I've always found the story of Abigail to be fascinating. She was a woman filled with the wisdom of God who saved her first husband, Nabal, and her entire household from disaster. She also prophesied over David and later became his wife. I've always imagined that once David heard of Nabal's death, he knew he had to scoop Abigail up quickly. He knew he needed the wisdom she embodied.
That said, Abigail's story is a great illustration of how to be a godly employer and business owner. Let's take a closer look at her experience.
For background, David and his men had protected Nabal's sheep and shepherds out in the wilderness. That entailed keeping dangerous predators at bay, such as bears and lions. Sometime later, it was sheep-shearing time for Nabal's household. As was customary, this was a time of celebration, When David heard this, he sent men to remind Nabal of what he and his troops had done to protect his interests. He requested some of the food and goodies being prepared.
Alas, Nabal's response was dismissive. 1 Samuel 25:11 - Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?
Having been insulted, David became angry and gathered his fighters to head over to Nabal's. And this is where Abigail's wisdom and leadership become evident.
Once aware of how her husband disrespected David, Abigail jumped into action. 1 Samuel 25:18-19 - She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. She met David and his men as they were on their way and bowed before him. She acknowledged that he had every right to be upset and pleaded with him to accept the gifts she had sent instead of committing bloodshed.
David calmed down and accepted her offer, thereby preventing the slaughter of her household because of her husband's unwise decision to maltreat those who'd shown him kindness.
Imagine if Abigail wasn't the sort of person her staff could come to with the news of impending doom. She wouldn't have been able to intercede. Imagine if she had no command and control over her household and the ongoing preparations. She wouldn't have known what was available to send as a peace offering. And, what if she lacked the wisdom needed to convince David not to follow through with his emotions? The men of her house would have been slaughtered bringing great destruction and sadness to her household.
As business owners, we must pray to be like Abigail -- enterprising and filled with God's wisdom. Abigail was the sort of employer who was trusted by her staff, which is why they could report her first husband's actions to her, knowing she'd do better. In that sense, she likely embodied Colossians 4:1 - Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven. Her staff knew they could speak to her and not be ignored because she, and not Nabal, took care of them. Proverbs 31:15 - She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She also represents the Proverbs 31 business person who knows everything about their company and can wisely pivot when a problem arises. Proverbs 31:21 - When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
We are Christians who aim to run our businesses following God's will and His word. We therefore cannot ignore the clear examples of godly leadership that are provided in the Bible. May we all learn from Abigail and apply the wisdom of the Lord as we cater to our customers, protect our employees, and prevent disaster, IJMN, Amen.
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