The Secret to Abigail’s Bold Moment
Abigail had to make a quick decision. Angry men with swords would soon be on their way to her home. And if goes against her husband’s wishes, she would have to act in secret. Oh, there was also the chance that she would die doing what was right.
Most likely, you and I will never face the harrowing dilemma that challenged Abigail. Yesterday my greatest act of courage was to once again give washable markers to my twin four-year-old grandsons, who had lost them last month after decorating their bedroom door. (Washable is a debatable word.)
Boldness doesn’t come naturally to me. Fear does. So how does someone like me muster Abigail’s kind of bravery that enabled her to defy her husband in a patriarchal culture and stop a future king in his tracks?
I’ve found her secret.
Who Is Abigail in the Bible?
But first let me set the stage because Abigail isn’t on the list of best-known women in the Bible. We read her story in 1 Samuel 25, where the text tells us that her rude and crude husband, Nabal, has shamed the most famous military leader in Israel, David, the killer of Goliath. David is still on the run from Israel’s first king, Saul, who sees David as a threat to his throne. Living in caves in the wilderness, David and his 600 men take on “odd jobs” to feed their families. At this time, they had been providing protection for Nabal’s large herd of sheep.
It is now sheep shearing time in Nabal’s household, a time of feasting and celebration, an appropriate time for David to ask Nabel for compensation. However, when David sends ten of his men to ask the very rich Nabal to share any provisions he had on hand, Nabal refuses, acts like he doesn’t even know who David is, and screams insults at them. No one can reason with him even though David’s men warn Nabal that trouble would be coming his way.
We now see why Abigail is introduced in the story as wise and sensible. First, she listens when one of Nabal’s servants tells her what has happened. Then she correctly assesses the situation, understanding that her household is in immediate danger. Finally, she puts her plan into action, directing servants to load food and wine onto donkeys to be delivered to David.
It’s a bold plan, but Abigail’s courage is just getting started. She’s now climbing on her own donkey and riding into the approaching mob of 400 armed men seeking vengeance (a violation of God’s law—not David’s best moment).
Take a minute and visualize the scene. Here is a woman—unarmed, uninvited, unaccompanied by warriors—blocking the path of 400 soldiers in a culture where married women were expected to act and speak under the authority of their husbands and not permitted to challenge or redirect the decisions of men—especially those anointed to be king.
And yet that is her plan.
Three Beautiful Words
She meets David in a ravine, slides off her donkey, and falls at David’s feet.
“Please listen to what I have to say. I know Nabal is a wicked and ill-tempered man; please don’t pay any attention to him” (1 Samuel 25:25 NLT).
In the longest recorded speech of any woman in the Bible, Abigail takes the blame that rests solely on her husband, asks for forgiveness, and appeals to David’s conscious.
Perhaps most importantly, she declares that David is “bundled in life” with God Himself. David doesn’t need to take rash actions to bring about his own success because God will take care of that.
That phrase from 1 Samuel 25:29 has been translated as “the bundle of God-protected life” (MSG), God’s “treasure-pouch” (NLT), “the bundle of the living” (NIV), “the bundle of life with the Lord thy God” (KJV), and “the place where the Lord your God protects the living” (HCSB).
When Abigail speaks these beautiful words to David, she reveals the secret of faith-filled boldness.
When Abigail speaks these beautiful words to David, she reveals the secret of faith-filled boldness.
She boldly does what is right because she knows she is bundled with God.
Not only does David bless Abigail for her courageous words, sending her home in peace, but he also marries her when her foolish husband dies ten days later.
Of course, not every act of righteous courage ends like a fairytale. Sometimes, boldness leads us straight into the fire—and the fire burns. Abigail could have been met with violence, scorn, or rejection. But she stepped forward anyway.
What Does It Mean for Us?
Even then—even when boldness doesn’t bring rescue or reward—we can trust our all-loving, all-knowing Father, because we are bundled into His life.
That’s the secret Abigail knew. And it’s the same promise offered to you and me: We can be brave, not because the outcome is certain, but because the One who holds us is.
Even then—even when boldness doesn’t bring rescue or reward—we can trust our all-loving, all-knowing Father, because we are bundled into His life. We can be brave, not because the outcome is certain, but because the One who holds us is.
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