Today’s lesson explores the fact that David’s new wife, Abigail, operated within God’s Spirit of Understanding. Understanding is another one of the seven attributes of God’s Holy Spirit. It appears that Abigail was blessed with all seven of these holy attributes.
Last week we discussed the fact that Abigail had the Spirit of Wisdom. This attribute was operating through God’s Holy Spirit living within her. Wisdom is foundational to today’s focus of how Abigail moved in The Spirit of Understanding. Understanding cannot work without first having wisdom as its cornerstone.
WELCOME
Thanks for joining us at The IN SEASON Lifestyle as we continue to study the book of 1 Samuel. We have come to the time in the life of David when he married Abigail. Abigail has a lot to teach us about following God’s ways. That being the case, we’ve decided to spend our next five lessons discussing the godly traits of Abigail’s character. She has so much to teach us about living a holy life.
Of course, we will continue studying 1 Samuel and the rest of the life of David after this slight detour. Though David is the current and main theme, we want to understand Abigail too. She added richness to the life of David. These helpful details about Abigail’s life are too important to skip.
Most of us have questions about Abigail. Why would a future King be interested in a woman like Abigail? What did she have to offer David? Why did he love her so much? How was she able to influence him to the point that she could instantly change his course of action?
ABIGAIL POSSESSED THE SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING
David admired Abigail’s sense of understanding. He admired this attribute of her character so much that when he heard of Nabal’s death, he asked Abigail to become his wife.
Thinking through the layers of scriptures, we can see a type and shadow of the Gospel in David and Abigail’s story. Their story lines up with the prophetic facts concerning our eternity. The foolish Nabal is symbolic of Satan. We know when Satan is put away forever, the Bride of Christ will marry Yeshua and reign with him for 1,000 years. Therefore, Abigail’s future of being the wife of King David could represent a believer’s participation in the millennial reign of Christ.
It seems significant to examine the characteristics that made Abigail so pleasing to a future King. What are these wonderful attributes? Afterall, are Christians not destined to become the wife of the future King of all Kings? Perhaps The Bride of Christ can learn a few lessons from the stories of Abigail.
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ABIGAIL?
It is rare for a person to possess all seven of the amazing attributes of God’s Holy Spirt. However, it appears that Abigail led a humble and devoted life through which God developed all of these holy characteristics.
Because she asked, these holy attributes of God’s Holy Spirit became a part of her very being. Thus, all of her actions reflected these seven holy attributes. It surprises some seekers to realize that all we have to do is seek God’s face and ask. He will give us gifts of The Holy Spirit. We can have the same beautiful spirit of Abigail living inside us too. When we seek Yeshua, He will send God’s Holy Spirit to live within us. At that moment and from that moment on, the same holy attributes will naturally manifest within any believer’s heart. When that happens, we become the modern-day, living, breathing, and walking Temples.
This is a lot for our minds and spirits to grasp at once. So, for today we will only look closer at the attribute the scriptures call “understanding.”
BINAH
The Hebrew word which means “understanding” is “Binah.” This meaning of “Binah” has to do with the ability to separate and/or categorize things.
Binah also means “building.” Not building as a noun, but building as a verb. The act of building represents the action of Binah.
When one uses “Binah” for discernment, they are easily able to distinguish between like-kind and like-mind. It also becomes easy for them to separate things according to their best and destined purpose. One operating within this gift of The Holy Spirit can discern if one item or person doesn’t belong with or within a particular group.
The separating is about holiness, not exclusion. We speak of the separation of good from evil, life from death, love from hate, etc. This act of separation could be distinguishing between, man or beast, man or woman, young or old, fruitful and unfruitful, etc. No group is bad unto itself. Yet everything only works properly when it is functioning within the place and for the reason which God designed for it to function.
TRUE DISCERNMENT
Binah is sometimes called “discernment.” It is clear that Abigail was gifted with true and godly discernment. Discernment or Binah is a type of “knowing” that not everyone has. It is the type of “knowing” Adam used when he named the animals of the earth. This same type of discernment, or Binah, or understanding helped Adam to know that his kind could not be found within the animal kingdom. Adam possessed this gift of understanding which distinguished differences. Since Adam was created in the image of God, unlike the animals, God brought him to like-kind by creating Eve.
By this same gift of understanding, Abigail understood who David was. Therefore, she knew that he was to be honored. Her discernment also identified that Nabal had been wrong in the way he treated David. Hence, she acted quickly to cover his huge mistakes. This same understanding or discernment was also useful when she was choosing and training the servants of her household.
Abigail was able to separate wisdom from foolishness. She was able to build David’s trust toward her instead of destroying it as Nabal had done. Abigail brought peace into places of chaos. She did this through operating in God’s Holy Spirit with the Spirits of Wisdom and Understanding. These two attributes of God’s Spirit work with one another in a beautiful way.
BUILDING GOD’S HOUSE
The root of Binah is tevunah. Tevunah comes from the Hebraic root word “boneh” which means “to build.” This reminds us of the skills involved with carpentry. Carpenters build houses. Jesus came to us as a carpenter. His ability to build things, physically provided a way to earn a living. However, His spiritual ability to build God’s people into a spiritual house was the most important trait.
Yeshua was able to “build” spiritual wisdom and understanding into his disciples. Similar to Abigail, Yeshua surrounded himself with the right people. The inner circle traveled where ever Yeshua decided to go. They followed Him.
The disciples following Jesus is similar to the time when Abigail was leaving to marry David and her closest servants followed after her. Yeshua trained His disciples properly with discernment. He used action more than words. Actions are easier for others to understand and comprehend. Discernment always requires the gift of understanding. Once we acquire the Spirit of Wisdom, we can build upon wisdom’s foundational blocks in order to acquire the gift of understanding.
This is exactly how Abigail managed to build her house. God helped her to achieve a home full of wisdom and understanding in spite of her foolish husband. Abigail incorporated wisdom and understanding into the way she trained her household servants. In turn they respected, appreciated and followed her. She set examples for them by her actions. The community was aware of the Spirit of Understanding working within Abigail’s spirit. They perceived it by the ways and actions of her household. It was clear that Abigail had used discernment in gathering good people around her.
UNDERSTANDING GATHERS HER PEOPLE
This aspect of Abigail’s personality reveals yet another trait of understanding. It is the ability to gather like-kind with like-mind. Abigail’s ways were God’s ways. God’s ways were her people’s ways. Her servants displayed this in the way they reported to Abigail with the information about Nabal’s vile actions toward David. The gift of understanding helped Abigail to make restitution for Nabal’s lack of wisdom.
The very first step for any wise woman’s building of a proper house is to make her home a dwelling place for The Spirit of Adonai. This is the wise foundation from which Abigail built. Had she not done this, her servants would not have respected her enough to inform her of the circumstances of their household. Also, David would have stumbled by killing Nabal instead of allowing God to be the judge.
Abigail’s keen sense of understanding saved the lives and souls of all with whom she dwelled. Her presence benefited everyone. This is because she invited God to dwell within her house and among her people. Abigail was a very wise “builder”.
OTHER GODLY TRAITS OF UNDERSTANDING
But what do other scriptures teach about this attribute of God’s Holy Spirit called understanding? We could read Isaiah Chapter 11, verses 1-3 which name understanding among the other holy attributes: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.”
The Prophet Isaiah is speaking these prophetic words to the whole nation of Israel. He sees a prophetic vision of what life will be like in the coming days. From the ancestors of David will come a Messiah. The Prophet Isaiah’s voice is describing the personality of Jesus who is filled with God’s Holy Spirit and righteous in all of his ways. He will bring The Spirit of Understanding to reign over all of the earth. In those days to come, everyone will possess the Spirit of Understanding. It will reside deep inside their hearts.
THE PATTERN SET BY YESHUA IN TORAH
Yeshua was the first to effectively demonstrate the holy trait of understanding. Abigail has also shown this Spirit of Understanding in her daily walk with God. How is this possible, since Abigail lived before Yeshua walked the earth?
Abigail had the words of Torah embedded within her heart, mind and spirit. Messiah has also been called “The Word” and Torah is “The Word.” When Abigail believed in the Messiah to Come and the promises of Torah, God’s Holy Spirit imparted her with The Spirit of Understanding. By knowing Torah, Abigail knew Messiah before His first-coming to save us.
In knowing Torah, Abigail could see the types and shadows that eventually led to the salvation that springs from Messiah. These traits were what Abigail longed to imitate in her daily walk with God. I suspect that God was very pleased with Abigail. She possessed great understanding. I think it is God’s desire for all of us to know Torah. It should be embedded deep inside our hearts.
NABAL’S CURSE, DAVID’S BLESSING
Proverbs 14:1 speaks of the type of understanding we’ve described. It says: “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands” We have noted how Abigail used wisdom to build up her house. Her foolish husband Nabal (a type of Satan) was constantly tearing down what Abigail and God diligently built up.
However, life with David would be the complete opposite. David complimented all of Abigail’s spiritual traits and efforts. Together they could use God’s attributes of wisdom and understanding to multiply the gifts which God granted to each of them. By coming together as one, David and Abigail would move from salvation into sanctification. They would build an abundant life together.
A wise person’s actions reflects understanding. Understanding is always built on the foundation established by wisdom.
WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING BRING DIVINE MERCY
We can gain further information about understanding through wisdom by studying Jeremiah 5:1-15: “Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem, look around and consider, search through her squares. If you can find but one person who deals honestly and seeks the truth, I will forgive this city.
Although they say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives,’ still they are swearing falsely.” 3 Lord, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
4 I thought, “These are only the poor; they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. 5 So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.” But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.
A PICTURE OF LIFE WITHOUT WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING
6 Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. 7 “Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I supplied all their needs, yet they committed adultery and thronged to the houses of prostitutes. 8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing for another man’s wife. 9 Should I not punish them for this?” declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this? 10 “Go through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not destroy them completely. Strip off her branches, for these people do not belong to the Lord. 11 The people of Israel and the people of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to me,” declares the Lord. 12 They have lied about the Lord; they said, “He will do nothing! No harm will come to us; we will never see sword or famine.
13 The prophets are but wind and the word is not in them; so, let what they say be done to them.” 14 Therefore this is what the Lord God Almighty says: “Because the people have spoken these words, I will make my words in your mouth a fire and these people the wood it consumes. 15 People of Israel,” declares the Lord, “I am bringing a distant nation against you—an ancient and enduring nation, a people whose language you do not know, whose speech you do not understand.
FATE OF THOSE WHO LACK GODLY UNDERSTANDING
The above passage speaks of a people who lack the spiritual gift of understanding. They cannot separate light from darkness. Also, they cannot discern truth from falsehood. They are foolish like Nabal in the story of Abigail and David.
Unfortunately, this description also sounds much like the world we live in today. What will happen to people who operate life in such a way?
God is displeased when The Spirit of Understanding is missing from His people. He gladly provides understanding to those who seek him and ask for it. Understanding is a free gift. Adonai pours this gift of understanding out to His people day-after-day. They only have to open their arms and receive this gift.
LACK OF UNDERSTANDING THROUGH NEGLECT AND REBELLION
Yet, we find there are times when no one desires to pray to receive this gift. Everyone turns to their own understanding. In our story we see a very similar situation happening with David. I speak of when he found the same disappointing situation after he asked his men to go to Nabal in his name. He had provided protection and safety for the flocks. There was no recognition of this fact by Nabal. David was the reason that Nabal had so many sheep to sheer at the harvest. Yet, Nabal had not noticed or appreciated anything David had done for him and his household.
Isn’t this the same with people of today. God has provided abundance and protection for all that we own. Yet, like Nabal we fail to recognize the source of our wealth. People come to us in the name of Jesus and ask for our help. We turn our backs and count our gold without recognizing that God is the owner and provider. Too often we forget to honor where our help comes from.
HOLINESS THROUGH UNDERSTANDING
The scriptures indicate that God desires for all to be living in a safe and protected state of holiness. He desires for everyone to possess the gift of understanding. This gift of understanding is part of coming into all of the holiness God desires for us. Yet, humans of today often forget where this Spirit of Understanding comes from. They forget to trust God to provide His Holy Spirit to guide us. Abigail’s greatest trait was that she remembered who she was before God. She never forgot to ask for His help.
Abigail brought this understanding to David just in time to keep him from making a huge mistake. In a similar way, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed truth to Israel. They would not listen. In yet another parallel, God, like David confronting Nabal, refrained from unleashing all of his wrath upon the people of Israel. They would still suffer for their foolishness, but not as fiercely as they could have suffered. God showed mercy. David also showed mercy.
In both cases the right decision resulted from the wisdom and understanding of one other person who spoke God’s truth. Oh, that we all could be that one person who has the understanding of God that makes the difference. The world would be a more peaceful place to live.
PRAYER FOR UNDERSTANDING
Today I pray that all who read this article are filled with God’s Holy Spirit and receive the gift of understanding. Like Abigail, I pray that Adonai will make us a people fit for the service of an anointed King of all Kings. Bring us to know your ways Lord. Please give us a heart of wisdom and teach us to understand.