David: God's own heart Chapter 3 Abigail Part 4-6
According to Jewish Midrash texts:
They did not escape the Rabbis, who viewed the nighttime encounter between David and Abigail as an event with adulterous potential. The Rabbis relate that Abigail’s thigh was revealed to David, he lusted after her and he went after her for three parasangs. David said to Abigail: “Heed me [i.e., lie with me]!,” to which she replied: “Do not let this be a cause of stumbling” (v. 31)—this should not be a stumbling block and a cause of transgression for you. David did indeed heed her and overcame his evil inclination. After this he blessed Abigail (v. 33): “and blessed be you yourself for restraining me from seeking redress in blood [damim].”
The Rabbis learn from the plural “damim” that she saved him from two transgressions: from committing bloodshed, and from having relations with her when she was menstrually impure.
Taking out these lines: "three (3) parasangs what does it mean?" A parasang means an ancient Persian unit of distance, equal to about 3.5 miles (5.6 km).
In our culture today we may equate three parasangs to the term called "advancements." David insisted but Abigail resisted so normally and naturally but with great humility, took off her cloak exposed herself. This just also means that Abigail knows that heading to such dealings at night, in secret, will leave her possibility of being violated, her chastity unprotected and exposing herself this way may ruin her status as highly respectable married woman. But she also understood the terror of bloodshed in her household, the men who will commit their deaths will not settle any debts.It will do no good. So if she must, then she will and won't regret.
Judging her so poorly will leave you nothing but this feeling of being "unqualified" woman of your desire. But David having been blinded for a while was suddenly back to his senses, his manly values in front of a poor beauty begging to spare all of her household impressed God even more. The Lord testing David's limits further watched how David gently drifted (3 parasangs) from the steamy scene: A virtous woman in front of a foolish future king-to-be back to its sane mind said: She is indeed!
Part 5. Father's joy
"David is captivated by a married woman and cannot overcome his passion. In this instance Abigail takes a determined stand against him, and thanks to her he is saved from sin. The balance of forces in this midrash is suitable for the Biblical situation, in which David has not yet ascended the throne: he has no possessions, and he flees for his life from Saul, while Abigail is a woman of high standing, established and powerful"
When I read David and Abigail's encounter in the bible, it is so plain that you would not see the time if it was day or night. But Midrash confirms, it wasn't day. Midrash explicitly explains that David was instantly attracted to her at first sight to kill her. But when Abigail speaks these lines that would make her the most sought of all women, surpassingly beautiful among all married wives, she did not come to the future king-to-be empty handed. In the bible if we read it in original Hebrew text would exactly say: 1 Samuel 25:19
"Abigail quickly got together two hundred loaves of bread, two jars of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of parched corn, one hundred cakes of raisin, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs. She loaded them on asses,"
Abigail got jars of wine (these are not cheap and in small jars rather drum-like jars), 200 loaves of bread ( this means Abigail's household is really may have had a sort of bakery outlet on their time), 5 dressed sheeps (this means the sheeps has been prepared fresh ready to cook whenever David want it to be cooked), 5 seahs of parched corn ( seah means a dry measure of a third of a bath of someone with a high status, also speaks of plentiful, and parched means the act of drying the corn kernels in the best of parched earth, the process is said to be "well prepared" symbolizes the fact that God gives us what we need and it is well prepared and best in sight) 100 cakes of raisin ( again Abigail might have really a cake factory for you to produce this quantity instantly on hand, she has a lot of baking tools, handmaids and all resources to produce) and finally 200 cakes of pressed figs (showcased figs in all their seasonal glory with her favourite recipes such as cakes)
.Part 6. Father's joy
The act of Abigail was describe to be "quickly". This means she hasn't had time to make herself presentable but perfectly prepared the food in excellent taste, fit for a future king and his army behind.
Abigail has this old time-tested wisdom of food as the universal language of any men. She did not only took down David's angry moment but also disarmed 400 angry men in the sight of this pitiful beauty on her knees, offering tons of food, drum-like wines, exposed and begging for them to let her household stay alive.
I don't know about you, but for me the love at first kill in the house of Nabal and never a flirt scene as these useless scholars would openly claim. Because David complained and told Abigail he had never done any harm as their servants openly tends its sheeps, nor stole even one of it. David's 400 men with swords and 200 men on their saddle and probably hundreds of camel loaded with baggages. David as stated from the bible came from wilderness and these men haven't have rest or probably were already hungry. David have no time feeling love in front of this 600 men hungry cavalries. It is just kill and steal operation since Nabal is not sharing any of its sources when David humbled his servants to ask for it.
David could have just killed all of Nabal household knowing he is capable of doing it. But what we expected did not happen. Instead David asked... repeat that again "asked". This is what God's heart draws itself to David. It aslo means altho we can steal something good at sight thats never ours, we can still also use the CHANCE OF ASKING to God to provide us what we need in times we really need and do not covet anymore.
In David's case, Abigail is a surprise. Abigail came as a Father's joy, because it is more than what David have asked to Nabal's household. David never wanted the married woman at first hand. He just wants this...
"Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can.’”
And did not send its servant on an idle time, it was told that at Nabal household was on "festive occasion." Therefore it is not so hard to decide when merry and spirits are high but the tightfist heart to blame.
AC
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