Honoring People.

''Recognize the value of every person and continually show love to every believer. Live your lives with great reverence and in holy awe of God. Honor your rulers.'' 1 Peter 2 verse 17.

One of my all-time favorite female characters in the Bible is Abigail. She was the wife to Nabal, a foolish rich man. Her husband had belittled David, probably due to his lack of knowledge of who David was. David feeling insulted was about to charge toward Nabal's house with 400 mighty warriors to kill him and his household. Abigail heard the news from her servants and mounted her horse to meet David on his way. Sighting David from afar, she quickly dismounted and ran to him, bowing her face to the earth.

She negotiated the fate of her family with wisdom before David.

With an in-depth consideration of this story, David was a wanderer. He went about the wilderness with his men and made his home in caves. Honestly, he wasn’t all that. He was Israel’s ‘most wanted person’ with a price on his head. All he had were God’s promises to him and the anointing of God to make him king.

What did Abigail see differently?

What did she see that made her bow to a man like David? She said to David “And it will happen when the Lord does for my Lord according to all the good that He has spoken (promised) concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel,” 1 Samuel 25:30

Anyone who honors God’s servant truly honors God.

Abigail honored the promises of God over David’s life and related with him based on those promises.

You cannot honor others if you don't honor God. The honor for God is what made David honor Saul, refusing to kill him even when opportune to do so. You also cannot honor God if you don't know God. To know God is to honor Him.

Abigail wasn’t just an attractive and rich woman. She had adequate knowledge about her lineage and community. Nabal, her husband, would have probably acted otherwise if he knew who David was. But Abigail knew God and his promises to her descendants. If she didn’t know God and how God had dealt with his people in the past; she wouldn’t know God was capable of keeping His promises. I believe that’s what David, also a man of the covenants, saw in Abigail, which made him later marry her.

Abigail saved her entire household and even David's destiny just by her act of honor. The Bible says to honor all men. Honor God's word by honoring people.

For a broader context, read 1 Samuel 25.

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