Saving a Fool

This morning I was reading in 1 Samuel 25.  As always when I read the Scriptures I pray to my Father and ask a simple petition, "Father reveal Jesus to me in Your Word."  If you are not in the habit of asking the Father to reveal Jesus in the Scriptures when reading your Bible, then you're missing out on the purpose and joy of the Scriptures.

I was amazed afresh at the grace of God as I read the account of a worthless man by the name of Nabal (whose name means 'fool').  David (anointed as King though he hadn't taken his throne yet) was protecting Nabal's flocks and shepherds.  He had shown great kindness to Nabal.  Nabal responded with selfishness and disdain towards David.  David then came to attack Nabal for his harshness and ingratitude toward him.  But as David was coming to execute justice on Nabal, Abigail (Nabal's wife) stepped in.  She made a sacrifice on Nabal's behalf to David (1 Sam 25:18) and asked David (1 Sam 25:24-26) to exact the justice that Nabal deserved on her who was innocent of wrong.

David turned back his wrath because Abigail sacrificed on Nabal's behalf and as one innocent of Nabal's crime stood in his place of judgment, all the while Nabal was oblivious to what was happening.

This reminded me of the work of one greater than Abigail interceding for ones worse than Nabal unto one greater than David.

God graciously provides for all peoples the sun, rain, air.  Here in the west we live in a land where we are free to be prosperous (in world standards, we are filthy rich).  God daily provides for us generally living in safety and health because of God's grace toward humanity.  Yet we despise God for his graciousness and claim that his care is unnecessary.  Such is our fallen condition that God blesses us and takes care of us and we curse him for it.  Our just due for such a response is God's judgment on our sin of rejecting his kindness to us.  Because God is just, he will not ignore our injustice.

But in the path of the wrath which we deserve, an intercessor steps in - one greater than innocent Abigail, Jesus himself, who is innocent of all wrongs, steps in as a sinless intercessor.  Jesus stands in the gap and makes sacrifice for us (Isa 59:16).  His sacrifice is not cakes of figs, raisin clusters, wineskins, bread, roast lamb, but rather his own life.  He stands in our place and as Abigail, he said, "On me, let this iniquity be." (1 Sam 25:24)  Jesus on the cross bares our sin. The sacrifice of Jesus is enough to satisfy God's just wrath towards those who despise his kind care.

In Nabal's case, Abigail told him the news of her intercession and Nabal suffered what appears to be a stroke and died, which would seem to indicate anything but a spirit of gratitude for the sacrifice.  In our case, messengers (Christians) go forth to tell others of the great sacrifice made on their behalf.  Those who respond to this gracious news live.  Those who spend their life rejecting it, like Nabal turn to stone (1 Sam 25:37) and the message does not penetrate their stone hearts.

We were all fools at one time (worse than Nabal as he rejected the kindness of David, but we have rejected the kindness of our Creator).  The question is whether we will (like Nabal) continue in our foolishness or whether we will receive the wisdom of Jesus' saving work (1 Cor 1:30) becoming wise to salvation (2 Tim 3:15).  Jesus graciously took the judgment we deserve that we might live the life that he deserves.  Is this fair? No, but that's why we call it grace.