can write next to that Nabal. That's what happened to him, very literally. Notice verse 31. Verse 31, Proverbs 15. The ear that hears the reproof of life will abide among the wise. He who disdains instruction despises his own soul and he who heeds reproof gets understanding. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is humility. Turn back to the back of your Bible, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16.

2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. Correction doesn't necessarily have to come from another person. It can and it will, but one of the values, one of the many many beautiful things about receiving or just going through your daily devos, just reading your Bible every day, reading a chapter or two, reading a proverb a day, going through a few psalms a day, going through a reading plan a day, maybe reading in the morning and reading a little bit at night or listening to an audio Bible is is simply every time the Bible's open notice in verse 16 of 2 Timothy chapter 3.

It says all the scriptures given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. Every time you read the Bible, one of these things is going to happen. Two of them, three of them, maybe all four of them. Or God will have a word for you to instruct you. God will have a correction for you. God will have a rebuke for you. You know it doesn't always have to come from you read in the Bible you go I just don't like what that says. You know that's just not fair.

That dude's heart just getting stoned and then 10 days later God kills him. I don't like that. Ananias I mean now does that happen with the New Testament? Well I read in Acts and okay I'm going to look at Acts. Ananias who is that? Ananias and Saul. Whoa. I don't like that either. You know and you just kind of turning around and just looking for the places that you like. Listen. The Bible has much for you and I to bring us to a place of correction, to teach us right doctrine, to teach us how to get back on track, to keep us on track.

Notice in verse 17 so that you and I, the man of God, the woman of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So yeah sometimes it's going to come through a father, sometimes it's going to come through a friend, sometimes going through a pastor, sometimes going to come from a foolish man's wife. But correction is wise to receive. It's a good thing that David received correction here. I mean admit it. I don't want you to raise your hand, but you can feel it in your heart. It's hard to receive correction. It's easier to give it than it is to take it.

And it's amazing in many times where God is showing you things and other people he really wants you to see it in yourself. The Bible says that the Bible itself is like a mirror. You know when you look in the mirror, you're not always satisfied with what you see. That's why you take a shower, that's why you comb your hair, that's why you look in the mirror, you're like whoa. I know that's what happens. What you look like when you wake up. That's exactly it's what everybody else sees. That's why you don't go to work like that.

You know at the very least you put a hat on, you know. It's like okay. And and that's a mirror and then you know if if you're just tired of seeing that you're going to stop going to the mirror. But for some reason, not only do you still go to the mirror, you have more than one mirror in your house. I mean there are mirrors all over. And then you even have a mirror on that little thing that comes down the sun shade in your car. And ladies you probably got a mirror in your purse.

And maybe some of you guys have one in your back pocket. That's just the way it is. And so there's something about the mirror that we continue to come back so we see we we we desire and we even when we don't desire to go to the mirror, we still do go to the mirror. James uses that as a picture of how we come to the word of God. And we train ourselves to come to God's word. And as we train ourselves to come to God's word for the instruction, for the correction, for the reproof, it's a good thing that David gives us the example.

Instead of speak coming so defensive and putting up walls so quickly, listen I do think that that this section of scripture has a lot to do with the those that are listening that are married. Both in the small things in your marriage and also in the large things. How do you want to go down in your marriage as Nabal or Abigail? How do you want to face God? Because as we'll see in the rest of the chapter, God elevates Abigail, right? God resists the proud in this case. Took him out, but he gives grace to who?

The humble and Abigail. I mean Abigail was given the opportunity to cooperate with David in getting out from under a very difficult situation. She was yoked together with him. She could have easily cast her lot with David like the mighty men. She could have said David I know where he sleeps. I know. Don't take out the men, just take out my husband. It was very much a possibility. She could have bartered. She could have tried to negotiate. But instead we see so much of Jesus in her where she laid her own life. You take me out is what she said.

You take me out. You you put it on me, David. I know my husband. I married him. I covenanted with him. I know him. I know his name. I know how you treated you. I wish you would have come to me. We would have never had this issue. But the way it is, David, the way it is is that here I'm doing what's right. Please show mercy and show favor. You're going to be the next king. You're the talk of the town. Nabal came to the wrong conclusion.

Guest (Male): Today on Abounding Grace we've been in 1 Samuel as Pastor Ed Taylor is leading us verse by verse through this marvelous Old Testament book. Now if you joined us late or we just like to hear the message again, drop by aboundinggrace radio.com. Another way to take in a steady dose of God's word is through our app. It's free. Just search for Calvary Church. We're also on oneplace.com. Abounding Grace is made possible through the support of our listeners and when you give a donation of $25 or more to Abounding Grace, you're invited to request a copy of Jim Simbala's book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.

In it he shares unforgettable stories including from his own daughter. You'll see how the church has grown and how God has helped people through difficult changes, challenges, and encounters. Jim also reveals how God continues to reshape the lives of so many people who come to Jesus through the power of the gospel. Request a copy of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire when you give a donation of $25 or more today. We genuinely appreciate the generosity of our listeners. It helps us provide the teaching of God's word on stations all across the nation. So thank you for standing with us.

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Guest (Male): Amazing Grace. This is unfailing love. That you would take my place. Then you would bear my cross. You laid down your life. That I would be set free. Oh Jesus I sing for all that you've done for me.

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