Introduction

Good day to everyone! Let us turn to 1 Samuel Chapter 25, the title of which is The King's Character Tested Again. For a man to be king, he must possess the character of a king. Understand that being a king without character is truly a perilous thing. You must understand that whether it is the head of state of Israel or any other nation, the king's character must always be tested.

Man's Character Needs to be Tested

The previous chapter spoke of David's admirable character. This chapter speaks of God testing David again to see what kind of character he truly has. In fact, all trials come from God. We must all examine what kind of virtue we possess. May your heart bear witness daily with the Holy Spirit that you are a child of God. That is to say, what kind of heart do you truly have? Is it a peanut, a sesame seed, or a mung bean? Actually, comparing you to a peanut, sesame seed, or mung bean is already a compliment. People must carefully examine their own hearts, for the state within is often tested. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our hearts that we are children of God, bearing witness that we have the character of a king.

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God; (Romans 8:16)

This person is quite interesting. Take David, for example; the previous chapter spoke of how he spared Saul's life, which was already remarkable. This may be because Saul was his superior and also his father-in-law, so we can understand David's actions. However, it is different when facing someone like Nabal.

Now the name of the man was Nabal, and he was of the lineage of Caleb. And the name of his wife was Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance. But the man was harsh and badly behaved. (1 Samuel 25:3)

Last time, God tested David through Saul; this time, David is about to undergo Nabal's test. Nabal almost caused David to lose his kingly character, but fortunately, God sent Abigail to intervene. Therefore, brothers and sisters, you must know that man's character often needs to be tested. I often test people in various ways to see their reactions. Some people cannot withstand the test and fall into the trap immediately. At this time, I turn my face away and cover my eyes with five fingers. Have you all seen Yue Yunpeng's stand-up comedy? That strange smile tells you that you have failed! Next, I have to plan training and then practice questions to help you pass. This is not to harm you, but to help you.

Let us look back and see how many times we have failed the tests in our lives. Some people pass their driving test the first time, some two or three times, and some even fail ten times, getting stuck at the same point. Others go to first grade at the age of six, but you stay there for five years. You are much taller than the others; some fifth-graders are even taller than the teacher. Others have already graduated from elementary school, but you are still in first grade because you have failed the test six times.

Man often experiences trials in life. If you always fail the tests God gives you, you remain stuck there. Originally destined to be a king, you remain in the same place and end up a bachelor, a “王老五”. Perhaps you passed the Saul test, but you may not pass the Nabal test. Saul was a king, causing people to prostrate themselves and say, O king, O father, I am a dog, a flea, which may be simpler. But what is your reaction when you encounter a very evil and difficult person like Nabal who speaks so harshly?

Reaction to Humiliation

Then Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” (1 Samuel 25:10-11)

Nabal really hit a sore spot, mentioning that David was a servant who broke away from his master. Nabal's words were too cutting, very malicious. The reason he said this was because God wanted to use his words to provoke David. God specializes in stimulating people’s vulnerabilities to see how they react emotionally. Nothing in a person's life is outside of God's management. Do not be confused when facing such things.

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Look, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied with them, when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both night and day, all the time when we were with them keeping the sheep. (1 Samuel 25:14-16)

Originally, David and his men had been protecting Nabal's shepherds day and night, preventing robbers from stealing or lions and bears from snatching the sheep in the middle of the night. David and his men had never taken anything from them. David felt that he had done a good deed, so he sent people to Nabal when it was time for them to shear the sheep and make money.

So David sent ten young men, and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them, all the while they were with us in Carmel. Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand, to your servants and to your son David.’” (1 Samuel 25:5-8)

These words indicated that David was very humble. The fact that David could ask someone for something showed that his situation was quite difficult at the time, reaching a point where he had no choice but to speak up. David sent servants to humbly ask Nabal for a little charity, but all they received in return were sarcasm and ridicule. Do not think that Nabal was just causing trouble because he had a bit to drink. In fact, I tell you, people and demons often mix together. You really cannot tell whether it is a demon or a person speaking. In any case, it is a test. It depends on what your reaction is when facing humiliation.

You must know that I occasionally humiliate you all, not for any other reason than to test you. As the saying goes, you do not know until you try; once you try, you know what level you are at. Your emotional management needs to be upgraded, your emotional intelligence needs to be raised, and you cannot fall apart at the first sign of stimulation. I told our pastors that you must be careful when those below you show their teeth when tested. Know that the way dogs and wolves show their teeth when they snarl is terrifying.

In this situation, David had forgotten that this was a test. The previous question God gave him was to see if he would kill Saul. If David had really killed Saul, David's throne would not have lasted long, and his kingdom would not have been strong. It was because his heart was only the size of a peanut, sesame seed, or mung bean, and he could not be said to have the heart of a king. The first time, David passed the Saul test, but he did not pass the Nabal test, simply because Nabal's words were too harsh.

So David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword!” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went up with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies. (1 Samuel 25:13)

At this time, David began to act impulsively, and not just a little impulsively; he wanted to take his sword and kill people directly. Although he had not received anything after asking for it, it was still not to the point of killing someone. He just wanted to vent his anger. I know your anger will rise, and my own anger will also rise. Even after the emotions rise, you still have to be careful, and you must know in your heart that this is God testing you and me.

Now David had said, “Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belonged to him. And he has repaid me evil for good. May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light.” (1 Samuel 25:21-22)

I often experience tests; sometimes I pass, but sometimes I fail. Now, when that energy comes up, I take a deep breath, start counting, and then draw a circle with my hands and wave them down, which calms my mood a lot. In fact, people all have such emotions; David is also a person, just like us. The problem is that we must always keep a clear head. If the anger inside rises, it is likely because you are taking yourself too seriously. In other words, God is training David not to take himself too seriously. This may not sound fashionable, but it is very real, and that is indeed the case.

Later, David developed a habit of not taking himself too seriously every time he encountered a test. Once, David's throne was seized by his son Absalom, and David was almost killed by his son while fleeing. Later, he encountered a man named Shimei on the road who not only cursed David but also attacked David and his servants. Some people wanted to kill Shimei for David at the time, but David stopped them because he did not take himself too seriously.

Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came out and cursed continually. And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. Also Shimei said as he cursed: “Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man! You rogue! The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!” Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray, and remove his head!” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David.’ Who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” And David said to Abishai and all his servants, “See how my son who came from my own body seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjamite do so? Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me good for his cursing this day.” And as David and his men went along the road, Shimei went along the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went, threw stones at him and kicked up dust. (2 Samuel 16:5-13)

God is training you and me to have the character of a king, which is training us not to take ourselves too seriously. Some people told me that their surname is Cai (菜, vegetable). Although they did not take themselves too seriously as a dish, when they were young, people called them Xiao Cai (小菜, small vegetable, also means easy task), when they were older, they called them Da Cai (大菜, big vegetable, also means important dish), and when they were old, they called them Lao Cai (老菜, old vegetable). They always had to be a dish. In fact, having the surname Cai does not matter; it is just that you should not take yourself too seriously as a dish. Once you take yourself too seriously as a dish, it becomes troublesome.

This chapter tells us that emotions are related to taking oneself too seriously as a dish. If you do not take yourself too seriously as a dish, and you understand in your heart that God's kingdom does not lack this piece of smelly tofu, then it is easy to handle. The most dangerous thing is when people take themselves too seriously as a dish, and their emotions become great. Some people say they want to help me build a glorious church together. When I hear this, I know that a big dish has arrived, thinking that they are a full Manchu Han imperial feast. I said, If you want to build it, go build it yourself. I do not need anyone to help me here.

You must remember that you should never ask for people's help when building a church. People who come among us are not helping you or me, or me helping you. I am not a dish at all and do not need help. If anyone among us thinks they are a dish, then it is troublesome. You have emotions often because you take yourself too seriously as a dish. No matter what the boss or family members say, your emotions immediately rise up, your face turns black, and your angry expression comes out, because you do not know that you are just a piece of dog excrement.

The more people take themselves seriously, the more unstable their emotions become. Some people ask me, Teacher, how are your emotions so stable? In fact, they are not stable. It is just that I often think of myself as dog excrement. People step on me or say a few words to me; let them be. It does not matter. This is normal, and the grace God has given me is to respond in this way. Therefore, the degree to which you can withstand stimulation is directly proportional to your sense of self-esteem inside. If you have a strong sense of self-esteem inside, you must reject it, because that thing is very corrupting. Once people have a strong sense of self-esteem, they live very tired, either comparing themselves with others or comparing themselves with themselves, wanting face, and always competing over trivial matters. Once they compete, they are full of problems, and the people around them also suffer.

People must never take themselves too seriously as a dish, but rather treat themselves as dog excrement. It is normal for people to glare at me. In the past, some colleagues, in order to train the brothers and sisters to have a sense of honor, sent a message in the group asking everyone to reply Received. Actually, I really do not like this habit. When you see the message I send, you do not need to reply Received. Just implement the things that need to be implemented as soon as possible.

A young man among us once organized a project and pulled me and his pastoral district leader into his newly built group. This should be the first time he was a group leader, thinking that he could finally be in charge. Once, he sent a message and no one replied, so he questioned me and his pastoral district leader: Why did you not reply Received? He actually applied this requirement to me. I have never dared to ask you like this, which is taking himself too seriously as a dish. In fact, it does not matter whether we reply or not. It is most important that you do your own thing well. To be honest, this person just felt that he was not respected.

I will teach you a lesson. If one day I question everyone why you do not reply Received when you see the message, and how you do not respect me, it is very likely that I have been possessed by a demon and need to be exorcised. Why did I think I was dog excrement yesterday, but today I have become a dish? That is because I have been possessed by a demon, so my emotions have risen up.

David's reaction to humiliation is so real, and all of us will inevitably face humiliation in our lives. The recently deceased President Jiang is quite admirable. He spoke of being criticized during the Cultural Revolution. Some people wanted to make things difficult for him by making him wash toilets. As a result, he put on his boots, carried a basin of water, and took a rag to wash the toilets. Amazingly, he not only cleaned them well but was also quite happy doing it. That's truly remarkable. He did not regard himself as someone special. Regardless of whether the other person is theistic or atheistic, there are merits worth learning from. Even when he was later assigned to sweep the laboratory, he happily cleaned it spotlessly. He was a man of great calibre.

Later, the popular Chinese saying make a fortune in silence was coined by him. Under his leadership, China quietly made a fortune, and the country's foreign exchange reserves increased exponentially. Even when the embassy abroad was bombed, he was able to bear the humiliation without being emotional. And Deng Xiaoping, the helmsman of our country, invented the saying, Whether it is a black cat or a white cat, as long as it catches mice, it is a good cat. All of them had the character of enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens. They were not superficial, and they were all men of great calibre.

It's not just the leaders of a country who are like this; we will all experience trials. Especially you and I, we are to reign in the kingdom of God, but we must ask ourselves whether we have the virtues of a king. What I mean is that if you want to be a king, your character must be tested by God, and those who can withstand the test are very powerful. David failed the test this time. He did not answer the first question well. When his emotions flared up, he wanted to kill Nabal with his sword. God saw that David scored zero on the first question, so He gave him a chance to retake the exam.

God prevented David from shedding innocent blood

Speaking of this, David wanted to kill someone just because Nabal slighted him when he asked for something. What kind of logic is this? Do you know why I always walk with my head down? It's because I didn't dare to look up when I was a child. There was a famous saying in Northeast China at that time: What are you looking at? What if I look at you? The next thing you know, blood would be shed all over the ground. That's how the security was in Northeast China at that time. That was the environment I faced before I went to university, so I had to keep my tail between my legs and keep my head down. So even now, I'm still used to walking with my head down, and I'm even a little hunchbacked.

David's reaction when he was humiliated was the same as that of a rogue. But God prevented David from shedding innocent blood. David was going to kill Nabal, which would have been shedding innocent blood. God restrained David at this time to see how David would answer the second question. If he could not answer the second question correctly, it would mean that David could not be king, and God would simply find someone else. In my understanding, God has chosen you and me to be kings. Once you act impulsively, God will restrain you. But some people are restrained, while others are not restrained and stubbornly go down a path of no return, and as a result, they lose their throne.

The first exam that God gave David gave him an opportunity to kill Saul. David passed the test and passed. Then the second exam was to humiliate him. This time, David scored zero. This third exam was an opportunity for God to give David a make-up exam, and the make-up exam required a make-up exam fee. God used Abigail, a woman of insight. Abigail was a beautiful and intelligent woman. I guess Abigail wasn't that young, because Nabal should have been a bit older. David was still quite young at that time, as reflected in the scripture, Please give whatever you can find to your servants and to your son David. But Abigail had been married to Nabal for who knows how many years, but she must have been quite old and insightful. A young child might not be so insightful.

But one of the servants told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, “Indeed, David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master; and he reviled them. But the men were very good to us, and we were not hurt, nor did we miss anything as long as we accompanied them when we were in the fields. They were a wall to us both night and day while we were with them keeping the sheep. Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him.” Then Abigail made haste and took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys. And she said to her servants, “Go on before me; see, I am coming after you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal. So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men coming down toward her. (1 Samuel 25:14-20)

Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground. So she fell at his feet and said: “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. (1 Samuel 25:23-24)

Abigail's strength lies in the fact that she did not regard herself as someone special, but fell on her face and bowed down at David's feet. The first few sentences she said were okay, but the latter ones were admirable.

“Please, my lord, do not let my lord pay attention to this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. Yet if a man rises to pursue you and seek your life, the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord does good to my lord, remember your maidservant.” (1 Samuel 25:26-30)

These few words awakened David. If David killed Nabal, not to mention that he would have failed God's exam, he might not even be able to be king later. Even if he became king, the stories circulating among the people would not be pleasant. You should know that in David's palace, the people were talking about him, and David's experiences became popular gossip news. Just like gossip news is especially popular in Hong Kong, there are stalls with stacks of books, saying all kinds of things, and they dare to write anything. If there were stalls at that time, there would be a book written David Kills Nabal, and David's face would be distorted on the cover in a comic way.

Moreover, there is freedom of speech in this place, and rumors are circulating everywhere, directly entering unofficial history records, and may even sell well in the end, and even become more and more exaggerated. As soon as David went out the door, the onlookers on the road would say one thing or another, and all kinds of unreliable gossip spread everywhere. David could only be busy deleting headlines, deleting push notifications or YOUTUBE videos. People like gossip, and David's actions were quite embarrassing. Wherever he went, as long as people whispered to each other, he would feel guilty, and he would not be able to be king. Not to mention being king, even if you are running for congress in America, if your private life is not clean, they will dig everything up about you.

Fortunately, this insightful Abigail spoke in time. After David heard it, he was immediately awakened. He scored zero on the previous exam, but this time he got full marks, and the average score was barely passable. So, God often restrains us in order to fulfill what He has promised to you and me. When God restrains us, if we listen to the advice, do not regard ourselves as someone special, and no longer insist on reacting in that emotional state, we will barely pass. But some people feel that they can't swallow this breath, what should they do?

God will avenge you

So it was, in the morning, when Nabal was sober, that his wife told him these things; and his heart died within him, and he became like a stone. Then the Lord struck Nabal, so that he died. (1 Samuel 25:37-38)

This is God avenging David. This confirms one thing, do not avenge yourselves. Vengeance belongs to God, and God will repay. If you are a king, God will surely avenge you; if you are a child chosen by God, God will surely avenge you. Some people say they haven't seen it, well, there are many things you haven't seen. You must believe that God will avenge you. If you are Abraham, God will curse those who curse you, which is very powerful. If you are Isaac or Jacob, God will curse those who curse you; and God will bless those who bless you because of you. Do not doubt that God will avenge you, and never avenge yourselves. Once you think you are someone special, you will avenge yourself; once you think you are a piece of trash, God will not only avenge you, but also put you on the throne.

A woman of insight is a treasure

Abigail is a very powerful person, and her courage and insight should be above David's. She was able to be used by God to prevent David from shedding innocent blood, so she is blessed. Abigail married Nabal, and although she was the mistress of Nabal's house, she could not be good to others if she encountered an evil husband like Nabal, and she could not be good to Abigail either. Abigail is not only insightful in front of David, but also very smart to be able to handle the relationship with a husband like Nabal at home. The harmony of a home is closely related to women. Abigail later proved that she was a very insightful woman.

Here is a digression, Abigail's son was the second oldest among David's sons. But everyone will find that this son is unknown and no one mentions him anymore. David's eldest son Amnon was killed by the third son Absalom for raping David's daughter. And the third son was killed by David's marshal for usurping the throne, and later the fourth son Adonijah was killed by Solomon.

Only Abigail's second son was fine. Some people feel sorry for Abigail's son, who should have been king but was not. In fact, Abigail is a good mother, and she taught her children to be low-key. Don't regard yourself as someone special, but see yourself as a piece of stinky tofu, like a pile of dog poop, don't cause trouble, and such people are blessed. The best life in David's family was Abigail's son, who escaped many disasters. Although he is unknown, he doesn't want to be famous. It's not necessarily good to be famous. It is because this son was raised by his mother, and Abigail's teachings to her son represent Abigail's understanding of things. If you look closely at Abigail's personality, the son she taught is also this kind of personality. In fact, it is best to live a peaceful life and not know some things.

Some time ago, I found that some people were desperately trying to build themselves into a world-famous pastor, which is easy to cause trouble. What I inherit is Abigail's system, that is, I don't want to be famous, but I want to do something practical in a down-to-earth way. I don't want to reach out so long, and I don't want to care about so many things. Just manage as much as you can, do as much as you can, and don't want to be famous. This is called being smart and insightful. A child taught by an insightful woman is an insightful child. Think about it slowly.

David felt that Abigail was a treasure and wanted to marry her. Abigail suddenly changed from a husband like Nabal to a husband like David, which was her blessing. Seeing that she was almost wiped out, it became an opportunity for her to change David as her husband. I'm afraid that if I say this, everyone may have some opinions on me, but then again, I'm happy for Abigail. Abigail can't live with Nabal in this life, a foolish man with a face full of flesh, a wicked look, and a way of speaking that is offensive.

But as soon as I say this, I'm afraid that the sisters want to be Abigail, and suddenly feel a little regretful, thinking that their husband is not Nabal, even if he is like Nabal, but now there is no one like David around. If you are thinking about letting God kill your husband, so that you can find David to become Abigail, then it will be troublesome. You can't be Abigail like this, because Abigail never asked for this. She is very insightful, and insightful people entrust things to God. Don't think about changing husbands. Abigail didn't want to change husbands, but God changed her husband for her. You have to have all of Abigail's insights.

When the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke to her, saying, “David sent us to you, to make you his wife.” Then she arose and bowed her face to the earth, and said, “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” (1 Samuel 25:40-41)

Abigail here says that she will wash the feet of her lord's servants, not the feet of her lord. Can you understand? Abigail is really too powerful. In fact, the later chapters mentioned that many things in David's house were taken care of by Abigail, and the son born to Abigail never caused trouble to David. Although Abigail's property is not mentioned here, it must have belonged to David.

Summary

In any case, you must have the character of a king and be able to withstand the test! Our Bible study will end here. I don't know if you like listening to what I said. Sometimes I want to insert some jokes in the middle, but not every day. But the content is still very practical, and I hope everyone can have this kingly character.

May God bless you all!