Becoming a Compassionate Woman: 6 Biblical Examples Намуна

Abigail: A Compassionate Wife

Often, showing compassion to others may mean taking a stand in the midst of difficulty. That’s exactly what Abigail, today’s compassionate woman, did.

In 1 Samuel, we learn that future king David is on the run from current king Saul. After the death of Samuel, David moved into the Desert of Paran, where a wealthy man named Nabal lived.

Now Nabalwasn’t a nice man. The Bible calls him “surly and mean in his dealings” (1 Samuel 25:3, NIV). David asked ten of his men to go and greet Nabal as he was shearing sheep. He instructed them to ask Nabal to be favorable toward the men and provide “whatever you can find for them” (1 Samuel 25:8, NIV).

Nabal answered with insults and refused to provide the food and other resources David and his men so desperately needed. David then instructed his men to strap on their swords, and they all headed toward Nabal.

But Nabal had an incredibly intelligent and beautiful wife named Abigail. A certain servant told Abigail what had happened between Nabal and David. Filled with compassion for Nabal and her people who were in imminent danger, she quickly devised a plan.

Abigail gathered two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, roasted grain, cakes of raisins, and cakes of pressed figs. She loaded them on donkeys and delivered them to David and his men.

When David saw her gifts and heard her plea for forgiveness, he granted her request and left Nabal and his people alone.

“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.” (1 Samuel 25:33-34, NIV)

Abigail took a stand to right a wrong, a courageous act of compassion. In doing so, she single-handedly saved her husband and people that day.

Scripture:1 Samuel 25:1-35