The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
“One Fool is Enough”
1 Samuel 25

The Cast of Characters
Nabal: The Fool
•	Nabal was very rich and influential, but his greatness wasn’t in his character, or his valiant deeds, it was in his wealth. 
Abigail: The Brilliant and Beautiful
•	Nabal’s wife- she was beautiful and intelligent. 
David: King in Waiting
•	David is, of course, the future King of Israel, but currently he and his 600 men are refugees in the wilderness trying to stay alive.
A Reasonable Request (v. 6-9)
•	David and his men had done good for Nabal, protecting Nabal’s herdsmen and livestock. At celebration time, David just assumed that Nabal would recognize what he had done for him, and be generous.
A Fool’s Folly (v. 10-12)
•	Nabal delivers the harshest of insults: 
You’re a nobody. 
You’re no better than a wandering thief with a band of murderers.
You deserve nothing! 
David Flips His Lid (v. 13;21)
•	David is deeply insulted. He feels violated, disrespected and foolish.
•	“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” - Galatians 6:9
•	“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” - Romans 12:19
•	Anger is one of the most debilitating emotions we wrestle with.
Because it’s unpredictable and public.
“Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” - James 1:20
Abigail’s Intervention (v. 14-31)
•	Abigail’s plea:
1.	Nabal is a fool, and I have come to take responsibility for his foolishness.
2.	God has kept you from a great injustice by sending me to intercept you.
3.	I’ve brought you the feast that you and your men deserve.
4.	God has promised to make you king, your future is secure, and this bloody revenge is beneath your calling as God’s anointed king.
•	Abigail not only saves Nabal and all his servants, but she also saves David.
David Relents (v. 32-35)

David and Abigail Both Win (v. 36-42)
•	David marries a woman with wealth, influence, beauty and character- and a woman who helped save him from disaster.
•	Abigail trades a fool for a king, and becomes an influencer in David’s life.

Lesson 1: Don’t be afraid of the wilderness.
•	The wilderness is where we learn to trust what God says. The wilderness is where we have to hold on to God’s truth like never before. 
•	The wilderness is where we can meet God in a very personal, profound way. We meet God in the fiery landscape of wilderness experiences.
•	The wilderness is always about God’s love.
•	It may seem dry, empty, wasted time, but things are happening. It may not be obvious, but God is there.

Lesson 2: Don’t become a shipwreck.
•	Name your Nabal. Name the thing in your life that’s foolishness, that’s dangerous, and that left unaddressed, can shipwreck you. 

1. Bring it to God.
Confess it. Own it. Talk to God about it. Stop being afraid of it- pretending if you ignore it, it’ll go away.

2. Bring it to someone you trust. A friend. A parent. A mentor. A pastor.
Bring it out of the shadows and into the light.

3. Make a plan to destroy it, before it destroys you. 
Everyone has a Nabal in their life. Someone foolish, something foolish, that has the potential to cause us great harm. But it doesn’t have to.