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Archive for August 2012

(READ 1 SAM 25:2-42. {NKJV})

In Point No 1 in my last Blog, we saw how approachable  Abigail was and how approachability is one of the key characteristics of wisdom.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield (approachable), full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.  (NKJV)

Point No 2: When Abigail receives the news that David and his men are on their way to kill Nabal, herself and all their household, she orders her servants to load food and drink onto donkeys. Her intention was to take them to David,  intercept him and persuade him not to carry out his threat. But she did not tell Nabal what she was about to do! (1 Sam 25:18,19)

Question – why did Abigail not first discuss her actions with Nabal. Doesn’t Scripture say that the wife is to be submissive to her husband?

The answer to this question is in two parts:

A) Scripture teaches that trying to reason with a fool is impossible.

Prov 18:2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. (NIV)

Prov 23:9 Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words. (NIV)

Abigail knew from past experience that trying to reason with Nabal was a futile exercise, and that time was of the essence!

B) Part of Abigail’s role as a wife was to submit to her husband Nabal.

Eph 5:22 Wives, be subject (be submissive and adapt yourselves) to your own husbands as [a service] to the Lord. (AMP)

But Scripture also says that a husband is to love his wife and lay his life down for her.

Eph 5:25,28,29.  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the church. (AMP)

Scripture describes Nabal as ‘harsh and evil in his doings’ (1 Sam 25:3) and as the head of the home he was not taking responsibility for his wife and family. He was excercising selfish unrighteous authority, whereas, when the Bible talks about submission it is always in the context of righteous authority.

Therefore, Abigail was justified in taking independent action without first consulting with Nabal.

There are those who teach that a wife must submit to her husband at all times, and there are husbands who have taken full advantage of this by treating their wives as doormats, abusing and bullying them.

If the husband loves his wife and is laying down his life for her, not only will he treat her with respect but will respect her right to have equal input into family issues. Thus if her input is respectful, wise and right, he will submit himself to her.

Eph 5:21  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (NIV)

Marriage is two people pulling together: loving, supporting, serving and helping each other.

Eccl 4:9-12 Two can accomplish more than twice as much as one, for the results can be much better.  If one falls, the other pulls him up; but if a man falls when he is alone, he’s in trouble. Also, on a cold night, two under the same blanket gain warmth from each other, but how can one be warm alone?  And one standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer; three is even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.  (TLB)

Not only do husband and wife have each other, they also have Christ, and the Scripture above declares that a triple braided cord is not easily broken.

Wherever this model is lived out, both parties will naturally respect the roles that Scripture ascribes to them and harmony will reign!

When we view Abigail’s actions in the light of this story, we can see just how wise she was. Truly, any man would would count it an honour to be married to such a beautiful and wise woman. Everyone, that is, except  Nabal!

Meditation Prayer: Father, help me take responsibility for my actions. Give me your wisdom to see the big picture of my life.


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Aug/12

22

Women of Significance Pt 6

(READ 1 Sam 25:2-42)

BACKGROUND STORY

David and his men who are living in the wilderness, have been protecting Nabal’s sheep and cattle ‘gratis’, free of charge. When a feast day comes around David sends his men to Nabal requesting a few sheep to roast and eat during the feast.

Nabal refuses the request by saying that David is a run away slave and sends his men away empty handed. Upon hearing Nabal’s refusal David becomes very angry and gathers his men to return and kill Nabal and all his house.

One of Nabal’s servants hears about David’s intent and tells Abigail, Nabal’s wife. Abigail takes prompt action and by great wisdom saves Nabal and all his house.

Let’s take a closer look at how the story pans out -

Nabal & Abigail: Nabal’s name means foolish, stupid and senseless, and as his name, so was his behavior (1 Sam 25:3,25), whereas Abigail was a woman of wisdom (1 Sam 25:3,33). Foolishness and wisdom are opposites, and their story is a picture of the Book of Proverbs which so often portrays the difference between the two.

Prov 10:23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom. (NIV)

Prov 12:15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.  (NIV)

Prov 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.  (NIV)

Let’s look at some points in this story that reveal these two words of foolishness and wisdom:

Point 1: One of the servants of the household came and told Abigail about Nabal’s rejection of David and how David was on his way to destroy them all, and asked Abigail to do something because they couldn’t reason with Nabal (1 Sam 25:17).

Here we have one man (the servant), who can approach Abigail but can’t approach Nabal. He says that Nabal is a man that can’t be reasoned with

We have a tendency to think that wisdom is having knowledge, and the ability to put that knowledge into action. It is. But it is much more than that. In Jam 3:17 we see that true wisdom has at least 8 characteristics, one of which is, ‘easy to be intreated’ or ‘willing to yield to reason’. This is what being approachable means.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (KJV)

Abigail allowed the servant to speak to her, she was approachable. Nabal was unapproachable, he wasn’t willing to yield to reason.

Question: Which one are you? Reasonable or Unreasonable?

When you are spoken to, challenged or questioned, how do you respond. Are you defensive, stubborn, evasive. Do you blame-shift, become angry, make excuses, tell lies. Any one of these characteristics makes us unreasonable, and like Nabal, people will ignore or work around us.

if any of the above applies to you and you’ve sought to change your behaviour but it always ends in defeat, hopelessness, shame, guilt and condemnation. Be encouraged! There is a way to victory and freedom from your weakness, and His name is Jesus Christ.

He is, ‘the wisdom from above’ (Jam 3:17). He is Christ, ‘in us’ (Col 1:27). Only Jesus can change our behaviour, turn our failure into victory and our weakness to strength.

Question: How is this possible? The answer is to give our weakness to Jesus and leave it with Him (Mt 11:28-30). After giving it to Him, we must then rest in Him until He brings the inward change we are looking for.

Question: What happens if i take back my problem and start worrying about it. The answer is to give it back to Jesus and keep giving it back to Him until you can leave it with Him.

Question :What happens if I repeat my behaviour. The answer is to receive His forgiveness, throw off all guilt and condemnation and return to the place of peace and rest. Remind yourself that only Jesus can change you and He is in the process of doing just that. Thank and praise him for the changes He is making in your life.

He will make good on His promise, but we must give Him time!

Meditation Point: Seeking to change ourselves by our own strength and will power only results in ‘behaviour modification’.True change is inward change from within. Only Jesus by His grace can make such changes.









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Aug/12

6

Women of Significance Pt 5

RAHAB: WOMAN OF HOPE  (Read Joshua 2:1-19)

In our last Blog about Rahab, we see that not only was she saved, she was also delivered from the curse.

A curse is a spoken judgement over a place, person or thing. Built into the curse is the appropriate punishment relative to the judgement.

In Jericho’s case, the punishment of the curse was death to all the people in the city. Only Rahab escaped.

Josh 6:17 The city and everything in it is under a holy curse and offered up to God. “Except for Rahab the harlot — she is to live, she and everyone in her house with her.   (THE MESSAGE)

Josh 6:20-21  When the people heard the blast of the trumpets, they gave a thunderclap shout. The wall fell at once. The people rushed straight into the city and took it. They put everything in the city under the holy curse, killing man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey.  (THE MESSAGE)

When God introduced the law, there were blessings for those who kept it and curses for those who broke it.

Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.  (KJV)

Because of sin, the whole of mankind is under the curse of the broken law and it’s punishment: death!  But when Jesus died on the cross, because He was a perfect man, He fulfilled the law on our behalf. He also became the curse of the broken law for us, took our punishment upon Himself and died in our place.

In this story, Rahab is a type (prophetic picture) of the Church, the body of Christ. Hence all Christians are in Christ and as such He has  fulfilled the law on our behalf and we have been delivered from the curse and punishment of sin and it’s effects.

Matt 5:17  Do not think that I have come to do away with or undo the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to do away with or undo but to complete and fulfill them.  (AMP)

Gal 3:13,14  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangs on a tree. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (KJV)

Not only have we been delivered from the curse, we now live under the cloud of the blessing of God! Hence whenever we read about the curses and blessings found in the Scriptures, the Christian can legally reject all the curses and receive all the blessings.

But you ask, what happens if the curse is seemingly still working in our life. Eg: A barren womb, sickness in our body or lack of prosperity.

Our response is to realize by faith, that we are no longer under the curse of the broken law, we are under the blessing of God. Therefore we are to take the promises of God relative to our condition and claim the blessing of that promise. Eg:

Deut 28:11 The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity — in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground — in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you. (NIV)

Matt 8:16-17 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,  that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”  (NKJV)

We are not to look at our circumstances but to the promises of the word of God. As we confess the promises over our circumstances and put our faith and trust in Christ – eventually the blessings of the promises will manifest in our life.

Meditation Point: Jesus has fulfilled the law on our behalf. Jesus has become a curse for us and taken the punishment of the broken law. Jesus has freed us from all sin that we may claim the blessings of God’s promises.



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