Participants: Pr. Doug Batchelor
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021710A
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00:15 Today I think is a remarkable opportunity
00:18 to look at some of the types of Christs 00:21 that you see in the Bible 00:22 represented in the life of David 00:25 and the messages dealing with Nabal and Abigail. 00:31 Nabal and Abigail. 00:33 And there are some wonderful things 00:35 that we can learn here about the Lord. 00:39 So if you go with me to 1 Samuel 25, 00:44 it says, "Samuel died, 00:46 and the Israelites gathered together and lamented him, 00:49 and buried him in his home at Ramah. 00:52 And David arose, 00:53 and went down to the wilderness of Paran." 00:56 Well, just in case you're wondering 00:57 who wrote the first Book of Samuel, 01:01 it probably wasn't Samuel 01:02 because it just said Samuel died. 01:05 Did you catch that? 01:08 So he didn't write the first, 01:10 he didn't necessarily write the whole part of the book. 01:13 It's believed that at least the last half 01:17 and 2 Samuel were probably written 01:19 by Nathan, the Prophet, and we'll discover that 01:22 as we get further along in our study of David. 01:25 But how long was Samuel serving the Lord, 01:29 you know, he may have lived to 90 years of age, 01:33 faithful, prophet, a priest, the last of the judges. 01:39 He is the one who transitioned 01:40 from a people led by the judges, 01:43 they rejected the Lord 01:44 and said we want a king like the other nations, 01:47 and now the monarchies began 01:48 and Samuel lived through that whole transition. 01:50 Samuel was the one, everyone said 01:53 they knew the Word of God was in his mouth. 01:55 He was the one that was somewhat holding Saul 01:58 in check 02:01 and now with Samuel gone, 02:02 David thought the restraining influence 02:05 of that great prophet out of the way, 02:08 Saul is not going to hold back trying to hunt me down. 02:10 And David has already 02:12 had a couple of opportunities to kill him, 02:14 so he thought I better get out of town, 02:17 and so David goes a little further south, 02:19 and I think we got a map that we'll put up on the screen. 02:22 So if you go north, you can see, 02:24 remember David was in the Cave of Adullam, 02:27 and now he is getting further and further south. 02:29 This is still in the territory of Judea. 02:33 The Philistines would be now closer to the ocean 02:36 from where they are. 02:37 We are going down to a region called Carmel 02:40 and there's two Carmels in the Bible, 02:44 but if you go further south, 02:46 you're getting into the region of the Ishmaelites, 02:49 better known today as the Arabs. 02:51 And you'll remember in the Book of Judges, 02:53 that Gideon had a lot of problems 02:55 with the people of the east, 02:57 and so I wanted you to get a picture of that 02:59 because they used to raid this territory. 03:01 David is there with his men, he's got about 600 men now, 03:05 and he is trying to get further deep, 03:07 as far as he could go into the land of Judea, 03:10 away from the area of Benjamin where Saul was king. 03:15 The land of Israel back then was not like 03:17 the land of Israel today. 03:19 Today, you know, it's largely a desert, 03:22 it's a land of rocks but back in the time of David, 03:26 doesn't the Bible say, 03:27 it was a land flowing with milk and honey? 03:30 It was a beautiful place. 03:31 The climate has actually changed. 03:34 Keep in mind that if you go to North Africa, 03:37 you can find places in the Sahara Desert 03:40 where they've got rhino bones 03:42 and giraffe bones and petroglyphs 03:45 that were drawn of the people 03:47 that once lived there of savannah 03:49 and the lakes and now it's just sand, 03:52 so the climates in the last few thousand years have changed, 03:56 and it is actually true 03:58 that when you cut down the trees in great numbers, 04:02 it doesn't draw as much moisture in 04:05 off the ocean 04:07 and that can actually change the climate, 04:08 and the storms, and the rainfall. 04:10 There was a king, he was actually a sultan 04:16 that had charged over the land of Israel 04:19 and he taxed the people in Israel 04:21 based on how many trees they had on their land. 04:24 Now if you're going to pay tax on your trees, 04:27 what do you do to your trees to lower your taxes? 04:31 It was a really bad policy, because for about 80 years 04:36 everybody just cut down their trees 04:39 and it kind of deforested the land of Israel. 04:41 Now when the Romans conquered the land of Israel 04:44 back in about 70 AD, you know what the Roman pattern was? 04:47 They would scatter salt on the land 04:50 to keep things from growing, 04:53 and so when the Jews rebelled, 04:55 they brought vast amounts of salt, 04:56 all the fertile fields, 04:58 they had sowed them with salt and that was like a scorch 05:01 and burn policy to keep them from taking care of themselves. 05:04 So the land today is a little different 05:06 than the land was back in David's time. 05:08 This was a beautiful pasture land. 05:11 The name Carmel means fruitful place or park. 05:15 Now this is the different Carmel 05:18 when Elijah has a showdown 05:20 with the Prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, 05:23 that's way up north. 05:25 This is a Carmel that is mentioned by Joshua 05:28 in the land of the territory of Judea. 05:30 You read in Joshua 15, I think it's like verse 55, 05:34 you'll see where 05:35 he is itemizing the different cities and towns 05:37 that would belong to the tribal Judea 05:40 in the south, Carmel is mentioned. 05:41 It's down in that region. 05:43 I just didn't want you to get it mixed up with north 05:46 where Elijah was. 05:47 And so he goes down there and he is in that mountain, 05:50 and they're trying to just live off the land 05:53 and the goodness of others but it's really tough 05:56 when you are responsible to feed 600 men a day. 06:03 That's a big job. 06:04 And these are men that, 06:06 you know, it says they were in distress 06:07 and they were in debt, and they were unhappy 06:09 and they had run away 06:11 and so it's an interesting bunch. 06:13 So David's got that fulltime job. 06:15 Now, so with that background, 06:17 listen to what happens here in the story. 06:19 So David goes south to the land 06:21 of the wilderness of Paran 06:24 and there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. 06:28 They're right beside each side. 06:29 Carmel is more of the fields, 06:31 Maon was like the town and the man was very rich. 06:36 He had 3,000 sheep 06:38 and a 1,000 goats, sounds like Abraham 06:42 and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. 06:44 That usually happened in June, when it starts to dry out 06:48 and the sheep are getting hot from too much wool. 06:50 Now, the Romans used to pluck the wool from the sheep, 06:52 but the Jews would actually shear it 06:54 and it was also a time where they would slaughter 06:57 and it was a feast and there were sacrifices. 07:01 And the man's name was Nabal 07:04 and the name of his wife was Abigail. 07:06 This is unusual because they almost never mention 07:08 the name of the wife 07:09 unless she factors into the story somehow. 07:13 She was a woman of good understanding 07:16 and a beautiful appearance, 07:19 but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. 07:23 Ever heard opposites attract? 07:27 He was of the house of Caleb, so he had a good lineage. 07:30 Caleb was a great man. 07:32 The word Caleb means bold, but the word Nabal means fool. 07:38 Abigail means praise of the Father. 07:41 You kind of knew "Aba" means papa or father 07:45 and "gail" means the praise 07:47 or the exaltation of the Father, 07:50 the rejoicing of the Father. 07:52 So David heard 07:53 that they were doing the sheep shearing 07:55 and this was a time of generosity, of festivities. 07:59 He is in the wilderness. 08:01 That Nabal were shearing his sheep. 08:02 David sent 10 young men 08:05 and David said to the young men, 08:06 "Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal and greet him in my name." 08:11 And so he sends a delegation in his name. 08:14 Before we go any further, 08:15 this is a unique story that tells us 08:17 something about the plan of salvation. 08:19 You know, there are some stories 08:21 that is really you see the plan of salvation in here. 08:23 But here you've got David, who is a type of who? 08:26 He is a type of Christ in the Bible. 08:28 It's pretty clear about that. 08:30 He sends a delegation in his name. 08:34 Right now there is an evil king that is ruling the land, 08:37 but David has been the anointed, 08:38 Christ is the anointed, right? 08:40 The land is going to go to David, 08:43 the world is going to go to Christ. 08:45 But in advance of his being in control of the land, 08:49 he said I could use an offering right now 08:53 for my men. 08:55 So he sends 10 men and he said, go to Carmel, 08:59 go to Nabal and greet him in my name 09:01 and thus you shall say to him 09:02 who lives in prosperity, peace be to you, 09:06 peace to your house, peace to all that you have. 09:09 When you look that up it says, shalom, shalom, shalom. 09:14 David sends a message of peace, amen. 09:18 Jesus is our prince of peace. 09:20 And he says, peace in all you have, 09:22 peace to your home. 09:23 How many of you would like that 09:24 to come from our King David, Jesus? 09:29 And he says, I've heard that you have shears 09:32 and your shepherds were with us and we did not hurt them. 09:35 Not only did we not molest them, 09:36 we protected them. 09:38 Nor was anything missing from all that was with them 09:43 while they were with us in Carmel. 09:45 Ask your young men and they will tell you. 09:47 So one thing David told his men is 09:49 "Do not harass people, be honest. 09:51 Remember the commandments of God." 09:54 Therefore, he said 09:56 you can check with your shepherds. 09:59 Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, 10:03 for we come on a feast day. 10:04 Please give what comes to your hand. 10:06 I'm not asking for a percentage, 10:08 I'm asking for an offering whatever is nearby. 10:11 Please give what comes to your hand 10:13 to your servants and to your son, David. 10:16 It's a very nice message. 10:17 So David's servants, he sends 10 young men. 10:20 They've got their donkeys probably 10:21 and, you know, if somebody says could I have a donation, 10:24 you bring 10 donkeys, 10:25 you're not expecting a little donation, you know, 10:28 because you got 600 soldiers 10:31 and he was hoping could you help us out, 10:32 it's a feast day, you've been generous, 10:35 we've protected everything you have from the Ishmaelites 10:39 that were raiding the country and from the Philistines 10:42 and you wouldn't be doing so well 10:44 now if it wasn't for the work we did for you. 10:47 I know, when I traveled in foreign countries, 10:49 it's not uncommon in the Philippines, 10:52 in Indonesia, and different places 10:54 if you're looking for parking place, 10:55 there will be these people 10:56 that kind of are shepherds of the parking places 11:01 and they'll see that 11:02 you're looking for parking place, 11:03 they will go over here, and then they'll wade you, 11:05 and they'll back you and they'll guide you 11:07 and they'll tap you and kind of see, you're okay. 11:08 Now when you come to get your car, 11:09 you give them a tip because they watch your car 11:13 and they take care of it for you. 11:15 Now, you don't have to give him a tip, 11:17 but it's a good idea if you want your car protected 11:21 because they'll make a note of your car 11:23 if you ever come back. 11:24 And so it's just customary. 11:25 How many of you have you seen this? 11:26 You go to and you just say thank you very much 11:28 for keeping an eye on things, they appreciate it, 11:30 and it's an opportunity for you 11:31 as a Christian to do good to somebody. 11:34 And so he said, look, we've taken care of your stuff. 11:38 And so Nabal listens and he is scowling. 11:42 He is a covetous man and they spoke to him, 11:47 just what David gives them a message, 11:49 they are herald messengers for David. 11:51 Nabal answered David's servants 11:54 and he says, listen to this harsh answer. 11:57 "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse?" 12:02 Now, did he know who David was? 12:06 The very fact that he says who is the son of Jesse. 12:08 The messengers didn't mention Jesse. 12:11 He knew David was the son of Jesse. 12:14 Anyone as wealthy and connected as Nabal, 12:18 they all knew what was going on with Saul and David, 12:21 and that there is this contest about 12:23 who was going to be the next king. 12:26 But his answer is like the answer of Pharaoh. 12:29 When Moses said, "Let my people go." 12:31 Pharaoh says, "Who is the Lord?" 12:33 You know what that means? I don't believe in the Lord. 12:36 He says, "I don't believe, I don't recognize you," 12:39 and then he goes further. 12:41 I mean, he could have said, you know, I'm just, 12:43 it's little tight, don't have enough 12:44 for just my servants, 12:45 if he had said that it would have been okay. 12:47 But he reviles, he rebukes and then he goes on and says, 12:51 there are many servants nowadays 12:53 who break away each one from his master. 12:57 There are lot of runaway slaves these days. 12:59 David used to be Saul's servant. 13:00 What happened? You're a runaway. 13:02 And all those guys who were following you, 13:04 they were in debt, couldn't pay their servants, 13:06 ran away, runaway slaves, 13:07 you want me to feed the runaway slaves? 13:09 I've got to feed my slaves that stay with me. 13:12 I mean, it's really insulting, 13:14 it's degrading what he is saying. 13:16 I just want you to understand that in the terms of the day, 13:21 it was pretty low and he says, shall I take, notice, 13:24 shall I take, he says, "I", shall "I" take "my" bread, 13:28 "my" water, then "my" meat. 13:31 You see they also have sacrifices 13:34 that "I" have killed for "my" shearers, 13:36 and give it to men 13:37 that I don't know where they've come from. 13:39 He says "I" three times and "my" four times. 13:42 This is a selfish dude. 13:45 He makes me think about that passage 13:47 where the devil says, "I will exalt my throne above. 13:50 I will be king. I will be like the Most High." 13:53 I, I, I, I, so Nabal is my, my, my, my. 13:59 Very selfish. 14:01 So David's young men, 14:03 when they heard that they turned on their heels. 14:06 You ever heard that expression before? 14:07 This is where it comes from. 14:09 Any of you were ever in the military? 14:11 And military is very efficient, 14:13 and so if you're going to change directions 14:14 in the military, 14:15 you do about face and you just, you see, 14:18 you put your toe down there, you go like that, 14:20 I sort of remember, 14:21 it's not near as good as it used to be, 14:23 but five years old I was in military school. 14:27 Turning on your heels. 14:29 It doesn't mean, you go, 14:30 "Well, well, I will see you later." 14:32 It means you go, "I'm out of here," 14:34 you leave right away. 14:36 They were insulted. 14:38 They snapped around and they said whoa, 14:41 they didn't even try to reason with him. 14:44 They could have said, 14:45 "Well, now can we talk to you about that 14:47 and, you know, check with your servants." 14:49 They said, wow, that answer is so abrupt and so rude, 14:51 there is no reasoning with this guy. 14:54 He has totally rejected 14:56 our kind request for a donation, 15:00 that's all they are asking for. 15:04 These young men turned on their heels 15:05 and the other servants are watching, 15:08 because when these 10 guys come marching 15:10 into a camp of a man who's got 3,000 sheep, 15:13 1,000 goats, it's 4,000, he's got a lot of shepherds, 15:17 a lot of shearers, a lot of servants, 15:19 they see this delegation coming, 15:20 people were listening. 15:21 The steward was probably standing there listening 15:25 which is a good thing. 15:26 They turned on their heels 15:27 and the expression on their face was 15:28 one of indignation and outrage 15:32 and on the way back to David, they were not happy. 15:35 They were hungry too. 15:39 Then they come back, 15:40 and David's men turned on their heels, 15:42 they came and told all these words 15:44 and David said to his men. 15:47 "Every man gird on his sword. 15:50 So every man girded on his sword. 15:52 Now, wait a second, this is not the same David. 15:55 You notice we gonna read a lot about David, 15:56 David hasn't lost his temper. 15:59 The only time David got mad was at Goliath up until now. 16:03 Isn't that right? 16:04 Now something has come over David. 16:06 Last week we talked about vengeance and mercy. 16:09 Saul was completely obsessed with vengeance, 16:12 David with mercy, but now David is saying, 16:16 "I'm going to avenge myself." 16:18 That's no way to talk to anybody 16:19 and he wasn't only going to go after Nabal, 16:21 he was going to go after everybody in his house. 16:24 And he says, gird on your sword. 16:26 Four hundred men went with David, 16:29 two hundred stayed with the supplies. 16:30 Four hundred was probably more than 16:31 enough to dispatch Nabal's household. 16:35 And one of the young men told Abigail, 16:38 maybe one of the servants or the stewards of Nabal 16:41 who had heard this whole exchange 16:43 while his servants go back, 16:46 one of the servants of Nabal goes to Abigail, 16:48 he says I can reason with her saying, 16:51 "Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness 16:54 to greet our master and he reviled them, 16:57 but the men were very good to us." 17:02 Now remember, who does David represent? 17:05 Christ. And his men? His servants, his angels. 17:09 "Very good to us, nor did we miss anything 17:12 as long as we accompanied them, 17:14 when we were with them in the fields." 17:16 Then notice this, 17:17 "They were a wall to us by night and day, 17:21 all the time we were with them keeping the sheep." 17:25 You remember when Jesus appears, 17:27 shepherds are keeping their sheep 17:29 and it tells here that his men 17:33 it says like were a wall to him. 17:36 You can read in 1 Samuel 25:16. 17:40 It says, "They were a wall to us by night and day." 17:43 Do you know if you read in Psalms 34:7, 17:45 "The angel of the Lord encamps all around those 17:49 who fear him and delivers him." 17:51 Does the Lord give us walls to protect and bless? 17:55 What was the Satan's accusation against God regarding Job? 18:00 You set a wall about him. That's what the hedge means. 18:03 You protect him and you're protecting all that he has. 18:06 David was a wall around Nabal and Abigail 18:09 and their household protecting everything. 18:11 But did they appreciate? 18:13 Well, did Nabal appreciate the blessings of David? 18:18 And when the time came to show that appreciation, 18:20 he sent them away empty. 18:22 We would never do that. 18:24 You see where I'm going with this. 18:26 This is not a story about just David 18:30 and Nabal and Abigail, 18:32 it's a story about the gospel and us. 18:35 And he gives a harsh answer, he says, "Who is the Lord?" 18:38 You know, it's interesting, the Bible says, 18:40 the fool has said in his heart, 18:42 "There is no God." 18:44 And you know what the word Nabal means? 18:46 I told you, remember? Fool. Who is David? 18:51 It's like people saying, "Who is Jesus? 18:52 I don't know Jesus. Who is Jesus? 18:54 I don't know Jesus or anything." 18:57 And so now the servant of Nabal is telling Abigail, 19:02 these men were very good to us. 19:05 They didn't harass us, 19:06 nothing was ever missing from the tent, 19:08 we slept well at night. 19:10 They protected us from the Amalekites, 19:12 and the Ishmaelites, and the Philistines 19:14 and you wouldn't have had all this blessing 19:17 if it wasn't for those men. 19:19 You remember what happened with Keilah? 19:21 The Philistines were raiding the people 19:23 and David came and delivered them. 19:24 He said, he's delivered us. 19:26 And so there they are giving this message. 19:29 Zachariah 2:5, "For I say," 19:32 says the Lord, "I will be a wall of fire around her 19:36 and I will be the glory in her midst." 19:39 When the Philistines, I'm sorry, 19:40 when the Egyptians wanted to destroy the children of Israel, 19:44 God brought the pillar of fire as a wall to protect them. 19:48 So David was a wall. 19:51 And so now David is upset and he gets upset. 19:56 He said, you know, enough is enough. 19:58 I've been the nice guy with Saul, 19:59 but this is too much. 20:02 And I guess he was worried about his men. 20:04 They were hungry. 20:06 And they've done all this work 20:07 and they thought they should be paid. 20:09 Now, James 1:9 says, "So then my beloved, 20:12 let every man be swift to hear, 20:15 slow to speak, and slow to wrath." 20:20 This is one time when David, 20:21 it's not the best portrait of David 20:23 when he is starting out losing his temper. 20:28 And so, his men are all armed for war now 20:33 and the servants of Abigail were saying, 20:37 they were very good to us, they were wall day and night 20:39 while we were with them, keeping the sheep. 20:41 And the servant goes on, I'm on verse 17, 20:43 I'm in 1 Samuel 25:17, 20:47 "Now, therefore know and consider what you'll do. 20:50 You better do something. 20:52 For harm is determined against our master." 20:55 He saw their faces when they left. 20:57 He saw how they turned on their heels. 20:59 "And against all his household, for he... 21:02 "Now listen, this is really unusual for the servant 21:04 to talk to Abigail, the way he does about their master, 21:07 but I guess Nabal was so notorious 21:09 that he could speak freely." 21:12 For he is such a scoundrel..." 21:14 Sometimes you've heard the word, 21:17 sons of Belial or a worthless one. 21:21 He is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him, 21:26 you cannot reason with him. 21:29 Then Abigail made haste. She thought, "Oh, no. 21:32 I got to do something." She made haste. 21:35 She realized not just her life 21:37 but the life of the household was at risk, 21:41 and she took 200 loaves of bread, 21:44 two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, 21:49 five seahs of roasted grain, 21:51 these are sacks of grain ready to eat, 21:54 100 clusters of raisins, 200 cakes of figs, 21:58 they used to make these delicious cakes of figs, 22:00 because they got so much sugar that they stick together 22:02 and they put some flour and then they last a long time, 22:05 and loaded them on donkeys, 22:07 probably 10 donkeys is like they'd come down with. 22:12 But, you know, you have to admire, 22:13 I really appreciate all those that help in the kitchen 22:16 and the women have in particular 22:18 and some of the men help a lot in the kitchen 22:19 but women have a special gift. 22:20 Have you ever noticed? 22:22 Unexpected company comes, and they can rustle around, 22:26 they put water in the soup, 22:27 they do something and all of a sudden 22:28 there's food appears out of nowhere. 22:31 Abigail's got to cater for an army, or die, 22:38 and she puts together a feast quickly. 22:40 She gets all these things, she starts ordering servants, 22:42 they're running, and who knows what, Nabal, 22:45 he doesn't know what's going on. 22:48 And they make haste and she says to her servants, 22:51 verse 19, "Go on before me. 22:54 See I'm coming after you. 22:55 She sends the gifts on before." 22:59 Now, you know, that's not the first time 23:01 that's happened in the Bible. 23:02 When the queen of Sheba came, you know, how she sent gifts, 23:08 because she was going to have this audience. 23:10 How many of you remember 23:11 when Jacob was coming back from living in Mesopotamia 23:15 that Esau got worried 23:16 and he was coming with 400 soldiers, 23:20 and they were going to annihilate his family 23:24 because Esau had probably been fuming for 20 years now 23:29 about what Jacob had done in stealing the birthright, 23:31 and he is thinking you're coming back 23:32 to take the birthright, 23:33 you're coming back to take those possessions 23:34 that are mine. 23:35 Jacob knew what his brother was thinking, they were twins. 23:39 So he gets all of these great gifts together 23:42 and he sends it ahead of the family, 23:46 so they all bow down 23:48 and they say to Esau here are these gifts, this is from, 23:50 and basically he is saying to Esau, 23:53 "I don't want anything from you, 23:54 I want to give to you. The Lord's blessed me. 23:57 I'm not here for dad's inheritance. 23:59 I'm here because I just wanted to be home." 24:02 And so by the time Jacob gets there, 24:05 and he sees Esau, Esau kisses him 24:07 where he had come with armed men to kill. 24:10 The gifts that go out before can save your life 24:16 and the Bible kind of teaches it. 24:17 Psalms 50, you might make a note of this one. 24:21 Psalms 50, "Our God shall come and not keep silent. 24:25 A fire will devour before him, 24:28 it will be very tempestuous all around him. 24:31 He will call to the heavens from above and to the earth, 24:34 that he may judge his people. 24:36 Gather my saints together to me. 24:38 He is talking about when we are caught up 24:39 to meet the Lord in the air, 24:41 those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice." 24:47 Now, are we saved by our gifts? 24:51 Or do our gifts show we believe in the covenant 24:55 that we've made? 24:57 But people who say, Lord, Lord and send Him away empty, 25:01 you wondered do they really believe 25:04 that He is the Lord? 25:06 The giving of an individual is a really interesting indicator 25:11 of where they are spiritually. 25:13 Didn't the Bible say, "Wherever a man's heart is, 25:16 that's where his treasure is?" 25:20 Proverbs 18:16, "A man's gift makes a room for him 25:25 and brings him before great men." 25:28 The gift goes out to him, so here Abigail is saying, 25:32 have all these gifts come out? 25:33 We are hoping we can appease his wrath 25:35 before we ever get there. 25:37 You go before me with the gifts. 25:41 You remember reading where it talks about those 25:42 who've died in the Lord, their works do follow them? 25:46 Your works follow you but your gifts go ahead. 25:50 And so, with all this happening though, 25:55 she doesn't tell her husband. 25:59 Now, I believe husbands and wives 26:01 should communicate on big financial decisions. 26:06 Do we all agree? 26:07 If you're getting ready to cater a big army like that, 26:11 you should probably talk together. 26:14 But if you're married to Nabal, you get a pass. 26:17 If it's a life or death situation, 26:21 she couldn't reason with him. 26:23 I mean, doesn't that what the servant just said? 26:24 There is no talking to him 26:26 and he had just insulted the one 26:29 who was to be king, 26:31 and that was a really bad move, 26:33 and so she needed to take a preemptive action. 26:38 How many of you remember the story that during... 26:40 It actually comes up later in the episodes of David 26:42 that Joab, the general, 26:46 surrounds the city because a rebel, 26:48 someone who is trying to start a rebellion in Israel named... 26:52 Was it Sheba? 26:54 Sheba, he was hiding out in the city 26:57 and Joab and the soldiers of Israel 26:59 they all surrounded the city 27:00 and they were going to kill everybody in the city 27:02 and a woman goes up on the wall of the city 27:04 and says, "Where is Joab?" 27:05 And Joab says, "Here I am." 27:07 She said, "I want to talk to you. Come here." 27:08 She was having this conversation from the wall 27:11 and she said, "I'm a mother in Israel, 27:15 you're getting ready to kill us all for this one rebel?" 27:18 And they talked together 27:20 and they finally come to an agreement. 27:21 He says, "Look, we don't want to do that. 27:23 We don't want to hurt anybody in the city 27:24 but there is someone who has rose up against David 27:26 that you're protecting in the city?" 27:28 She said, "Let me go talk to the people. 27:29 I'll be back." 27:30 She talks to them, she comes back, 27:31 she said, "We are going to toss his head over the wall." 27:36 Now, I'm not recommending that we solve our problems that way, 27:38 but I'm just telling you that it was a woman 27:43 that came out and interceded that brought peace. 27:47 Now what does a woman represent in Bible analogies often? 27:52 So who is it that brings peace? 27:55 The house of Nabal is doomed. Judgment is coming. 28:00 Abigail goes forward 28:02 and she begins to become the agent of peace in this. 28:09 So it was, said, "She rode on a donkey, 28:12 she went down under cover of a hill..." 28:14 They may have been tracking 28:15 where David's servants had gone, 28:17 and they're going down through the hill 28:18 because he was living off in the wilderness, 28:21 and wouldn't you know, 28:24 "There were David and his men coming down towards her." 28:27 I mean it's clearing in, and all of a sudden 28:29 these two come together and he is not sure 28:31 who this is yet and she dismounts. 28:37 David is thinking to himself when he meets Abigail, 28:39 the thoughts that are going through his head, 28:41 you'll find in verse 21. 28:42 "He said surely in vain I protected all 28:45 that this fellow has in the wilderness 28:47 so that nothing was missed of all the belongings..." 28:50 He is reciting over and over in his mind the right 28:52 that he has got to kill this man. 28:54 "And he has repaid me evil for good. 28:56 May God do so to me and more also 28:59 to the enemies of David if I leave one male 29:01 of all who belong to him living by light." 29:05 He's just made a vow, 29:06 he is going to kill all in the household. 29:08 They're under judgment. 29:11 Now Abigail sees David, 29:14 so he tells what was going through his head, 29:16 as he's on his way with 400 soldiers, 29:18 David is probably leading. 29:19 Abigail sees David, 29:21 she dismounts quickly from the donkey. 29:23 She falls in her face before David, 29:26 she bows down to the ground as though he is a king. 29:29 Now look at the difference. Nabal says, who is David? 29:31 Who is this son of Jesse? 29:33 She is treating him very differently. 29:36 So she fell at his feet, and she says, "On me, my lord, 29:40 on me let this iniquity be! 29:44 And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, 29:47 and hear the words of your maidservant." 29:50 Well, should she suffer for Nabal? 29:54 She didn't do it, Nabal did it. 29:56 But here she is saying, 29:58 I want to be the substitute, you blame me. 30:01 Now isn't that kind of what Jesus does for us? 30:04 He says, I'll take it. Was she guilty? 30:06 No, but she is willing to take the guilt of her husband. 30:10 Speak in the ears, 30:11 and let me here say a few words. 30:14 Please, she didn't wait for permission, 30:15 she keeps going, verse 25. 30:18 "Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal," 30:23 that's your husband. 30:26 "For as his name is, so he is, Nabal is his name, 30:31 and folly is with him!" 30:32 Now the way that comes of 30:33 in the Hebrew is fool is his name, 30:37 and folly is with him. 30:39 He is doing just as his name indicates. 30:42 "But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men..." 30:45 Be patient, we didn't know that you came, 30:47 he is, don't take it out in the whole household, 30:50 he is a honorary person and more reasonable, 30:55 we didn't know you would come. 30:58 We didn't know. 31:00 "Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives 31:02 and as your soul lives, 31:04 since the Lord has held you back 31:05 from coming to bloodshed." 31:07 I found you before you've gone to bloodshed, 31:08 she knew what was going on. 31:10 "And from avenging yourself with your own hand," 31:15 just, you know, we read, we studied last week 31:19 how wonderful it was 31:20 that David had read the words of Moses. 31:22 It said, vengeance is the Lord's, I will repay. 31:25 And David could have said when messengers came back 31:28 from Nabal being insulted. 31:30 Well, God will put this in your hands, 31:31 you will take care of it, 31:33 that would have been the right response. 31:35 But I think the Lord allowed 31:36 all this to happen the way it did 31:38 not only to teach David a lesson 31:39 but to teach you and I a gospel story 31:43 'cause Jesus is coming with judgment 31:46 and intersession is needed. 31:51 And so here, she's very intelligent woman, 31:53 and matter of fact I'll put to you that I think, 31:55 I think she fills a role of a prophet here, 31:57 you see what you think. 31:58 I think Abigail was not only beautiful and bright, 32:01 I think the word she speaks here are certainly prophetic. 32:06 "And now this present 32:08 which your maidservant has brought to my Lord..." 32:11 I'm in verse 27, "Let it be given to the young men 32:14 who follow my lord." 32:15 She doesn't say given to you because it's no present, 32:17 you're king, it's not even worthy of you 32:19 but the men are hungry. 32:20 Let me give it to them. 32:21 "Please forgive," she comes asking for forgiveness 32:25 and saying, let they fall beyond me. 32:29 "Please forgive the trespass," 32:30 you know, what's happening here? 32:31 This is Abigail interceding. 32:35 What is part of the work of the church? 32:38 The work of Jesus is to be an intercessor. 32:42 Are we a nation of kings and priests in the church? 32:46 And didn't Jesus say, as a Father sent me 32:48 so send I you. 32:50 Is the Christian life 32:51 one where you're just praying for yourself 32:54 or are you interceding in behalf of others too? 32:58 Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us, 33:00 here she is interceding. 33:01 She is what you call here a mediator. 33:05 Nabal was wrong, he was vile, he was wicked, he was mean, 33:11 David is now coming with judgment, 33:12 there is this conflict 33:15 and she puts herself between these two men 33:18 where this is gonna be a bloodbath. 33:20 And she stops it from happening kind of like Pocahontas 33:24 who saved John Smith, 33:25 any of you know your American history, 33:26 you know, what I'm talking about. 33:28 And she puts herself between this conflict. 33:32 But isn't that what the church is supposed to do? 33:34 Isn't the world lost under sin? 33:36 Isn't Jesus the son of David coming? 33:39 Doesn't the Revelation talk about the wrath of the lamb? 33:43 Here you see picture, one of the few times 33:44 you see the wrath of David. 33:46 And he's coming with his sword girded, 33:49 and there is gonna be blood. 33:50 And all of a sudden she stops, 33:52 she comes between in the middle, 33:55 between where David dwells and where Nabal dwells, 33:57 there she is pleading and she said, 34:03 forgive the trespass of your maidservant, 34:06 wasn't her fault, but she is taking the place. 34:09 "For the Lord will certainly make for my lord 34:12 an enduring house." 34:14 You want the house of Jesus endure. 34:17 "Because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, 34:19 and evil is not found in you throughout your days." 34:23 Now did you see that's not just talking about David. 34:26 Who is it that was sinless, no evil found in him? 34:28 Jesus. It's Jesus. 34:30 "Yet a man has risen to pursue you 34:32 and to seek your life. 34:34 Saul was like filling the role of the devil. 34:36 David was not recognized as king. 34:40 But then this is the beautiful statement. 34:42 "But the life of my lord will be bound 34:44 in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God. 34:48 And the lives of your enemies He will sling out, 34:52 as from the pocket of a sling." 34:54 Now she is picking the right metaphor 34:56 for David, isn't she? 34:59 Shepherd understood the stone gets hurled away, 35:02 you'll never find it again. 35:04 It's gone. 35:05 But a shepherd used to keep his valuables wrapped up, 35:08 tied against his body near the bosom. 35:11 And she is saying, you will be wrapped up 35:13 by the bosom or the heart of the Lord. 35:16 Your enemy Saul, he's gonna get slung out. 35:19 Now what she's saying is, 35:21 you know, it's pretty bold because Saul was king. 35:26 David was not king. 35:28 She is saying my loyalty is to you. 35:30 I'm also believing that Abigail was from the tribe of Judah, 35:33 maybe even the distant relative of David. 35:37 A man has risen to pursue you 35:41 but he will be slung out as from the pocket of a sling. 35:45 David's going, I understand that, 35:46 I understand slings. 35:48 "And it will come to pass, 35:50 that when the Lord has done for my lord 35:52 according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, 35:56 and has appointed you ruler over Israel." 35:58 Now notice her faith, 36:00 did she have any doubt that David's gonna be the king? 36:03 No, she's got complete confidence. 36:06 "That this will not grieve you 36:08 or be an offense of heart to my lord, 36:11 that you have shed blood without cause, 36:14 that my lord has avenged himself. 36:16 But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, 36:18 then remember your maidservant." 36:21 She is basically saying, I've come today to intercede, 36:25 you don't wanna do this thing and avenge yourself 36:28 and shed blood because I mean, you know, 36:30 he's not only gonna kill Nabal, 36:31 he says I'm gonna kill every servant, 36:32 every male servant in his house. 36:35 And she said, you're gonna have regrets about that 36:38 when you become king. 36:40 God sent me to spare you having the guilty conscience 36:43 over these things 36:44 and to bring reconciliation to reason with you 36:47 and we're gonna, you send men for gifts, 36:49 here are the gifts. 36:50 If this is not enough, there will be more. 36:53 But it's interesting that she would say, 36:55 did you catch it? 36:57 Remember me, when you become king, 37:02 she didn't say if you become king, 37:05 show mercy on me. 37:07 And she said, you know, I know you're gonna 37:10 be the king of the country sometime. 37:12 Verse 32. 37:13 "Remember your maidservant..." It says at the end of verse 31. 37:16 "Then David said to Abigail..." 37:17 Finally David speaks, everything else is Abigail, 37:20 wonderful section she speaks there. 37:24 "And then David said to Abigail, 37:25 'Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, 37:27 who sent you this day to meet me! 37:30 And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, 37:33 because you have kept me this day 37:35 from coming to bloodshed.'" 37:36 You notice the first thing that David sends, 37:39 he sends through messengers, shalom, shalom, shalom. 37:45 Now David says to Abigail 37:46 in person blessed, blessed, blessed. 37:50 What are the first teachings that Jesus gives? 37:53 They are called the beatitudes, 37:56 which means have a good attitude. 37:58 The beatitudes, the word "beatitude" means 38:00 the blessings, and Jesus says blessed, 38:03 blessed, blessed. 38:05 Here David, the son of Jesus answers rather is going, 38:09 blessed, blessed, blessed. 38:11 "Because you have kept me this day 38:12 from coming to bloodshed 38:14 and avenging myself with my own hand." 38:15 David, you could reason with him. 38:17 He's a man after God's own heart, 38:18 the Holy Spirit told him, this is not God's plan. 38:21 "For indeed," he lets her know when she is probably shuttering 38:24 along with the servants that are minding all the goods. 38:27 "For indeed as the Lord God of Israel lives, 38:28 who had kept me back from hurting you, 38:30 unless you had hurried and come to me..." 38:33 He had to hurry. 38:34 "And come to me to meet me, 38:36 surely by morning light no males 38:40 would have been left to Nabal!" 38:43 Now just in case you're wondering 38:45 if David could do that, 38:46 you read and it tells us that David, 38:48 when he was staying in Ziklag, 38:50 he would go raid cities of Philistine, 38:52 he would execute everybody so there were no witnesses. 38:56 He had the capability of doing that, 38:59 said I was gonna do that to you. 39:03 "So David received from her hand 39:06 what she had brought to him, and said to her, 39:09 'Go up in peace, again shalom, to your house. 39:13 See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person." 39:17 She says, okay, you have succeeded 39:20 unless you had made haste, they would have been doomed. 39:23 Now just want to pause here and think about this, 39:25 how do we relate to this today? 39:27 What does this say to us? 39:29 I think that's very, some very important lessons. 39:32 You notice that we started out 39:33 with the parable about the rich fool, 39:37 and when God blessed 39:39 instead of thinking God's blessed me 39:40 so that I can share. 39:42 He says, God blessed me so I can hoard. 39:45 They got programs now about hoarders, people that, 39:50 you know, to some of them it's just a real sickness, 39:53 a lot of us have a mild case of hoarding, 39:55 you just look in your closet, in your garage. 39:58 Karen and I thought we were doing okay 39:59 until we moved in. 40:01 Then I thought why I've been keeping this for 20 years? 40:07 Never used it. 40:09 But God doesn't bless us so that we can hoard, 40:12 God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others. 40:15 And He blessed this rich man and instead of him thinking, 40:18 oh, I can give more, he thinks I can hoard more. 40:22 He says, I'll build bigger barns and I can... 40:24 don't have to worry and I'll say, 40:25 you can retire early, 40:27 make my first million by 35, eat, drink and be merry. 40:31 And then God says, you fool, 40:33 this day is your soul required of you 40:35 and then whose will those things be 40:38 that you've laid up. 40:40 Now you haven't found out about Nabal yet, 40:42 what's gonna happen 40:43 and I suspect you've already read the story. 40:47 But here David sends messengers 40:51 and says, we are fighting God's battles, 40:53 could you help subsidize my army? 40:56 And Nabal sends them away with an insult, 40:59 and he was of the same tribe as David. 41:03 Does Jesus have people out fighting His battles? 41:08 Are we supposed to help support the messengers from David? 41:13 It's not appeal for pastors, 41:14 I'm talking about the work of God. 41:16 Yes. 41:18 And David is gonna come some day 41:23 and there's gonna be judgment. 41:24 Now he's gonna bring early judgment 41:28 on Nabal's household except she comes to intercede. 41:31 So we know David represents Christ. 41:34 Who does Abigail represent? 41:36 Beautiful woman, very wise, she's a type of the church. 41:41 What are we supposed to do? 41:43 We're to be praying to Christ for mercy, 41:46 for the lost that don't know any better, 41:48 they act like fools because the fool 41:51 does not know about God. 41:53 And we are to be pleading for their salvation 41:56 and the gifts 41:58 that she brings to David are saving Nabal's household. 42:03 When we give to the work of Christ, 42:05 it's to save the lost, isn't it? 42:07 Not just to save ourselves. 42:09 And so this is all the story of salvation 42:11 because here inserted, it says, Samuel dies 42:14 and then David goes back to his other exploits 42:16 but this interesting story is dropped in here. 42:20 And so reading on, David receive from her hand the gift 42:25 she had brought said, go in peace. 42:28 "Now Abigail went to Nabal," 42:30 verse 36, "and he was holding a feast in his house, 42:34 like the feast of a king. 42:36 And Nabal's heart was merry within him, 42:39 for he was very drunk." 42:41 The only time that the wicked are happy is 42:44 when they're drunk. 42:47 They have nothing else to be happy about. 42:49 He is participating in what you call a fool's feast. 42:55 You can read in Proverbs 31:6 it says, 42:59 give wine to him that is ready to perish. 43:03 Nabal didn't know it but he was ready to perish. 43:08 He's drinking himself drunk, so in the morning 43:11 when the wine had gone from he begins to sober up 43:14 after that required eight hours go by 43:16 and his alcohol blood level dropped. 43:20 His wife told him these things that his heart died with him, 43:24 he was not only a fool, he was a coward, 43:26 and he realized how close he had come to death's door, 43:30 his heart died within him. 43:31 And he became like a stone 43:32 and I looked at all the commentators, 43:34 it doesn't mean that 43:35 he became a stone like in some fable. 43:39 It means that he probably had a stroke from fear 43:42 and gluttony and drinking. 43:45 And it was lingered for several days, 43:48 he became like a stone. 43:50 Didn't happen after about 10 days, 43:52 the Lord struck Nabal and he died. 43:54 It's interesting David sends 10 donkeys, 43:57 Nabal dies after 10 days 43:59 and he had probably broken all Ten Commandments 44:02 during his feast and so there was that judgment. 44:07 So David heard, you notice how the story begins, 44:11 David heard that Nabal was sharing, 44:13 here it says David heard that Nabal was dead. 44:15 Does David know 44:17 what's going on in Nabal's family? 44:19 Does Jesus hear what's happening down here? 44:23 Does He hear what's happening down here? 44:26 You spell that two different ways. 44:29 And so, and David heard that Nabal was dead, 44:31 he said, "Blessed be the Lord, 44:35 who has pleaded the cause of my reproach..." 44:38 Instead of all those innocent people dying 44:40 because they were part of his household, 44:42 God took care of Nabal. 44:45 Doesn't God say, vengeance is mine. 44:47 Let me take care of it in my time. 44:50 "Blessed be the Lord 44:51 who has pleaded the cause for my reproach 44:53 from the hand of Nabal 44:55 and has kept his servant from evil, 44:57 for the Lord has returned the wickedness of Nabal 45:00 on his own head." 45:02 And I don't know how much time went by, 45:05 there might have been, 45:06 you know, the customary 30 days of mourning 45:09 but not long after this, 45:11 it says, "And David sent and proposed to Abigail 45:16 to take her as his wife." 45:19 I think when David heard Abigail, 45:21 now you've got to know the background of this. 45:23 While David is living out in the hills running 45:26 from King Saul, 45:28 remember Saul had given his daughter Michal to David, 45:31 and Michal helped David escape. 45:34 But Saul is really worried that David's gonna be king. 45:38 And if he's married to the king's daughter 45:39 that gives him one more right to the throne. 45:43 And so Saul did something pretty despicable, 45:45 Saul told Michal, I am divorcing you from David, 45:49 he's a fugitive and he gave Michal 45:52 to someone else to marry, 45:56 because he didn't want David 45:58 to have any connection to the throne. 46:00 So David at this point is wifeless. 46:04 When he sees Abigail, a beautiful woman, 46:08 bright woman, spirit filled woman, 46:11 he was very struck. 46:13 And I'm not saying he was coveting his neighbor's wife 46:15 but he made a mental note, 46:17 that is a very, very good looking, 46:20 a very bright woman. 46:23 And now this is really important 46:25 that you think of his 46:26 because there's another time in David's life, 46:28 he sees someone else's wife 46:30 and he doesn't have so much restraint. 46:32 This time he restrains himself, 46:34 he could have seen Abigail that day 46:36 when she brought him gifts and said, wow, 46:38 I'm gonna go kill Nabal and take you. 46:41 Now forget about the gifts and the intercession 46:43 but David said, all right, I'm gonna listen to you, 46:44 I'm gonna accept the intercession, 46:45 I'm gonna let Nabal live, he could have killed Nabal 46:47 and just taken his wife. 46:49 But David put it all in God's hands 46:52 and he presents a proposal. 46:54 Now Abigail doesn't have to say yes, he sends servants. 46:59 And David has sent us, we've come in the name of David 47:04 to ask you to be his wife. 47:06 What's gonna happen to the church? 47:07 Is there gonna be a wedding? 47:09 Is the bride of Christ 47:10 gonna live in the New Jerusalem? 47:12 That's why it's called the bride of Christ. 47:15 "She arose and she bowed her face to the earth, 47:18 and she said, 'Here is your maidservant, 47:21 a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord.'" 47:26 You know, there's another reason 47:27 I think she's a beautiful type of the church, 47:29 didn't Jesus say to the church, 47:31 I've come to you as one that serves, 47:33 you need to serve each other. 47:35 She says, I have come, I'm willing to wash it, 47:37 she is a very wealthy woman. 47:41 She's very humble woman 47:43 and the church is very wealthy too, isn't it? 47:47 We inherit everything from Christ. 47:50 It says, and David took her. 47:52 Now you know, she's wealthy because it says in verse 42, 47:55 "So Abigail rose in haste..." 47:58 She's in haste again, 48:00 she hasted to come to David earlier 48:02 to save the household. 48:03 Now David proposes, she comes in haste. 48:06 "And she rose and she has five maidens." 48:08 You realize when Jacob marries Rachel and Leah, 48:12 they each have one maiden, Bilhah and Zilpah. 48:15 She is so wealthy, she's got five maidens to follow her. 48:18 But she says, I'll wash the feet, 48:20 I am your servant. 48:22 What a humble attitude. And she became David's wife. 48:27 It ends with a beautiful story of a marriage. 48:31 And so, you know, 48:34 I just thought that this is really telling us 48:36 about the plan of salvation. 48:38 Our David is coming, now you know what this means, 48:44 evidently Abigail and Nabal had no children, 48:47 David does have children with Abigail by the way, 48:50 in case you're wondering 48:51 some of David's kids ended up badly. 48:54 Abigail's kids were not among them, 48:57 the offspring of Abigail, 48:59 she raised them to serve the Lord, 49:01 they were godly, they co-existed with Solomon, 49:03 and they did fine. 49:05 She was a good mother too, 49:07 she had no children with Nabal 49:09 which means not only did David end up 49:12 getting Abigail, 49:13 he got everything that belonged to Nabal. 49:17 And this was an important story in the Bible 49:18 because David now goes from through the inheritance 49:22 he gets through marrying Abigail. 49:26 How wealthy was Nabal? 49:27 He's richest man in the country. 49:29 David now is moving closer to being a king 49:33 because he's suddenly for the first time in years 49:35 has substance at his disposal 49:38 through his marriage to Abigail. 49:40 David ends up owning the land that Nabal had. 49:46 Now I hope you're still with me. 49:47 Amen. 49:50 Nabal was selfish with David. 49:53 He lost it all, David got it all. 49:57 Isn't Jesus gonna get this world soon? 49:59 Amen. 50:00 "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof." 50:04 So if David sends messengers and says, 50:07 "Could you please do something to support my army?" 50:11 Should we send them away empty? 50:14 How much of what we have belongs to God? 50:17 All of it belongs to God. 50:19 Everything belongs to the son of David, 50:21 he's gonna get the land and he's gonna get his bride. 50:25 And so the whole gospel story is wrapped up in here, 50:28 that's why I think it's important for us 50:29 to remember that we're doing the work of Abigail, 50:33 we are the church, 50:34 and we should be willing to give up ourselves 50:36 as servants, 50:37 that's what she did 50:39 to be make a covenant with David 50:41 through marriage, 50:43 that's what baptism is a type of. 50:45 And to basically offer all that we are 50:50 and all that we have to Him 50:52 and it says, she did it in haste. 50:54 Let's face it, it's not always easy to understand 50:57 everything you read in the Bible. 50:59 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 51:03 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 51:06 To get biblical straightforward answers, 51:08 call into Bible Answers Live, 51:10 a live nationwide calling radio program, 51:12 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 51:15 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 51:17 For times and stations in your area 51:20 or to listen to answers online, 51:22 visit bal.amazingfacts.org. 51:38 Among the people living in the tropics, 51:40 for thousands of years 51:41 the coconut has been a virtual tree of life. 51:44 The people use it for food, for clothing, for water, 51:48 for tools, for soap, it does just about everything. 51:52 The coconut has also saved a lot of lives. 51:56 During World War II, 51:58 pilots that were shot down 51:59 or sailors that were stranded on Pacific Islands, 52:02 they lived for many months 52:03 on nothing other than the coconut trees 52:05 that were on their islands. 52:07 Yes, sir, the coconut is a tree of life. 52:10 One of the amazing things about coconut is 52:12 they're designed 52:13 so they're actually able to float across oceans. 52:16 Coconuts can go thousands of miles 52:18 after many months 52:19 be washed up on some deserted sandy beach, 52:22 then they take root, sprout, come to life 52:27 and they'll develop a whole new ecosystem, 52:29 hold in islands and place through a hurricane. 52:32 When the ancient Polynesian travelers crossing oceans 52:35 saw an island with coconut trees, 52:37 they knew there was hope. 52:39 It's amazing how in virtually no time at all, 52:41 those living on Pacific Islands know how to make baskets 52:44 and all kinds of tools 52:46 from the leaves of the coconut tree. 52:51 The coconuts even serve different purposes 52:53 at different times in their development. 52:55 The younger green coconut, they're full of water, 52:57 that'll keep you alive. 53:01 You can even make utensils from the coconut. 53:04 My spoon is part of the green shell 53:07 and here this is a coconut jelly, 53:10 makes good for breakfast. 53:14 The more mature coconuts, that's where you get the meat, 53:16 but you want to make sure that they're not bad, 53:18 the way you test this is you can hear the water inside. 53:21 You bring that mike over here. 53:24 Can you hear it? That's a good one. 53:26 How about we take a bite? 53:28 Now that makes meal that will really fill you up 53:30 and it cleanse your teeth at the same time. 53:35 Throughout the Bible, 53:36 Jesus uses a number of metaphors to remind us 53:38 that everything we need to survive comes from Him. 53:41 He says that He's the living water. 53:43 Jesus tells us He is the bread of life. 53:46 His robe covers us with righteousness. 53:49 He is our good shepherd that protects us. 53:51 Jesus is the living vine 53:53 through which we get our life and our nourishment. 53:56 You might say Jesus is like the coconut tree, 53:58 a tree of life. 54:00 You know, the first few verses in the Bible tell that 54:02 God provided a tree of life for man 54:05 so he could live forever, 54:06 but because of sin man was separated from that tree 54:09 and from the garden. 54:10 But through trusting in Jesus 54:12 and trusting in His sacrifice on the cross, 54:14 we once again will have access to the tree of life 54:17 and have eternal life with Him in the kingdom. 54:20 But this is all made possible because we trust in Jesus, 54:22 who is the real tree of life. 54:25 Jesus said, "Unless you eat My flesh 54:26 and drink My blood, you have no life in you." 54:29 But when we accept Christ as our sacrifice 54:31 and we allow Him to cleanse us and fill us with His spirit, 54:34 we become new creatures, 54:35 and we can be with Him 54:36 and sharing the gift of everlasting life with others. 54:40 Matter of fact, we could do that right now 54:42 by tossing a coconut out 54:43 and praying that it lands on a deserted beach. 55:04 Can't get enough Amazing Facts Bible study? 55:07 You don't have to wait 55:08 until next week to enjoy more truth filled programming. 55:11 Visit the Amazing Facts media library at aftv.org. 55:16 At aftv.org you can enjoy video and audio presentations 55:21 as well as printed material all free of charge, 55:25 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 55:27 right from your computer or mobile device. 55:30 Visit aftv.org. 55:37 Amazing Facts changed lives. 55:46 Nobody was there to defend me. 55:48 Nobody was there to protect me. 55:51 My question was, why did that happen to me God? 55:54 Why didn't You intervene? 55:57 Once I hit my teenage years, 56:00 everything just started coming up. 56:02 I felt embarrassed of what had happened 56:05 because for so long I felt it was my fault. 56:09 There were times that I prayed 56:11 but it was prayers of resentment 56:13 and anger and just yelling at God, 56:17 I was so confused, so depressed 56:20 and I could not bear any more of the pain, 56:23 you know, what's the point of living, 56:25 it's might as well just die. 56:29 I started cutting my self but I heard a small still voice 56:35 and it said stop. 56:38 Give me a second chance, and right there 56:42 I just felt something completely different, 56:46 I felt a presence there, 56:48 and I put everything down and I went to my room, 56:51 I just started crying. 56:54 I realized that me and God connected so well, 56:57 and I no longer saw Him as just a God 57:00 that no longer cared, 57:01 but I actually saw Him as a father 57:04 and I continued praying. 57:07 One day I was sleeping, 57:09 my mom came to the bed and she said, 57:11 Connie, he's here, he's in town 57:14 and the Lord impressed me 57:17 that you need to face this situation, 57:19 it's time for you to forgive. 57:21 When something so drastic and so painful has happened, 57:28 forgiveness is very hard because you're vulnerable, 57:33 you let go of that ego, 57:34 that pride that has taken over you 57:37 for so many years. 57:39 I prayed 57:40 and when we confronted the situation, 57:43 it was the most amazing moment 57:45 where we could pray, we could cry, 57:47 and we could forgive, 57:49 and because of that 57:50 I'm able to help others and tell others 57:53 that there is hope 57:55 and there is someone that does care. 58:05 Together we have spread the gospel 58:07 much farther than ever before. 58:10 Thank you for your support. |
Revised 2019-03-07