TODAY’S MANNA SUNDAY, MAY 13, 2018
TOPIC: BRUTAL INGRATITUDE
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 25:1-11
1) THE KEY VERSE:
“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” (1 Samuel 25:10).
2) THE TEXT:
(1 SAMUEL 25: 1 – 11 KJV)
“25:1 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.
25:2 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.
25:3 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.
25:4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep.
25:5 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:
25:6 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.
25:7 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.
25:8 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.
25:9 And when David’s young men came, they spake to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.
25:10 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.
25:11 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?”
3) THE MESSAGE:
i) When the ministry of Britain’s first Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, fell and a hostile vote was being taken in the House of Commons, Walpole, watching those who voted against him, said to the one who sat near him, “Young man, I will tell you the history of all these men as they come in:
a) That fellow I saved from the gallows.
b) And that one, from starvation.
c) This other one’s son I promoted.”
But they all turned against him.
ii) After the death and burial of Prophet Samuel, David still needed to hide himself away from Saul who wanted to kill him.
iii) From his hideout in the wilderness of Paran, he sent messengers to Nabal, a very rich man, who was shearing his sheep to ask for favour, considering the protection he and his men provided the shepherds in the fields (a service for which David was not asking for compulsory payment but just a token to assist his men in their hour of need).
iv) Nabal railed on the men and insulted David, the anointed of the Lord. It was bad enough that Saul pursued David, seeking his life from place to place. But it was like pouring salt into a wound for David to also face contempt and harsh treatment from those of his own tribesmen, as in the case of Nabal, who owed much of what they still had to his valiant performances against the enemies of Israel.
v) Believers should know that this world does not do well in rewarding faithful service.
vi) As children of God, we must be careful the way we requite the people that God had used to help us in life lest we become Nabals.
vii) We should show gratitude in lifestyle and service for the Lord for all the daily benefits we receive from Him through Christ. Else, we would be like the people described in Deuteronomy 32:6 and Isaiah 1:2,3.
4) THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
God’s faithfulness is more constant than the northern star.
5) BIBLE READING IN ONE YEAR:
2 SAMUEL 11-12;
1 CHRONICLES 20
Happy Sunday😁😁😁
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