When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, 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 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.’ ” So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited. 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 25:4-11
God had already anointed David to be the future king, but at this time he was on the run trying to save his life from the hands of Saul. David had gathered warriors around him, but he did not have the constant provisions and resources to provide for them. Consequently, he tried to protect others who did not have adequate protection, such as Nabal’s servants, in the hope of being compensated with food and provision for his people.
Not only Nabal did not appreciate the protection of David’s people, but he also offended David by stating that he was a runaway servant. Nabal’s perception was clouded by his own pride and foolishness. He may also had been influenced by Saul’s narrative about David. Furthermore, Nabal was a rich man, and he may not have seen a need for a bunch of nobodies protecting his people. Therefore, he did not find a need to give David and his people any attention or provision. His offensive gesture and clouded perception could have cost the loss of many lives in his household.
If Nabal had taken the time to talk to his servants, he would have found out how helpful David’s warriors were to his people. Because of caustic attitude, his servants were too scared to talk to Nabal, but they shared about David’s people and their helpfulness with his wife Abigail. She was willing to hear what the servants had to say, and it helped her to gain clarity in the situation (See 1 Samuel 25:14-17).
To have a clear perception, it requires us to patiently weigh the situation and not try to make rash decisions. We also need to be open to receiving input from those around us. Just because one is wealthy or successful, it does not mean that they have all the answers. Those who have the relevant information for our decision-making can help to clarify our perception. If Nabal had put aside his own preconceived notions about David and had paid attention to what his servants had to say about him, he would have had a chance to clarify his view of David.
Do you invest enough time to gather the relevant facts before you form your opinion? Are you open to receiving input to allow it to change your perception?
