1 Samuel 25

DEALING WITH A FOOL

 

Stupid Things that Happened

1. A woman in Lake City, Florida, probably holds the record for the world’s shortest career in crime. She recently tried to rob the Howard Johnson’s motel there, armed only with an electric chainsaw that was not plugged in.

 

2. In Ypsilanti, Michigan, a man walked into a Burger King restaurant early one morning and pulled a gun on the clerk. When he demanded the cash register be emptied, the clerk replied he couldn’t without a food order punched into the computer first. The man ordered onion rings, but the clerk said they weren’t available for breakfast. In frustration, the robber turned round and walked out.

 

3. A man on trial for drug possession in Pontiac, Michigan, insisted he had been searched without a warrant. The arresting officer testified the bulge in the man’s jacket could have been a gun and that justified his apprehension. The defendant stated this was ridiculous, and to prove it, said he happened to be wearing the very same jacket in court that day. He willingly handed it over to the judge for examination. When the judge found a packet of cocaine in the front pocket, he had to call a five-minute recess so he could stop laughing.

 

4. We suggest a new pair of glasses for a robber in Providence, Rhode Island, who subdued an armored car driver and helped himself to bags of money in the vehicle. However, he was in such a hurry he neglected to check out the bags too closely. As a result, he grabbed four 330-pound bags of pennies, each of which contained about $800 worth of coins. Police had no trouble grabbing the thief during his slow-motion getaway.

 

5. A woman in San Antonio, Texas, apparently not known for brilliance, was recently arrested when a mechanic found 18 packages of marijuana secured in the engine compartment of her car. She later told police she didn’t realize the mechanic would have to raise the hood in order to change the oil.

Tidbits, Spokane, WA, May 9, 1997, Issue 131 http://www.bible.org/illus/s/s-195.htm#TopOfPage

 

Most of us would call the people that I just described as "fools".

But believe it or not, all fools are not dumb.  There are people who are fools for any number of reasons.  Allow me to give you some Bible quotes, mostly from the Book of Proverbs to show you what I mean.

 

Psalm 14:1 - The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

 

Proverbs 10:18 - He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

 

Proverbs 14:16 - A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

 

Proverbs 15:5 - A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

 

Proverbs 28:26 - He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

 

Ecclesiastes 10:14 - A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

 

Unfortunately, there have been times when we have all played the fool.

 

Also unfortunately, we have all had to deal with fools, and there will be more times, maybe even tomorrow, that we will have to deal with a fool.    

 

The problem with fools is they often make us angry.  And, if we are not careful, we become foolish while we deal with fools.  So we must learn to deal properly with fools.

 

We return tonight to the life of David and 1 Samuel 25.

There are three major characters in this passage.

 

·        Nabal - His name means "fool". He is a very rich man, but very foolish.

·        Abigail - His wife who is not only beautiful, but very wise. She is everything Nabal is not.

·        David - Who with his men was living in the Nabal's area, and even protecting Nabal's property.  He is treated harshly by Nabal and almost ends up acting the fool himself.

 

In this chapter I see four principles for dealing with a fool:

RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS

REFRAIN FROM GETTING EVEN

RECEIVE GODLY COUNSEL

REST IN GOD'S ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM

 

READ AND COMMENT ON VERSES 1-24

 

RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS

 

Vs. 25 - Before we retaliate.

            Before we get even.

            Before we fly off the handle.

            Consider the person with whom you are dealing.

 

When you realize that a person is a fool, you can come to certain conclusions:

 

1.     God will judge him. Romans 12:19 - Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

 

2.     He is not worth imitating. He is a fool. Why should I act like he does? Why should I allow him to provoke me to sin?

Romans 12:17 - Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

   

3.     God will take care of me. If you are God's child, God is responsible for you. He'll protect you. He'll meet your needs.

     Psalm 34:7 - The angel of the Lord encampeth round about   

     them that fear him, and delivereth them.

     Psalm 23:1 - The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS

REFRAIN FROM GETTING EVEN

 

Vs. 26 - Abigail makes it clear that it would not be right for David to take matters into his own hands.

 

Someone is nasty to you, you want to be nasty to them.

Someone slanders you, you want to slander them.

Someone lies about you, you want to lie about them.

Someone ruins your life you want to ruin his or her life.  

 

What is the Biblical response?

 

Matthew 5:43-48 - Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. [44] But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

[45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? [48] Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

 

Matthew 7:12 - Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

 

Romans 12:17-21 - Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. [18] If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. [19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

 

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

 

READ AND COMMENT ON VERSES 27-31.   

   

RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS

REFRAIN FROM GETTING EVEN

RECEIVE GODLY COUNSEL

 

READ AND COMMENT ON VERSES 32-35.

 

Proverbs 1:5 - A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:

 

Proverbs 11:14 - Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

 

Proverbs 25:12 - As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

 

People have wondered if it is possible to minister to mental-emotional-behavioral problems without resorting to psychological models and methods or to psychological gimmicks and devices. The evidence suggests that it is. Three researchers found in a national survey conducted for the Joint Commission on Mental Illness and Health that “of those persons who actively sought help for personal problems, the vast majority contacted persons other than mental health professionals, and that generally they were more satisfied with the help received than were those who chose psychiatrists and psychologists.”

Martin & Diedre Bobgan, How To Counsel From Scripture, Moody Press, 1985, p. 42 http://www.bible.org/illus/c/c-140.htm#TopOfPage

   

RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS

REFRAIN FROM GETTING EVEN

RECEIVE GODLY COUNSEL

REST IN GOD'S ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM

 

READ AND COMMENT ON VERSES 36-42

 

Psalm 37:5-6 - Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. [6] And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

 

Psalm 130:5-6 - I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. [6] My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

 

RECOGNIZE A FOOL FOR WHAT HE IS

REFRAIN FROM GETTING EVEN

RECEIVE GODLY COUNSEL

REST IN GOD'S ABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM