Handling injustice the wrong way (1 Sam 25:1-22)

Those who hold power today frequently evoke suspicion. Politicians are often assumed to use power for their own benefit, governments are suspected by conspiracy theorists of plotting to control society, bosses at work may be supposed to employ double standards (a two-hour lunchbreak for me, half an hour for you). Recent history shows many instances of the abuse of power, so that the suspicion is not unjustified. Misusing power can be tempting, in fact, in any age and it is a theme that appears in the Book of Samuel when Israel demands a king. Samuel’s warning against a human king is outlined precisely in such terms of abuse: the king will take, take, take (1 Sam 8:10-18). Thus, learning to handle power well is an important lesson for a future king like David, but as we shall see, meaningful for us, too.

Nabal’s unjust behaviour

Our reading follows on from David’s refusal to take the throne by force even though it is in his power to kill Saul (1 Samuel 24). The current incident develops further this question of how power should (not) be used. David faces an unjust situation and the way Nabal is introduced as a wealthy but foolish man (his name means ‘fool’ in Hebrew; 1 Sam 25:3)[1] makes it clear that the latter is in the wrong. David and his men protected Nabal’s property (affirmed by Nabal’s young man later; 1 Sam 25:7, 15-16) and David’s request for provisions in return would have been a normal part of reciprocity in ancient culture. Additionally, the rules of hospitality would also have required Nabal to be generous, all the more so as he was wealthy. Nabal’s answer, however, is churlish and deliberately insulting. He refuses to recognise David or his services and shows contempt for him by insinuating that he is no more than a rebellious servant of Saul (1 Sam 25:10-11).

David’s example of how not to use power

David’s response shows anger though the narrator only hints at it through David’s prompt response in calling his men to gird on their swords (1 Sam 25:13). He is bent on retribution, anticipated by Nabal’s young man as he talks with Abigail (1 Sam 25:17) and made explicit by the writer in a flashback to David’s vow (1 Sam 25:21-22). His words that describe Nabal’s behaviour (doing ‘evil’ in return for ‘good’, v.21) evoke Saul’s attitude (he treated David wickedly while the latter treated him well; 1 Sam 24:17).[2] In both instances the Hebrew uses the same word-pair ‘good’ (tovah) and ‘evil’ (raʿah) inviting comparison. While David responded to Saul’s evil with good, relinquished his power to take revenge and trusted God for justice, he is now ready to use his power against Nabal to destroy him. David is right to be angry about injustice, but learning the right way to go about it is important because as future king he will have to use his power to establish justice and righteousness in a way that reflects God’s just order.

Tackling our challenges

Once again, the Bible highlights an important principle on a grand scale that we can nevertheless take and apply in our smaller circle of influence and power. In our relationships with family, friends, colleagues, or other acquaintances, we all have some power to hurt others with our words or attitude. Not responding to unjust action with spiteful or contemptuous words, and not paying others back with behaviour that gives as good as it gets are important because, as Christians, we too are called to reflect something of God’s kingdom rule. This does not mean, however, that every insult should be taken lying down, as it were. There is a place for confronting what is wrong or even asking for help from a third person to help bring clarity and possibly reconciliation to a situation. No matter what our situation, may we find peace in the Lord who sees what is happening and who can give wisdom to know how best to tackle what we face.

---

[1] Names in Israel were significant and sometimes described an internal or external characteristic of the baby (e.g. Naomi means ‘pleasant’ possibly because she was a pretty, endearing or easy child, while Mara means ‘bitter’; Ruth 1:20). A name might indicate the circumstances around the birth/conception (e.g. Ben-oni, ‘son of my affliction’ named thus because of Rachel’s severe labour pains; Gen 35:17-18) or express the family’s hope for a particular destiny (e.g. Noah’s name is related to the verb ‘to comfort’ – Gen 5:29; Ab-ram means ‘exalted father’). It is unlikely that a parent would call a child ‘a fool’ at birth – not an auspicious name for the future – so it is more probable that Nabal was a nickname acquired later or that the name had another meaning as well.

[2] Stephen B. Chapman, 1 Samuel as Christian Scripture: A Theological Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2016), 190. In the Hebrew, the relevant verse is 1 Sam 24:18.

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with others.