Let’s take a look at this.
Genesis 2: 18, 21-23
18. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
((It’s not good that man should be alone. If not occupied in the Lord, it can be hazardous, being alone. A whole lot of idle time could be dangerous. We are living amongst an abundance of sinful activity, and we don’t have to look for it, it’s before our eyes when we leave our dwelling places, it finds us. Here’s the Lord bringing forth the woman.))
21. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
22. And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
((This is how close we’re supposed to be when married, even before married we should just about be this. If both spouses are seeking the Lord, they’ll be so intertwined to the point where they’ll start to think alike. This will happen, if both are seeking to pattern themselves after the Father in Jesus. Two individuals with two minds(double power), but one faith, on one accord. Before married we should be really getting to know one another: likes, dislikes, do she have a quick temper, do he have a quick temper, do he or she struggle being patient, ect. The Foundation must be set before getting married. It makes joining more smooth sailing. We shouldn’t be starting out on a rocky road. We don’t need stress at the beginning, we’re just starting. You know, most of the time we’re putting on our best behavior, once meeting, and hanging out for the first several times. The question is: Are we really like this or are we just putting up a front? Will the monster come out later? We should know what to expect out of a person up to 80%-90%, if we’re being truthful and honest with one another up front. We shouldn’t be finding out over 50% of what a person is about once getting married, if so there’s some deception going on. There’s always gonna be new situations and events taking place amongst a married couple, yet we have to give room for one another reacting to situations different than we expect. Maybe it’s the first time they’ve dealt with something like this or that, and we sometimes react on first impulse, which is not good, but hey, it happens, yet we should seek to do better. Let’s continue.
Ecclesiastes 4: 9-11
9 . Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 . For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
((Yes, two are better than one, especially when both are seeking and understanding the truth. Their labour will greatly be rewarded, even while in this mortal body and at the resurrection if continuing in the truth. We have our fellow brothers and sisters to call on or ask for help, spiritual encouragement, yet it’s even better when we can get that from our spouse. Our spouse is someone we’re interacting with on a daily basis. We can almost get an immediate response, because their right there. What if our spouse isn’t seeking the Father in Jesus and don’t understand, what then? “For if we fall and our spouse isn’t seeking the truth, “How can our spouse lift us up spiritually?”, “How shall our spouse give us a Godly answer or solution? They wont be able to. Therefore, physically we understand one another, yet spiritually where disconnected, sometimes maybe feeling alone because where not physically and spiritually connected. Imbalance, Imbalance, and it can be a struggle sometimes. What can we do? Hope for the best, continue being a light, and maybe they’ll realize and/or start to see how much greater the married would be if we’re connected on both ends. Spiritual and Physical. HOLD FAST! HOLD FAST!
11. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
Let’s continue.
Ephesians 5: 23-24
23. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
((Some men might want to use this scripture and say, “See everything, everything.” Question, what if Abigail would have went along with everything her husband Nabal said, and just sat there? David would have killed everything breathing, even her, because of the foolish remarks her husband said. Let’s look at it.))
1 Samuel 25:1-39
1. And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.
2. And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
((This man was wealthy. Who is he? Let’s continue.))
3. Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and she was a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
((Okay, his name was Nabal, and he was evil in his doings and churlish( lack of civility or graciousness,difficult to work with or deal with). His wife Abigail was a woman of good understanding. Let’s continue.))
4. And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
5. And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, Get you up to Carmel, and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name:
6. And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity, Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.
7. And now I have heard that thou hast shearers: now thy shepherds which were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there ought missing unto them, all the while they were in Carmel.
8. Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
((Okay, David and the men that were with him were in need of food to sustain themselves. He asked Nabal, being a man of wealth, and plenty for assistance. David humbled himself and greeting him in peace. David and his young men weren’t strangers unto Nabal and his fellow servants, they worked in the field with some of his shearers, taking nothing of theirs, but did righteous by them. Let’s continue and see the response of Nabal.))
9. And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
10. And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.
11. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?
((This is sad. This cat(Nabal) puffed up. This is how some people get, when they get a little something. Their pride get so high up, they drowned in it, can’t see nothing but themselves. They glory in feeling like their somebody, towering over people like their nothing. This Nabal thought himself to be something: my bread, my water, my flesh. Woe unto Nabal. Let’s continue.))
12. So David’s young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.
13. And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
14. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.
Note: railed defined- to use bitter, harsh, or abusive language.
15. But the men were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields:
16. They were a wall unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.
17. Now therefore know and consider what thou wilt do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his household: for he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.
((How will Abigail react to this situations? Is she a woman of Godly understanding or a woman of the same mindset as her husband? Let’s continue.))
18. Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and an hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.
19. And she said unto her servants, Go on before me; behold, I come after you. But she told not her husband Nabal.
((Wow! This woman gathered up plenty! On the other hand, she didn’t tell her husband what she was doing. Sisters and Brothers, it’s all about time and judgement. When anyone who seeks the Lord and righteousness, this is one of the gifts. She knew she couldn’t present to her husband what she was gonna do at this time. It was urgent and he would have probably withheld her from doing it. Remember David and his armed men were on their way up the road to pay them a visit. Let’s continue.))
20. And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert on the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them.
21. Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him: and he hath requited me evil for good.
22. So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
23. And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground,
24. And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.
((This is a God-fearing woman with major humility. She said, “upon me let this iniquity be,” basically saying, “I’ll take the blame/heat for my husband harsh response, lay this charge to my account.” Isn’t this the mind of Jesus when he was born into the world. He took the heat, and suffered for the whole world for the sake of man’s well being. Isn’t this what Abigail is doing, putting her neck on the line for the well being of her family. Can we stand up for righteousness for the well being of our family, even the world? She said, “hear the words of thine handmaid.” Let’s read what she said.))
25. Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he; Nabal is his name, and folly is with him: but I thine handmaid saw not the young men of my lord, whom thou didst send.
26. Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
27. And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men that follow my lord.
28. I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
((This woman is of knowledge, and understanding. She knows David’s resume, and how the Lord chose him and how he fights the Lord’s battles, and is continuously stedfast in seeking the Lord. Let’s continue.))
29. Yet a man is risen to pursue thee, and to seek thy soul: but the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.
30. And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that he hath spoken concerning thee, and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel;
31. That this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offence of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causeless, or that my lord hath avenged himself: but when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid.
32. And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me:
33. And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand.
((The man of God is taken advice from a woman of God Abigail? Yes. This woman kept David from shedding blood and avenging himself with his own hand.))
34. For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.
((The Lord God of Israel preserve his, he only need one righteous, whether female or male. In this case, it was this female of great understanding, looking out for the needy, as well as herself and her own household from being slaughtered. We must stand like this, my sisters and brothers in Christ. Let’s continue.))
35. So David received of her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person.
36. And Abigail came to Nabal; and, behold, he held a feast in his house, like the feast of a king; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken: wherefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.
((She even understood that it was best not to mention what she done unto her husband until the morning, when he has sobered up.))
37. But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine was gone out of Nabal, and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him, and he became as a stone.
38. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.
((We must be careful on how we respond or treat people, there could be a line drawn, and if we cross it, we could be finished and not even know. Beware! Beware! Some people like to mention “WWJD”- What would Jesus Do? We must ask ourselves, “What did he do when he came in the flesh? What are we supposed to do?”, ref. Matthew 25: 34-40. Let’s continue.))
39. And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be the LORD, that hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept his servant from evil: for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head. And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife.
((Nabal’s own wickedness returned upon his head. The Lord pleaded for David and kept him from evil. Who wouldn’t want Abigail as a wife, with those attributes? She was free to marry another, her husband was dead. David desire her. You women who have a Nabal as a husband, hold fast. You can’t put him away, let the Lord deal with it. You keep being a servant of the Most High. The Lord knows how much is enough. When he call a sentence, it’s a righteous judgement, and no backlash. Let’s continue.))
Ephesians 5: 25-28
25. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
((Men…what are willing to give for our wives? What type of man are we willing to become for our wives? What type of life are we willing to live for our wives? What type of leadership are we willing to uphold for our wives? The attention is geared towards us: God the Father and God the Creator(Jesus) is looking and/or waiting and our wives are looking and/or waiting. It’s own us. What are we gonna do? Do we really love our wives, I mean Godly love, not saying it, but living it? Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it. If we love our wives, what are we willing to give for the stability, and comfort of our wives? Let’s read how Christ gave himself for the church.))
26. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
((Are you willing to sanctify(set apart yourself) and cleanse yourself with the washing of water by the word of God?))
27. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
((That you might present yourself an honored vessel, striving for perfection in righteousness, not having spot, wrinkle, or any such thing as much as possible, but that you should holy and without blemish as much as possible.))
28. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
((We want the best for ourselves: life everlasting, peace, and safety. What better peace and safety is there to not have to be tormented with fire and brimstone, and eating on by worms forever? Why not lead the way, and fulfill the shoes of our Forefathers set before us as heads and leaders in the household and outside the household? What? Is there to many things in your life that you want to achieve and do that nobody else matters? You don’t have time? You’re not ready yet? Was Jesus ready yet? Was he ready to die? Was he ready to fulfill the shoes that the Father set out for him to step in and walk? Naw, his flesh wasn’t? He didn’t want to die. Time waits for no one. His flesh got weak, he got scared, yet he didn’t turn back to save his life(mortal body). He continue in truth, prayed to the Father, and this is how the Father responded.
Luke 22:42-45
42. Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
((His flesh got scared and feared death. If thou be willing, remove this cup? What cup? The cup of the physical death, suffering. He said, “not my will, but thine.”
43. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
((This is the benefit of going all the way. The Father sent an Holy angel to comfort Jesus. He sends his Holy Angels to comfort us, even give us strength to carry on and finish our task, yet we have to carry our cross(uphold our responsibilities) all the way. The Lord knows when we don’t have no more strength to carry on, yet the majority of the time we don’t even want to begin to suffer for righteousness, therefore, the Father is not able to show us his power, and where the sure strength lies. Therefore our faith, strength, and power with God will not exceed to it’s greatest potentials. If we’re seeking to be a God-fearing husband, brother, uncle, and/or pastor we need as much strength, and faith as possible. Our wives and our children are relying on us. He(Jesus) wasn’t thinking about himself, he was thinking about the well-being of the creation. Do you think about the well-being of your created, your children? What about them? Let’s look at how Jesus mental state became, right before being betrayed by Judas.))
44. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
45. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow,
((The angel strengthen him, so he was able to rise up and continue. We’ll have the same benefit brothers, yet this applies to the women as well. Let’s continue.))
Ephesians 5: 29-30
29. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
((If we love our wives as Christ the church, we will nourish them: sustain them, give hope, show strength, staying power. We’ll cherish them: hold dear, feel or show affection for, keep and cultivate them with care.
30. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Note: Remember we are one with our wives: their now bone of our bones, and flesh of our flesh. We don’t hate ourselves, let’s not hate our wives, if so, we hate ourselves.
Until again,
Grace and Peace