Now let's read in 1st Samuel chapter 25.
Jeff will preach from this in just a moment but let me read 1st Samuel 25 for us.
Now Samuel died and all Israel assembled and mourned for him and they buried him at his home in Ramah.
Then David moved down into the desert of Paran.
A certain man in Mahon who had property there at Carmel was very wealthy.
He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep which he was shearing in Carmel.
His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail.
She was an intelligent and beautiful woman but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings.
He was a Calebite.
While David was in the wilderness he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep.
So he sent ten young men and said to them,
Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name.
Say to him, Long life to you, good health to you and your household and good health to all that is yours.
Now I hear that it is sheep shearing time.
When your shepherds were with us we did not ill treat them.
And the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing.
Ask your own servants and they will tell you.
Therefore be favourable towards my men since we come at a festive time.
Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.
When David's men arrived they gave Nabal this message in David's name.
Then they waited.
Nabal answered David's servants,
Who is this David?
Who is this son of Jesse?
Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.
Why should I take my bread and water and the meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers
and give it to men coming from who knows where?
David's men turned round and went back.
When they arrived they reported every word.
David said to his men,
Each of you strap on your sword.
So they did.
And David strapped his on as well.
About 400 men went up with David while 200 stayed with the supplies.
One of the servants told Abigail, Nabal's wife,
David sent messengers from the wilderness to give our master his greetings but he hurled insults at them.
These men were very good to us.
They did not ill treat us and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing.
Night and day they were a wall around us the whole time we were herding our sheep near them.
Now think it over and see what you can do because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household.
He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him.
Abigail acted quickly.
She took 200 loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five sears of roasted grain,
a hundred cakes of raisins and 200 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.
As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine,
there were David and his men descending towards her and she met them.
David had just said,
It's been useless.
All my watching over this fellow's property in the wilderness so that nothing of his was missing.
He has paid me back evil for good.
May God deal with David, be it ever so severely if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him.
When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground.
She fell at his feet and said,
Pardon your servant, my lord, and let me speak to you.
Hear what your servant has to say.
Please pay no attention, my lord, to that wicked man Nabal.
He is just like his name.
His name means fool and folly goes with him.
And as for me, your servant, I did not see the men, my lord said.
And now, my lord, as surely as the lord your God lives and as you live,
since the lord has kept you from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands,
may your enemies and all who are intent on harming my lord be like Nabal.
And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my lord, be given to the men who follow you.
Please forgive your servant's presumption.
The lord your God will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my lord,
because you fight the lord's battles,
and no wrongdoing will be found in you as long as you live.
Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life,
the life of my lord will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the lord your God.
By the lives of your enemies he will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.
When the lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him,
and has appointed him ruler over Israel,
my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed,
or of having avenged himself.
And when the lord your God has brought my lord success,
remember your servant.
David said to Abigail,
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
who has sent you today to meet me.
May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day,
and from avenging myself with my own hands.
Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel lives,
who has kept me from harming you,
if you had not come quickly to meet me,
not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.
Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought to him and said,
Go home in peace.
I have heard your words and granted your request.
When Abigail went to Nabal,
he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king.
He was in high spirits and very drunk,
so she told him nothing at all until daybreak.
Then, in the morning, when Nabal was sober,
his wife told him all these things,
and his heart failed him,
and he became like a stone.
About ten days later,
the Lord struck Nabal and he died.
When David heard that Nabal was dead,
he said,
Praise be to the Lord,
who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt.
He has kept his servant from doing wrong
and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head.
Then David sent word to Abigail,
asking her to become his wife.
His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail,
David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife.
She bowed down with her face to the ground and said,
I am your servant and I'm ready to serve you
and wash the feet of my Lord's servants.
Abigail quickly got on a donkey and,
attended by her five female servants,
went with David's messengers and became his wife.
David had also married a Hinoam of Jezreel,
and they both were his wives.
But Saul had given his daughter,
Michiel, David's wife,
to Paltiel, son of Laish,
who was from Galim.
Amen.
This is God's word.
Now it's a pleasure to hand over to Jeff now.
Former US President, JFK,
when he was on his election campaign
to be elected as President of the United States,
he met an elderly woman.
She said,
you're one of the Kennedy brothers,
aren't you?
So both JFK and his brother, Robert,
were in politics,
and both looked remarkably similar.
He said,
yes, that's right,
I'm one of the Kennedy brothers.
And she said,
I just want to say,
I think you've done a terrific job
on the Senate Racket Committee.
And JFK said,
no, sorry,
that was my brother.
And she says,
it is?
Well,
those seven beautiful children you have,
aren't they wonderful?
Well, JFK responded,
no,
that's my brother.
And she said,
oh, well,
just tell your brother all the best
in his bid to become the president.
JFK quickly said,
no,
that's me.
Here is a case of mistaken identity.
And it's that topic
that we'll be talking about
and discussing this morning
in the case of Nabal and David
in the passage that was read earlier.
When our identity is in Jesus,
everything has its perfect balance
rightly in our lives.
But when our identity is not in Jesus,
it so often can have a damaging effect
on ourselves
and on those around us.
For example,
in our work life,
we get a promotion at work
or we finish off a project
and our boss praises it,
thinks it's amazing.
It could have the tendency
to puff us up
and we can find our identity in it.
But then what happens
when we don't do so well at work,
when our boss is on our case,
it can really crush us
and damage us.
However,
when our identity is in Jesus Christ,
everything has its rightful place.
Finding our identity in Jesus
meets three key tests,
which I believe are key
to finding out
whether something is worth
having your identity in or not.
There's the firstly,
the joy test.
Is this thing or person
going to give me deep and lasting joy?
The second test
is the life ruling test.
Is this thing or person
worth centering my life upon?
And third of all,
the eternity test.
Is this thing or person
really worth staking
my eternal destiny upon?
Now, this is not just a message
for non-Christians
about how they need
to find their identity in Jesus.
This is a message
that says also
about how Christians
to have an identity,
have a tendency
to find their identity
in things and in people
other than Jesus.
Very often,
we struggle
with a mistaken identity.
Our culture,
our society,
will say we need
X, Y and Z
to really truly be happy
in life.
So many things
are seeking our devotion
and seeking to pull us away
from Jesus.
Christians are not exempt from it.
But let's go to the text
and really see these issues
of identity really begin
to play out in 1 Samuel.
We're introduced in verse 2
to a man named Nabal.
Now, Nabal,
if you're interested
in the meaning of names,
Nabal in Hebrew,
the original language,
actually means full
and we'll begin to see that
as time goes on.
He's very wealthy,
we're told,
and sheep and goats.
We're then introduced
to his wife, Abigail,
who's beautiful and intelligent,
which is then immediately
contrasted to Nabal
who is harsh and evil
in all his dealings.
And then David
comes into the narrative.
So it says that David
heard that Nabal
was shearing sheep.
And so David
tells his men,
go and ask Nabal
for a share of his wealth.
And so at this point
you could be tempted,
what's David doing
just going up to
a rich guy
and asking for his money?
I mean,
that seems a bit strange.
But it's not asking
for a handout.
David's not asking
for a handout.
He's asking for his
rightful wage.
We know this because
in verses 7, 15 and 16,
we read about how
David and his men
protected Nabal's men
and Nabal's animals
from harm,
from theft.
And so we could argue
that even in part
some of Nabal's wealth
is down to David's
and his men's diligence.
And so David's men
go and ask Nabal
for provision
and are flat out rejected.
In fact,
worse yet,
Nabal says,
who is this David?
Who is Jesse's son?
I don't know
who you're talking about.
And then he goes
even further
and says,
in fact,
I don't even know
where you guys come from.
You might be from
a really dodgy place.
I'm not,
I'm not entertaining this.
Go home.
In verse 14,
we read the account
of one of Nabal's servants
who saw this going on.
And it says that he,
that Nabal railed
at David's men.
He shouted at David's men.
He wanted to keep his hands
on David's rightful shares
so that his wealth
could go unaffected.
And we begin to see
what's ruling
Nabal's heart at this point.
What he's really finding
his identity in.
though that case
is going to go stronger
as time goes on.
His identity
is based on his wealth.
And we see that
not only by how
he shamelessly denies
David and his men
their rightful wage
so that he could
keep a hold of his money.
But also in his
love of money,
we also see
how his
love of money
had shaped
how his peers
viewed him.
We see in verse 17
one of his
servants said,
Nabal's a worthless man.
Nobody can even
approach him.
And then in verse 25
his own wife Abigail
calls him a worthless
fellow.
And his love of money
as his wealth grew
so too did his ego.
And he thought
he was unstoppable.
He was untouchable.
He was the king
of his world.
Being so
unapproachable,
unbearable
as he was,
it really poisoned
his relationships.
And he loved his money
so much
that it would mean
he would treat
his servants,
he would treat
his own wife
so poorly
that they would
consider him
worthless.
Falling on from
the pleas of Abigail
and her giving generously
to David,
David agrees
to relent
from his attack.
Abigail then
goes to tell
Nabal
what happened
only to find
Nabal
drunk
in the middle
of a feast
like that
of a king.
Now in verse 36
there's that addition
a feast
like that
of a king
and
that addition
is not
random
it's not to get
the author's
word count up
but this is actually
an insight
into what Nabal
thinks about himself.
He thinks himself
so great
he thinks his wealth
so grand
that he considers
himself like
a king.
Once he sobered up
Abigail went
and told him
what had happened
with David
and upon hearing
that part of his
wealth was taken
away
the ESV translation
puts it really strongly
his heart
within him died.
Such powerful
language
his heart
within him died
and so we see
what his identity
is wrapped up in
his wealth
and we see that
because of how he
responded to
and treated David's
men
how he treated
those around him
how those around him
consequently viewed him
as a worthless fellow
and then
we see that
too
in his response
to part of that
wealth
being taken away
it literally
killed him
and that
is the power
of finding
your identity
in something
it becomes
your all
in all
it becomes
a dictator
over whether
we have
a good mood
or a bad mood
it becomes
all consuming
it becomes
the director
of our
eternal destiny
for Nabal
he was at his
happiest
when he was
having drunken
feasts
enjoying
all his
wealth
and grandeur
but he
was at his
very lowest
and we see
that in his
death
at his very
lowest
when part
of that
wealth
was taken
away
we all
have
identity
battles
in our
hearts
things that
we
struggle
with
things that
we place
our hopes
our joys
and our
plans
in
things that
dictate our
mood
and rule
our lives
now this
might look
differently
for each
and every
one of us
for you
it might be
power
you might
have your
identity
wrapped up
in being
honoured
being respected
being thought
well of
maybe it's
like Nabal
you have
your identity
wrapped up
in your
wealth
and
you know
you might
be having
feasts
fit for a
king
while your
neighbour
next door
is going
down to
the local
food bank
the problem
with these
things
is not
money
we need
money
to feed
ourselves
to clothe
ourselves
to pay
our bills
the problem
is not
being respected
or being
honoured
the bible
actually has
quite a lot
of positive
things to
say about
respecting
and honouring
one another
and the
problem comes
in though
when these
things become
ultimate
in our lives
when our
lives are
ruled by
money
our lives
are ruled
by having
to be
respected
and honoured
as I said
earlier
this is as
much an
issue for
Christians
as it is
non-Christians
and we
see that
in David's
response
so David's
men come
back and
tell him
what's
happened
in the
encounter
with
Nabal
that
Nabal
has
rejected
the
request
rejected
knowledge
of him
insinuated
that they
were no
users
from goodness
knows
where
and David
is raging
he's
fizzing
he
so much
so that
he goes
and gets
his sword
and tells
his men
go and
do
likewise
he wants
to go
and have
it out
with
Nabal
let's
see
who's
the
big
man
now
sort
of
thing
on
verse
21
we see
that
David
complains
all his
service
to
Nabal
was
futile
verse
22
even
brings
God
into
the
equation
you
see
David
was
angry
because
he
thought
he
deserved
more
honour
more
respect
than
he
was
getting
how
many
of
us
have
been
there
with
our
bosses
you
know
we
don't
think
that
we're
honoured
or
respected
or given
credit
for
the
things
that
we
think
we
deserve
credit
for
now
whilst
we
may
not
go
to
our
bosses
with
a
sword
in
hand
I'd
certainly
hope
not
the
anger
the rage
that builds
up
in our
hearts
can
sometimes
be
far
more
devastating
it
takes
Abigail
to
bring him
a
generous
portion
also
a
humble
bowing
before
him
cry
for
mercy
in
order
for
David
to
relent
not
only
does
Abigail
do
this
but
she
points
David
to
the
Lord
to
his
justice
and
his
judgment
reminding
David
that
this
is not
David's
to
sort
out
this
is
not
David's
battle
to
fight
justice
and
judgment
belong
to
God
who
will
not
let
the
guilty
go
unpunished
so
what
then
is
the
takeaway
from
all
of
this
don't
be
like
Nabal
don't
be
like
David
be
like
Abigail
was
good
Abigail
pointed
her
neighbour
to
the
Lord
Abigail
was
generous
well
no
not
exactly
you
see
the
story
is
not
telling
us
a
moral
story
of
what
we
are
to
do
to
find
a
sort
of
goodness
a
morality
within
ourselves
now
my
wife
and
I
have
a
guilty
pleasure
of
hallmark
movies
you
might
know
of
them
you
might
not
they're
on
channel
5
like
all
the
time
they're
usually
called
something
along
the
lines
of
harvest
moon
or
autumn
dreams
out
workaholic
girl
is
tired
of
the
hustle
and
the
bustle
of
the
city
and
so
moves
out
to
the
town
or
the
village
it's
all
very
idyllic
to
find
out
what
really
matters
in
life
what
are
the
true
values
to
hold
to
upon
arriving
she
goes
to
a
grocery
store
or
she
goes
to
a
pub
meets
a
handsome
chap
and
although
initially
trying
to
ignore
him
she
falls
in
what
are
the
good
moral
values
to
hold
onto
in
life
now
the
Bible
is
not
like
that
and
this
story
is
no
exception
it's
not
a
compilation
of
positive
and
inspiring
stories
which
teach
a
good
moral
value
that
we
take
away
and
apply
to
our
life
and
that's
us
good
with
God
it's
not
like
that
the
Bible
isn't
10
tips
to
personal
improvement
so
that
we
could
be
the
hero
or
the
saviour
of
our
story
the
Bible
is
about
how
Jesus
is
the
hero
Jesus
is
the
saviour
of
the
story
the
Bible
from
beginning
to
end
every
page
every
book
of
the
Bible
is
all
about
how
good
Jesus
is
now
how
all
of
that
relates
to
the
question
of
identity
is
that
placing
your
identity
in
something
it
becomes
your
all
in
all
they
become
the
masters
of
your
life
everything
you
think
say
or
do
is
dictated
to
you
by
your
identity
and
that
whilst
money
sex
power
make
terrible
masters
I
want
to
say
that
Jesus
is
the
best
master
so
Christian
or
non
Christian
this
morning
whoever
you
are
wherever
you're
listening
from
look
to
Jesus
and
find
your
identity
in
him
that's
why
the
message
isn't
don't
be
like
Nabal
don't
be
like
David
be
like
Abigail
because
in
this
identity
war
in
your
life
the
hero
of
the
story
is
always
Jesus
and
he's
the
only
one
who's
really
worth
having
your
identity
fixed
in
and
I'll
tell
you
why
earlier
I
set
before
us
three
tests
as
to
whether
something
is
worth
having
your
identity
fixed
in
first
was
the
joy
test
is
this
thing
is
this
person
going to
give me
deep
and
lasting
joy
the
second
was
the
life
ruling
test
is
this
thing
or
person
worth
centring
my
universe
on
and
thirdly
the
eternal
test
is
this
going
to
bear
fruit
in
eternity
is
this
going
to
bear
fruit
before
God
I
also
said
earlier
that
everyone
and
everything
apart
from
Jesus
fails
to
meet
this
test
and
we'll
see
that
because
these
other
things
make
horrible
masters
for
our
lives
I
want
to
say
that
Jesus
is
the
best
master
and
makes
the
best
master
for
our
lives
first
of
all
is
the
joy
test
I
want
to
go
to
John
chapter
4
and
we
read
in
that
of
Jesus
meeting
a
woman
at
a
well
Jesus
says
to
the
woman
you
drink
the
water
from
this
well
you're
just
going
to
be
thirsty
again
but
the
water
that
I
give
you
is
going
to
bubble
up
within
you
well
up
within
you
to
a
spring
of
eternal
life
so
Jesus
here
is
not
just
saying
this
water
is
no
good
you
need
to
find
some
different
water
in
this
world
he's
pointing
not
to
the
deficiency
of
that
particular
water
from
that
particular
well
but
it's
a
picture
of
the
deficiency
of
all
things
apart
from
Jesus
to
give
us
true
and
lasting
satisfaction
we
also
have
the
testimony
of
the
apostle
Paul
in
Philippians
3
recounting
his
former
life
of
Judaism
and
he
says
that
he
counts
that
as
worthless
compared
to
knowing
Jesus
Christ
now
before
we
think
that
Paul
was
writing
that
at
a
really
swell
moment
in
his
life
sitting
on
a
warm
beach
somewhere
sipping
a
cocktail
he
wasn't
he
was
sitting
in
a
cold
stony
Roman
jail
cell
imprisoned
for
telling
other
people
about
Jesus
Christ
and
so
in
the
dark
confines
of a
Roman
prison
Jesus
is
enough
for
you
and
me
today
in
poverty
and
sickness
and
suffering
Jesus
and the
joy
in him
is
sufficient
the
second
issue
is the
life
ruling
problem
is this
thing
or person
really worth
centring my
life upon
is Jesus
worth centring my
life upon
I just want
to read
some things
from the
Bible
some texts
from the
Bible
that I've
put together
that tell us
about Jesus
and I'll let
you make
up your
mind
is Jesus
really worth
centring your
life upon
heaven
this Jesus
who is the
image of
the invisible
God
greater than
all the
angels in
heaven
who
created
and sustains
all things
who despite
being God
came down
to live
in time
and space
to live
the life
that we
should have
lived on
our behalf
to endure
our shame
our suffering
that we
were due
on the
cross
instead of
hearing the
praise of
angels in
heaven
he heard
the crowds
cry
crucify him
he received
beatings
mockings
sneerings
he was spat
at for you
and for me
for the joy
that was set
before him
namely this
joy of seeing
people like
you and me
reconciled
to God
our father
in heaven
he is the
only way
to God
and he is
the only way
the only
person worthy
of our
worship
and adoration
Jesus is
the only
master
to have
died
for his
subjects
which leads
us on to
the third
problem
which is
the eternal
problem
the eternal
test
is Jesus
worth
staking
my eternal
future on
well I've
just said
that
Jesus
is
the only
way
to God
the father
Mark
chapter 8
verse 36
he also
says
what will it
profit a man
if he gains
the whole
world
but forfeits
his soul
now what
Jesus is
saying here
is that you
could be
perfectly happy
with having
the best
family
the nicest
car
the biggest
house
the biggest
salary
for your
job
but before
almighty God
that's gonna
do you
no good
and so from
an eternal
perspective
Jesus is the
greatest
master
not just
in eternity
but right
now
right here
right now
he provides
deep and
lasting joy
he is worth
revolving our
lives around
why can I say
that with
certainty
well
because Jesus
who being
almighty God
identified with
us in order
that we could
find our
identity in
him
one of my
favourite
contemporary
Christmas songs
it's called
How Many
Kings
and the chorus
goes like
this
how many
kings
stepped down
from their
thrones
how many
lords have
abandoned
their homes
how many
greats have
become the
least for me
and how
many gods
have torn
out their
hearts to
romance a
world that
is torn
out apart
how many
fathers gave
up their
sons for
me
and I
highlight
something
really
important
the
celebrities
of our
day
do not
obey the
law of
God
on our
behalf
money
did not
sacrifice
itself
for you
nails
did not
pierce
the hands
of
comfortability
power
and prominence
did not
stoop down
as a
servant
to save
you
the great
influencers
of the
past
did not
rise again
from the
dead
to defeat
death
for us
only
Jesus
did that
only
he did
that
for you
and for
me
only
Jesus
is
qualified
fully
to be
master
over
your
life
run
from
all
else
that would
seek
to be
masters
over
your
life
and run
to
Jesus
the
greatest
master
so
every
single
person
who's
listening
wherever
you're
listening
from
whatever
background
you're
from
I want
to say
look
to
Jesus
to find
your
identity
in him
look
to him
and find
in him
a better
master
the best
master
whilst money
relationships
and joy
have our joy
fluctuate
the joy
that Jesus
gives
is
constant
that you
would have
the deepest
sense
of
hope
and joy
and peace
and assurance
in him
this morning
friends
put your
trust in him
today
and find
in him
your soul's
deepest
longings
look
to Jesus
Christ
the greatest
master
let's pray
heavenly
father
we confess
that we
are too
ready to
run to
other
things
and to
other
people
to try
and get
our
identity
money
sex
power
respect
it can
be such
a temptation
for us
forgive us
for this
thank you
that the
Christian faith
is not
simply
self-denial
but rather
in Jesus
we find
someone
who is
greater
than these
things
whose glory
surpasses
them all
whose joy
and satisfaction
that he
gives
exceeds
these things
and therefore
in joy
we can forsake
our finding
our identity
in other
things
we can give
up being
mastered
by money
or ruled
by lust
and joyfully
submit to the
lordship of
Jesus Christ
in whose name
we pray
amen