This Week’s Experience – 11/19/2023

There was a wealthy man from Maon who owned property near the town of Carmel. He had 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats, and it was sheep-shearing time. His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was not just beautiful but intelligent as well but her husband was harsh and mean. Nabal was a descendant of Caleb.

When David heard that Nabal was shearing his sheep, he sent ten of his young men to Carmel with this message for Nabal: “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. Ask your own men and they will tell you that it’s true. Therefore, since it’s festival time, please show favor to us by sharing whatever you can afford so that David and his men might celebrate. David’s young men gave this message to Nabal in David’s name, and they waited for a reply.

“Who is this fellow David?” Nabal sneered to the young men. “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”

So David’s young men returned and told him what Nabal had said. “Get your swords!” was David’s reply as he strapped on his own. Then 400 men started off with David, and 200 remained behind to guard their camp.

-1 Samuel 25:2-13

David thought, "I guarded this man's stuff in the desert for nothing! Not one of his possessions was missing. Yet, he has paid me back with evil when I was good to him. May God strike me dead if I don't kill every last one of Nabal’s men before morning!"

-1 Samuel 25:21-22

Love your enemies! Do good to those who mistreat you.

-Luke 6:27