Thursday 6 June 2013

How to gain a kingdom

A story of Abigail

The initial prophesy:

1 Samuel 15:27-28  7 As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore.  28 And Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 

So David must inherit the kingdom....  but how? There's an 'Adamic Idiot' in-charge

1 Sam 24 an opportunity:
1 Samuel 24:4  4 And the men of David said to him, "Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'"Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. 

But then:
1 Samuel 24:5-6   5 And afterward David's heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe.  6 He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD's anointed."

That's not the way to receive a kingdom

So how do you get it via submission to a stupid authority?

Here comes Abigail - the expert on submission to stupid authority - Nabal
1 Samuel 25:3  The woman was discerning and beautiful, but the man was harsh and badly behaved; he was a Calebite. 

She serves him, protects him, runs his household to his benefit - despite knowing he's a brutal idiot
Amazing she is: 1 Samuel 25:24  24 She fell at his feet and said, "On me alone, my lord, be the guilt. 

She teaches the way of submission - the way that prevents bloodguilt:
1 Samuel 25:26   26 Now then, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, because the LORD has restrained you from bloodguilt and from saving with your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek to do evil to my lord be as Nabal. 

David learns:
1 Samuel 25:32-33   32 And David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!  33 Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand! 

The idiot's way comes to self-destruction (by the Lord's hand):
1 Samuel 25:36-38   36 And Abigail came to Nabal, and behold, he was holding a feast in his house, like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk. So she told him nothing at all until the morning light.  37 In the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.  38 And about ten days later the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.

And David learns this with Saul:
1 Samuel 26:11-12  11 The LORD forbid that I should put out my hand against the LORD's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go."  12 So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them. 

Why can he do this:
1 Samuel 26:10  10 And David said, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish. 

Jesus of course will totally embody this- after all is He not Abigail (My Father's Joy) - the submissive One!