Going Golden - Nabal

This man’s name was Nabal, and his wife, Abigail, was a sensible and beautiful woman. But Nabal, a descendant of Caleb, was crude and mean in all his dealings.

1 Samuel 25:3

You check your mail, and among all the bills, periodicals, and junk mail, you find a fund-raising letter for a local homeless shelter. Or you hear an appeal at church for gifts to assist those overseas who don’t have enough to eat. You see a television commercial asking for donations to care for African children orphaned by AIDS.

How do you respond? Life will present you with countless opportunities to extend kindness to those in need and set an example for your family and others.

Examples, of course, can be either negative or positive. Into the former category goes the sad case of Nabal, a wealthy but stingy rancher.

What’s in a name? A lot, in this guy’s case! The name Nabal means “fool,” and his boorish, selfish behavior perfectly fit his name.

Years before God placed him on Israel’s throne, David apparently felt confident in sending some of his men to ask Nabal for a few much-needed provisions. “Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own!” they greeted Nabal (1 Samuel 25:6), and then asked if he would extend kindness to David and his men by sharing food and water with them. Surely Nabal knew that they had been protecting his sheep and other property interests.

Nabal’s response was anything but neighborly: “Who is this fellow David? . . . Who does this son of Jesse think he is?” (1 Samuel 25:10). He then insulted David’s young servants and sent them rudely away.

Nabal, the fool, missed out on God’s blessing when he refused to assist the Lord’s servant David. Just a few days later, in what seems no accidental end to the story, Nabal also missed out on a long life when he died of an apparent heart attack.

When you make good use of the opportunities God gives you to extend kindness to others, you live by the Golden Rule and encourage anyone who is watching to follow your example.