Acts 6-9

Acts 6-9

A LIVING, GROWING CHURCH

Christ's church is a living church--guided by revelation to meet the changing needs of its members within their cultures and eras.  The history of the use of Seventies through thousands of years is one of the best examples of this.

"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration" (Acts 6:1)

The term "Grecians," alternatively translated as "Hellenists" "probably refers to Jewish Christians from the Diaspora [Jews who had been scattered out from Israel by conquering nations] whose native language was Greek and who spoke little or no Aramaic; Hebrews, by contrast, would be Christians from among those Jews who spoke only or primarily Aramaic.  Conflict could arise from their social and cultural differences and spill over into the daily distribution of food.  In a culture that allowed women little economic independence, widows, especially those of immigrants, would be among the most disadvantaged portion of the population" (Harper-Collins Study Bible).

"The division between Greek-speaking and Hebrew-speaking (or culturally Greek and culturally Hebrew) Jews dates from the conquest of Israel by Alexander the Great in 323 B.C.  He and his successors introduced the Greek language and Greek culture into the lands they ruled.  While Hellenistic (Greek) influence produced such [good] fruits as the Septuagint, Philo of Alexandria and Josephus, 'Hebraists' considered the 'Hellenists' to have developed an adulterated Judaism which had assimilated elements of the pagan cultures around them--although the Judaism of the Hebrew-speakers had not avoided these influences either" (David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 239).

The solution to the problem was to call "seven men of honest report" (Acts 6:3) to see to the physical and spiritual needs of the people.  They distributed food, and they performed missionary labors.  "All of the seven have Greek names, consistent with their identification with the Hellenists" (Harper-Collins).  All seven were Greek-speakers and could therefore communicate both in language and culture with the Greek widows.  Their modern-day counterparts would probably be the Presidents of the Seventy.

The number, organization, responsibilities, and purposes of the Seventies has been one of the most dynamic of church positions--meaning it has been in a state of change almost constantly.  They have been called when needed, where needed, and for what was needed at the time, including in these latter days.

"The seventy were first mentioned by the Prophet Joseph Smith one Sunday afternoon to Brigham and Joseph Young, whose voices raised together in song were pleasing to the Prophet. He listened to them for a while, then told Brigham to call a meeting of the Church for the following Saturday when he would organize the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and said he: 'Brigham, you are to be one of them.' Turning to Joseph Young, he said: 'And you are to be a president of the seventy.'

"At that time, no one had any idea of what a seventy was or how an organization of them was to be effected. They knew only the references in the Bible where the Lord sent out 'other seventy' who had returned rejoicing (see Luke 10:1–17), and where an organization of seventy men was organized under Moses (see Ex. 24:1, 9; Num. 11:16). It was indeed a startling thing for them to learn that there were to be seventy men with a missionary calling, that their presidents should be seven in number. They were to assist the Twelve in preaching the gospel and in regulating the Church in all the world. (See D&C 107:25, 34.)

"On February 28, 1835, seven presidents were chosen to preside over the quorum. In order of their choosing, they were: Hazen Aldrich, Joseph Young, Levi Ward Hancock, Leonard Rich, Zebedee Coltrin, Lyman Royal Sherman, and Sylvester Smith....

"The Prophet also organized 2 1/2 more quorums of seventy, making a total of 3 1/2 quorums. They were presided over by the presidents of the First Quorum....

"The seventy were known as seekers of knowledge as well as preachers of the gospel. One reading the diaries of these men realizes that they took seriously the office of seventy. Their missionary labors were phenomenal...

"During the period of exodus from Nauvoo, the seventies quorum was left in charge of and supervised temple ceremonies. Joseph Young, the senior president, supervised this work and presided in the temple.

"In research from Nauvoo’s seventies’ records, Brother William G. Hartley, assistant Church historian, notes that: 'more than one-third of the Mormon Battalion consisted of seventies drawn from more than thirty separate quorums. They reformed into one ‘mass’ quorum in Los Angeles on April 18, 1847, electing their own seven presidents under the direction of Levi W. Hancock...'

"About one-half of the men in the pioneering company which led out in 1847 were seventies. One would expect the seventies to lead out, for they were mostly young men in their late twenties and early thirties when they were ordained in 1845...

"Of the 2,200 seventies ordained between 1835 and 1855, between one-third and one-half were foreign born, England alone providing no less than 500."  (S. Dilworth Young, "The Seventies: A Historical Perspective," Ensign, July 1976)



GREAT EXAMPLES FROM THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH

JOYOUSLY SEEKING AND SHARING THE GOSPEL: Philip and the Ethiopian

The preaching of the gospel followed the order which Christ had laid out in Acts 1.  The gospel was first preached in Jerusalem at Pentacost to the pilgrims who had come for the festival.  They then took it home with them to the neighboring areas.  After preaching the gospel in Jerusalem, the disciples carried it to her "black-sheep sibling" Samaria (Acts 8) where it was well-received and many joined the Saints.

And then one investigator appeared from quite far out of the range of the missionary labors so far:

"And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip [one of the seven], saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.  And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias (Isaiah) the prophet" (Acts 8:26-28).

"The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, who is from a region vastly removed from Jerusalem, signals the fulfillment of the promise to all those who are 'far away' (Acts 2:39)...Ethiopian, in Luke's world, referred to anyone with dark skin, particularly to persons from territories south of Egypt.  Various ancient writers depict Ethiopians as handsome people who come from the ends of the known world.  As a eunuch, he could not be a Jew or a proselyte to Judaism, and thus his conversion foreshadows that of Cornelius, which formally opens the Christian mission to Gentiles.  Candace is the title traditionally given to the Queen of Meroe (a Nubian realm along the upper Nile), making the eunuch's position one of considerable power.  That he has been to Jerusalem to worship indicates his interest in Israel's religion, as does his reading of Isaiah.  Gentiles could worship in the temple enclosure, although they were restricted to the outer court.  Reading was a customary activity during travel; here it sets the stage for Philip's approach.  The prompting of the Spirit suggests that God stands behind this overture.  The passage quoted is Isa. 53:7-8" (Harper-Collins).

"Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?  And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?  And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him" (Acts 8:29-31).

Of course, most of us have the same reaction when we read Isaiah!  But the Ethiopian's comment was a true reflection of the use of the scripture in his day. "No ancient sacred books were intended to be read without a teacher: hence the Ethiopian comment in the Acts says to St. Philip 'How can I understand unless someone tells me?'" (C.S. Lewis, The C.S. Lewis Bible, p. 1238).  Not being a Jew, he had no synagogue to study with.

So the man read to Philip the verses that concerned him at the moment, which were prophesies about Christ.  "Then Philip opened his mouth" (a most important step in missionary work) "and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.  And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.  And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:35-39).  It may be that Philip immediately vanished from the man's sight and was transported to his next area of labor (keep in mind that they were traveling in the chariot all the time that Philip was teaching him, and may have gotten quite a ways away), or it may be Luke's way of saying that the Spirit prompted Philip to go preach in another area, and the eunuch was left on his own to continue to learn and grow as a new convert.

"Later church tradition holds that the eunuch became the first Christian missionary to Africa" (Harper-Collins).

CHANGING DIRECTION: Saul of Tarsus and Ananias of Damascus

Saul was a young leader of the Jewish church, with orders from the Sanhedrin to persecute those "defecting" to Christianity.  He carried out his duties faithfully, sincerely, and violently--an early example of the fulfilling of the prophecy to the disciples that "the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service" (John 16:2).

"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem, and as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:1-5).

"Pricks" is alternatively translated as "goads."  This phrase, "It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks," was a proverb used by both Greek and Latin writers.  (For my reference, click here.)  It basically refered to a pointy stick that was used to prod work animals to move in a certain direction.  If they kicked against it, it only inflicted more pain upon them.  The proverb was a tool for teaching not to resist powerful authority.

Saul's next question reveals his marvelous heart:  "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" (Acts 9:6).  He was told that he must go to Damascus with the exact opposite aim from what he had planned--rather than persecute the Saints, he was to join them.  Rather than bind Ananias (and others) and send him to Jerusalem, he was to submit to him and receive healing in the name of Christ from the blindness that had struck him when discovering he was serving the wrong master.

At the same time, "There was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias, and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias.  And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord" (Acts 9:10).  Ananias' answer was a statement very similar to Saul's.  "I am here" meant "I am ready to serve; what would you have me do?"  He also was told to do the exact opposite from what he had planned--rather than hiding from the infamous Saul, he was to seek him out, heal him, baptize him, and give him the Gift of the Holy Ghost

Saul became one of the greatest missionaries ever, and his epistles continue to preach the gospel 2,000 years after he wrote them, to peoples on every continent, even places of which he'd never heard in his lifetime.  But even though he made a 180-degree paradigm and allegiance shift on the spot, he still had much to learn before he became that great missionary.  He stayed and learned from the disciples in Damascus, and then "straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God" (Acts 9:19-20).

"[An] aspect that many readers seem to miss is concerned with Paul’s preparation to represent the Lord. There is a nine-to-ten-year period from Paul’s conversion until the time of his so-called first missionary journey. Obviously, it was as necessary for Paul to mature and season in the gospel, grow and develop, as it is for the rest of us. Even so, considering the fervent zeal of this famous convert, we can assume that Saul was very involved in missionary efforts from the time of his conversion, wherever he was. But the first detailed reference to a mission is in Acts 13, when he is called to accompany Barnabas to Cyprus and some Asia Minor cities. For the first part of the journey, Luke implies that Barnabas is the leader, and Saul continues to use his Jewish name. However, when the missionary company meets the Roman proconsul Sergius Paulus, Saul seems to take the lead in preaching to him and in pronouncing a curse of blindness upon the interfering Jewish magician, Elymas. Including the incident with Paulus, several events signal a change in leadership. Paul was a Roman citizen; the missionaries were entering a predominantly gentile phase of their journey; and John Mark returned to Jerusalem (he may not yet have been prepared to proselyte among the gentile nations). Paul may simply have been the one best equipped to lead the group during that phase of their travels. From this time onward, Luke never refers to Saul by his Jewish name, but instead calls him Paul (probably his Roman cognomen) and refers to the group as “Paul and his company.” (Acts 13:13.)  (C. Wilfred Griggs, "Paul: The Long Road from Damascus," Ensign, Sept. 1975).

One more oft-overlooked lesson to learn from Saul--and one which many of us struggle to learn--is forgiveness of oneself.  How could Saul have succeeded in doing the Lord's work if he had continued to be wracked in guilt?  We all will spend some time suffering in one hell or another, as did Saul and his Book of Mormon counterpart, Alma the Younger, for our sins, weaknesses, and mistakes.  It is necessary.  We learn from the experience how to avoid misery in the future, and how to help others avoid it, and how to help them be freed from it when it comes.  But while suffering the misery of remorse, we are severely limited in our ability to bless others.  Although it is temporarily necessary, it is a self-centered existence--centered in our suffering.  Once we have passed through "our Gethsemane," we must allow Christ to free us by forgiving ourselves completely (while still remembering the lesson learned), so we can focus on freeing others.

GIVING EVERYTHING: Stephen and Tabitha

We are quite familiar with the story of the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7).  He was the first of the Seven to be chosen, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 6:5).  His performance of "great wonders and miracles among the people" (Acts 6:8) led to his persecution, trial, and death by stoning at the hands of Jews, an act which was illegal under Roman rule, just as was the trial, conviction and execution of Christ.  (See a previous post.)  He did not desist in teaching the gospel, even at threat of death.  He saw a vision of the Father and the Son.  As Jesus Christ called upon his Father as he died, so Stephen "[called] upon God, [saying] Lord Jesus receive my spirit.  And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge" (Acts 7:59-60).  He was truly a disciple of Christ who gave all.

Another great example of a disciple of Christ (the only instance in the New Testament in which the feminine form of the word "disciple" is used, according to Harper-Collins) is found in the story of Tabitha.  Tabitha "was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.  And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber" (Acts 9:35-37).  They sent for Peter, who went into the room, "and all the widows stood by him weeping, and [showing] the coats and garments which [Tabitha] made while she was with them."  Tabitha had given her life in service to others.  But unlike Stephen, her work was not finished and she was allowed to return to continue her discipleship.  "Peter put them all [out of the room] and kneeled down, and prayed: and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise.  And she opened her eyes; and when she saw Peter, she sat up.  And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.  And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord" (Acts 9:40-42).  By raising the dead just as Christ had done, Peter showed the people that he had the power of God.

Stephen's testimony resulted in his death as a martyr; Tabitha's testimony resulted in being raised from the dead.  Stephen served in a public way, as the first "President of the Seventy," working miracles and wonders.  Tabitha served in a homely way, working with her hands to clothe the needy. 

Each of us, likewise, has our own mission to perform, our own ways in which we can best exemplify Christ.  It may be a miraculously extended life.  It may be an early death.  It may be in travels and leadership and public speaking.  It may be in staying home and filling the needs among our neighbors.  It may be in calling down the powers of Heaven through Priesthood blessings.  It may be in nurturing children.  It may be in changing our perspective, lifestyle and friends completely.  It may be in keeping perspective, and serving lifelong friends.  If we live "full of faith and the Holy Ghost" as did Stephen; and "full of good works and almsdeeds" as did Tabitha; if we ask, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" as did Saul and Ananias, and if we follow the direction of the Spirit as did Philip, no matter how our lives turn out, we will have filled our missions as disciples of Christ.

Old Testament Lesson #24 "Create in Me a Clean Heart"

2 Samuel 11-12; Psalm 51

David was the greatest king that Israel ever had, for several reasons:  "1) he united the tribes into one nation, 2) he secured undisputed possession of the country, and 3) the whole government rested upon a religious basis, and the will of God was the law of Israel" (Bible Dictionary, p. 654).  The experiences he had in his earlier life prepared him well to be a great king.  "As shepherd he acquired the habit of deep reflections; as courtier he was trained in self-control and chivalrous generosity; as outlaw he acquired knowledge of men and power of government; while each successive phase of experience developed that conscious dependence upon God which was the secret of his strength throughout his life" (ibid., p. 653).

Despite all of the valor, testimony, loyalty, intelligence, kindness, and generosity of spirit he demonstrated throughout his life, he abandoned all of these qualities in an instant when he saw Bathsheba.  What led to this cataclysmic error? 

David, who could look the mighty Goliath in the eye, claim victory in the name of the Lord, and slay him with a dramatically inferior weapon, allowed himself to become blind to the dangers of the little things.

Neglecting duty
"And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab [the general of his army], and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and beseiged Rabbah.  But David tarried still at Jerusalem" (2 Sam. 11:1).  At the time when he, the king, should have gone forth to battle, David sent.  He neglected his duty, left it to the care of others.  He tarried still at Jerusalem, the comfortable place, the safe place, the wrong place for a king at time of battle.

Looking
"And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon" (2 Sam. 11:2).  The sun was setting, it was fairly dark, yet David took the effort to look closer at the bathing figure.  He lingered.

Wanting
"And David sent and enquired after the woman" (2 Sam. 11:3).  David started thinking about what he had seen.  Of course, polygamy was practiced then, so he might have sought her as another wife.  But he wasn't just interested in dating, in finding out her virtues, in getting to know her personality.  It was only her body that he had seen, and it was only her body that he therefore could have had an interest in.  On top of that, when he was told she was already the wife of Uriah, he should have closed the book. David, however, allowed himself to continue to want.

Acting upon lusts
"And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her...and she returned unto her house" (2 Sam. 11:4).  David had no possibility of being honorably married to Bathsheba, and perhaps he didn't care to be.  He used her to satisfy his lusts in a "one-night stand," and then returned her to her home.  Why is Bathsheba never condemned by the Bible authors?  David was the king.  She was helpless to do anything but what he commanded, likely at peril of her life.

Attempting to cover sin
"And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child" (1 Sam. 11:5).  The little parenthetical statement in the previous verse, "for she was purified from her uncleanness," tells us that the bathing David had watched was the monthly ritual to cleanse herself after menses.  Therefore, it also tells us that, with Uriah off to war, the time of the conception of the child was absolutely clear, and there was only one possibility for paternal claim: David.

David tried all kinds of tactics to get Uriah to come in to be with his wife and give the appearance of being the child's father, but Uriah was such a faithful servant, always in the right place at the right time, he would not relent and neglect his duty as did David.  Ironically, in desperation, David did to Uriah exactly what his father-in-law Saul had tried to do to him. Saul had promised David his daughter to wife if David would kill 100 Philistines, expecting that the Philistines would kill David (1 Sam. 18:17-21; 25-27).  David, then, took Uriah's life by arranging for his death in battle.  Other soldiers were killed with Uriah in the wreckless maneuver (2 Sam. 11:17).  After the death of Uriah, he married Bathsheba, which act would have appeared to the Israelites to have been noble on David's part: the benevolent king taking his noble servant's widow under his sheltering care, a great cover-up.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF COVER-UPS

A new family bought a house on our street several years ago.  It was a 25-year-old home with pretty rooms, a lovely open kitchen, and nice landscaping.  It had been freshly painted inside, and everything looked like new.  Our new friends were pleased with their home, but after several months, they noticed mildew growing on a bathroom wall in the basement.  The problem got worse as time went on, and the wall fairly oozed of mold.  Finally, they called a repairman who cut a hole in the wall and found a broken pipe, wrapped in layers of damp, mildewed rags, and mold spreading all around it!  Before selling the home, the previous owner had hastily wrapped up the pipe, covered the wall with new sheetrock, and given it a fresh coat of paint, rather than pay a plumber!  In the end, the cost of repairing the pipe was minimal compared to the cost of removing the mold and mildew, rebuilding the wall, and repainting.

Who would do something this crazy?  But, of course, this is just what David did after his affair with Bathsheba, covering up adultery with lies, trickery, and finally premeditated murder.  Covering one problem led to another greater problem, and evil began to ooze from the festering wound of the original sin.

The prophet Nathan let David know, through a parable, that the Lord saw his crimes and condemned them, and that they had caused others to sin (2 Sam. 12:1-14). To his credit, David admitted his sin baldly, but there is no mention of repentance at that time. The JST footnote for 2 Samuel 12:13 changes Nathan's reply to say that David was not forgiven. Nathan prophesied grave consequences to David: first, that evil would arise in a person in his own family (2 Sam. 12:11) who would commit adultery with David's wives, not in secret, but in plain sight of all of Israel. This was fulfilled by his son Absalom (2 Sam. 16:22). The second consequence was that the child of the illegitimate union would die (2 Sam. 12:14), which it did, a sign in their culture of God's condemnation of its parents.

Elder Richard G. Scott said to those who cover up their sins, "Do not take comfort in the fact that your transgressions are not known by others...Excusing transgression with a cover-up may appear to fix the problem, but it does not.  The tempter is intent on making public your most embarrassing acts at the most harmful time.  Lies weave a pattern that is ever more confining and becomes a trap that Satan will spring to your detriment"  (April 1995 General Conference).

"David committed a dreadful crime [to cover up his sin of adultery], and all his life afterwards sought for forgiveness.  Some of the Psalms portray the anguish of his soul; yet David is still paying for his sin.  He did not receive the resurrection at the time of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Peter declared that his body was still in the tomb, and the Prophet Joseph Smith has said, 'David sought repentance at the hand of God carefully with tears, for the murder of Uriah; but he could only get it through hell: he got a promise that his soul should not be left in hell.' Again we ask: Who wishes to spend a term in hell with the devil before being cleansed from sin?" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:74)

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, "Murderers are forgiven eventually but only in the sense that all sins are forgiven except the sin against the Holy Ghost; they are not forgiven in the sense that celestial salvation is made available to them (Matt. 12:31-34).  After they have paid the full penalty for their crime, they shall go on to a telestial inheritance" (Rev. 22:15).  (Mormon Doctrine, p. 520)

Had David repented of the first sin, the consequences would not have been nearly as severe, and he could have eventually been restored to a state of happiness. "Repentance always means that there is greater happiness ahead" (Neil L. Anderson, October 2009 General Conference). Instead, sorrow fell upon sorrow as David attempted to cover up his sin with yet greater sins, until the Lord stated "he hath fallen from his exaltation" and lost the privilege to have his wives and family in the next life (D&C 132:39).


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For more discussion on David see "Points to Ponder" in the chapter on "The Fall of King David" in the Old Testament Institute Manual.

Old Testament Lesson #23 "The Lord Be Between Thee and Me For Ever"

1 Samuel 18-20; 23-24 (and 25)

HOLY AND UNHOLY RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS

This reading assignment focuses on the opposite relationships between Saul and David, and between Saul's son Jonathon and David. Saul was an example of a persistent enemy and Jonathon was an example of an enduring friend.  Although Saul's relationship with David was unholy, David's relationship with Saul was always holy.  David never returned evil to Saul, but was ever forgiving (while still wisely protecting his own safety), leaving judgment of his old friend Saul completely in the hands of the Lord.  Very likely, Saul was seriously mentally ill with some form of paranoia and David, as well as many of Saul's servants, realized he was not himself, but a victim of our fallen existence.  (See 1 Sam. 16:17 JST, and 22:17.)

This saga teaches many important lessons about how we treat and view others.  Unfortunately, the reading assignment does not include Chapter 25 which tells the marvelous story of Abigail and David.  This is one of the greatest relationships in the Old Testament, because it is a type of our possible relationship with our Redeemer, a beautiful explanation of how Christ can heal us from the damage that others have done to us, if we will but forgive.  It would be very worthwhile to supplement this lesson with an explanation of the Atonement as found in the story of Abigail and David. 

ABIGAIL AND DAVID

As the story begins, David and his men had been pursued relentlessly by Saul and his army.  David found himself in the remarkable situation where he could easily kill his would-be murderer, but he left justice to the Lord and let Saul live.  After revealing himself to Saul, he said, "The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee...Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked," and David chose not to be wicked (1 Sam 24:12-13). 

Saul repented (verse 17), acknowledged David's greatness, and begged David not to kill Saul's descendants when David became king, as some kings would have done to prevent uprisings.  David promised and forgave, but he was smart enough to return to his hiding place in the wilderness.  (We are required to forgive everyone, but we are not required to trust those who have not proven trustworthy.)

THE OFFENSE AGAINST DAVID

So at the time that David was hiding out with his men in the wilderness, in fairly dire straits and wanting for provisions, "There was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the [man's possessions were] very great...Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings" (1 Sam. 25:2-3).

The Hebrews attached great importance to names.  They didn't pick a name, as we sometimes do, just because they liked the sound of it, or the look of it; they didn't make up names just to be different, or conversely, to go with fashion.  They chose a name for its meaning, and often a person's name was actually changed at some point to reflect his state in life.  Naomi, for example, said to her kinsfolk, "Call me not Naomi [which means "pleasant"], call me Mara [which means "very sad"] for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" (Ruth 1:20, with footnotes).

Similarly, the names of the subjects of this story are significant.  Nabal's name means "fool" and David's name means "beloved."  Abigail's name, although it is a female name, means "Father of rejoicing" (Bible Dictionary).  Perhaps the word "Father" refers to "origin" or "Creator," so that her name might mean something like "reasons to rejoice originate with or are created by this person."  Knowing that Abigail is a type of Christ makes this name significant.

So the characters in this story are:

• one person who is foolish,
• one person who is able to feel love, and
• one person who has the power to create joy.

David and his soldiers were in the same area as Nabal's shepherds (25:7), but contrary to the nature of soldiers to pillage and take what they like, David's men actually befriended the shepherds and protected their sheep from danger, and then sent messengers to ask Nabal very nicely (25:8) if he would give provisions to the hungry army.

Nabal sent a message back, denying David any help, justifying himself by saying that very likely David was just a runaway slave; this despite the fact that David was leading an army of six hundred men (25:10-11) and seemed to have been very well-known as King Saul's worthy adversary and potential successor.  (See 25:30-31.)  Truly Nabal was a fool.

DAVID'S RESPONSE

David's reaction to this affront was immediate and natural:  "Gird ye on every man his sword."  He left 200 men guarding the hold, and rode to annihilate the clan of the selfish Nabal and take his provisions, since he wouldn't share them with those who had voluntarily acted as his allies (25:13).  David's intention was to kill every last one of Nabal's men (25:22), since Nabal had returned evil for David's good.  (This attitude provides further evidence that David may have felt Saul was mentally ill, since he never expressed this type of vengeance toward Saul.)

Fortunately, one of the shepherd-messengers told the situation to Nabal's wise wife, Abigail, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to [greet] our master; and [Nabal swooped upon them as a bird attacking]" (25:14 with footnotes).  Further, he reported that David did nothing to deserve this kind of reception, but that, to the contrary, he had been a great blessing to the shepherds of Nabal.  "We were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields: They were a wall [or protection] unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.  Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial [wicked or stupid man], that a man cannot speak to him [reason with him]" (25:15-17).

ABIGAIL'S ATONEMENT

Abigail was a quick-thinking woman who immediately perceived what to do.  She could see that David had been greatly wronged, and that he and his men really did deserve the provisions that Nabal had denied them.  She quickly assembled a huge compensatory gift:  200 loaves, 2 bottles of wine, 5 sheep already butchered, 5 measures of grain, 100 bunches of raisins, and 200 cakes of figs.  She loaded the gifts upon donkeys and sent them ahead of her with her servants (25:18-19).  This was all done without the help or knowledge of her husband, the idiot (25:20).

When Abigail met up with David, "she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.  Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send" (25:24-25). Abigail fully agreed that her husband had sinned against David, and she also explained the reason:  Nabal was unintelligent, a fool, he lacked understanding. So Abigail compensated David for the actions of Nabal, and she begged him to spare Nabal for her sake, since she had been completely innocent of any wrongdoing (she "saw not the young men," the messengers).

But she claimed the sin upon herself ("Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be...I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid") after which she asked for many blessings to be upon David in repayment for his forgiveness (25:24,28-30).  Then she gave these very insightful reasons for him to forgive, addressing David as "my lord:"  "That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself."  In other words, she reminded David that vengeance would bring injury to himself.  It would bring sorrow to him.  It would offend his heart.  And he would be shedding blood for no cause, since she had provided everything that David needed. 

David recognized her words to be true.  In fact, she had included the very reason that he had decided previously not to kill Saul, even though he had both the power to do it, and the justification--he didn't want to suffer the consequences of the wickedness of vengeance.

David thanked Abigail for preventing him from committing the greater sin of violence against Nabal. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me: and blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with mine own hand" (25:32-33).

THE CONSEQUENCES FOR EACH

When Abigail returned home, her foolish husband was partying, drunken, reveling in his perceived cleverness at besting the mighty warrior David (25:36).  She let him sleep it off.  In the morning, when she told him David's reaction to his refusal to help, and how she had saved the entire household herself, he suffered a massive heart attack, fell into a coma, and died 10 days later (25:37-38).

When David heard of the natural death of Nabal, he credited the Lord for meting out justice, and returned to marry Abigail himself (25:39).  (David's first wife, Michal, who was the daughter of Saul, had been taken from him by Saul and given to another man [25:44].)

THE POWER OF THE ATONEMENT TO REPLACE SUFFERING WITH JOY

If we retell this story, placing ourselves in it, we can understand a little more about the Atonement, forgiveness, and their combined power to replace our pain with joy.  We can consider ourselves to be the Beloved, who has not deserved the wrong done to him by the Fool, and who has been abused, neglected, disrespected, unappreciated, slandered.  The Fool may not consider himself in the wrong, and may not ask for our forgiveness, yet the Creator of Joy (Christ) meets us on our way to angry retaliation, fully acknowledges the wrong of the Fool, and then, incredibly, takes responsibility for it!  He asks us to forgive Him for the Fool's actions, and offers us perfectly compensatory gifts to remove our suffering.  The Creator is always aware that a lack of knowledge and understanding is the reason for the Fool's sin, and will help us to see that as well, if we will listen to Him.

If we accept His offer and forgive the offense, we are freed from the desire to mete out vengeance and the ill consequences that such a sin would effect upon us.  All of our needs will be met by the gifts He brings, including those that were taken from us by the offense.  The anger will be removed from our hearts, and we will be able to feel the love of the Creator, and truly be the Beloved. We can then be united in purpose and perspective with the Creator, as if by a marriage, and enjoy the ensuing love, never needing to concern ourselves again with the wrong that was done.  All of the negative consequences will go to the Fool, if he never seeks repentance, and none of them will descend upon us.  We will be truly free.

(The basic idea for this scriptural interpretation comes from James Ferrell, The Peacegiver.)

FORGIVING CHRIST

James Ferrell writes, "Although the Lord doesn't actually ask us to forgive him, the effect of the atonement is such that it's as if that is what he is asking. 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these,' the Savior taught, 'ye have done it unto me.' When we withhold forgiveness from others, we are in effect saying that the atonement alone was insufficient to pay for this sin.  We are holding out for more.  We are finding fault with the Lord's offering.  We are, in essence, demanding that the Lord repent of an insufficient atonement.  So if we fail to forgive another, it is as if we are failing to forgive the Lord, who...needs no forgiveness" (Ferrell, chapter 4).

Christ has already taken our offenders' sins upon Him, through the Atonement.  Our forgiveness can add nothing to the infinite Atonement, which they will receive if they repent.  If they do not repent, vengeance is the Lord's.  Their repentance is irrelevant to our forgiveness of them.  Our forgiveness of our enemies benefits us!  It frees us and brings us peace.

"Remember that if we grant this forgiveness in full, [Christ] atones in full for [our] pains and burdens that have come at others' hands.  He blesses us with his own love, his own appreciation, his own companionship, his own strength to endure.  And if we have these, what do we lack?"  (Ferrell, chapter 7) 

When our relationships with others are holy, as were David's, we are able to also have a holy relationship with our Redeemer, receive the blessings of the Atonement in our daily lives regardless of what others do to us, and experience repeatedly a return to joy and love after pain.  "The Lord be between thee and me for ever" (1 Sam. 20:23,42).