1 Samuel 25: Abigail

I remember when our children were little. I longed for an older woman to come alongside to encourage and counsel me. But we were a young church full of young families. (Now I, and a whole bunch more of us, are the older women.) In the absence of women that I could actually sit down and chat with over a cup of tea, I made my tea and sat down with books — books by godly older women like Edith Schaeffer and Elisabeth Elliot, books like The Hidden Art of Homemaking, Discipline: The Glad Surrender, The Shaping of a Christian Family, Let Me Be a Woman, and What Is a Family? The godly wisdom and creativity of these two women profoundly shaped my life as a wife and mother.

I also read biographies of women like Susannah Wesley (and named our last daughter after her), Corrie Ten Boom, and Gladys Aylward. I vicariously walked through life with these women, watching them struggle, watching them trust, watching them lay down their lives for others.

Last, but certainly not least, I studied women in the Bible. What a gathering of amazing, godly-but-still-human women we can follow after in the pages of Scripture! Sarah, Mary the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, Hannah, Ruth, Deborah, Mary and Martha, Jael, Esther, Rachel, Abigail, and many others set powerful examples for us to imitate.

Paul, in Romans 15:4, tells us, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” 

In the lives of godly men and women, and in the historical accounts of the Bible, we can find instruction, encouragement, and hope. God was faithful then; He is still faithful now. God has used weak and imperfect people to accomplish His purposes before; He will still make his power perfect even in my weakness. That encourages and comforts me.

Could you use some encouragement? Do you have days (weeks? months?) when you feel too weak, too discouraged, too scared, or just too tired to be used by God?

I hope you’ll join me for this encouraging Bible study! As we study 1 Samuel 25, we’re going to take a close look at David, strong against the temptation to strike out against Saul who was seeking to kill him, but angry and vengeful when insulted by a rude and wealthy rancher. We’re going to watch Abigail, married to Nabal-the-rancher, in action as she faces the impending destruction of her entire household at the hand of Israel’s future king. We’re going to see God use her in ways she never could have anticipated!

Lessons by Email (Enrolled Members)

Bonus Resources (Enrolled Members)

Course Information

Estimated Time: 30 days

Difficulty: Level 4

Categories: Old Testament

Course Instructor

Pam Forster Author