Facing Your Giants

Yesterday I browsed thru Max Lucado's books at Borders,
and i was particularly interested in "Facing Your Giants',
I randomly flipped to a page, and i was instantly hooked.

the page that I flipped to, was about Abigail. (I samuel 25)

Now I suppose the two more famous women in David's life would be,
the one that mocked at him when he danced before God's tabernacle,
and the one whose beauty blinded his eyes that he committed his greatest sin.

Abigail is probably not as often quoted.
But Abigail is special. To me, Abigail is the most special one.
I believe Abigail was at least david's second beloved, if not the most beloved wife.

She was extremely wise.
and this is what women sometimes don't realise,
beauty is not the only thing that turn men on.
and absence of wisdom would sometimes turn men off.
unless that man is at geylang. =P

So Abigail is married to Nabal.
Abigail literally means 'the father's joy', and Nabal literally means 'foolish'.
Opposite Attraction huh.

Well we are not sure how this lady, beautiful and wise, ended up with Nabal (the man was very rich though).
As the story goes, David was a fugitive in wilderness then, running away from Saul.
He sent his men to Nabal asking for help.
He only asked for some provision, whatever the amount would be fine.
But not only did Nabal refuse to help, he even insulted david.

So David's pride was hurt and he swore to make Nabal pay with his blood.
He gathered his men and they marched towards Nabal's house.

Abigail was made known of this matter and without delay,
she set off to meet david.
Nabal was happily having his feasting, drunk and merry.
but his wife went alone risking her life to save his life.

the moment she saw david,
she fell at his feet and bow.
not a word of defense came out from her,
she was there to confess Nabal's iniquity and to seek david's mercy.

and this woman was not only wise, she was also of great faith.
david was nobody then but she saw a man of God in david, she saw a great man in the making.

david was captivated.
his eyes were now set on Abigail instead of Nabal.

"And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, Who sent you this day to meet me.
And blessed be your discretion and advice, and blessed be you who have kept me today from bloodguiltiness and from avenging myself with my own hand"
(I Sam 25:32-33 / The message)

it was not her beauty that captivated david, it was her character.
and that action of hers saved Nabal's entire household.

Nabal would later died, punished by God. And david, upon knowing this, and thus Abigail's availability (namanya juga cowo ^^ ),
proposed to Abigail.

Now we could assume that Abigail was then a rich widow. She had every reason not to follow david. david was a wanted man in the country. but she saw great future in david.
so she left everything to follow david.

in the new testament,
there is a somewhat similar story of Abigail.
now.. which story is it?