The reprehension, an excellent thing

Thursday 22 April 2021

The reprehension, an excellent thing

May my lord, I pray you, pay no attention to this man of Belial, to Nabal... The Lord has prevented you from coming to blood and from doing righteousness with your hand. 1 Samuel 25:25,26

May the righteous... take me back, it is an excellent oil ; my head will not refuse it. Psalm 141:5

Excellence is the degree of perfection that a person or thing has of its kind that makes it superior to all others. So God is par excellence truth, love, wisdom, holiness. But we may be surprised that a reproof can be described as excellent...

The account of the conflict between David and Nabal teaches us about this (1 Samuel 25:2-42). In need, David, the Lord's anointed, asks Nabal for help. The latter refuses it in abusive terms. Angry, David then sets out to seek justice by force. Abigail, wife of Nabal, goes to meet David and recaptures him before he carries out a decision that would have dishonored him and that God could not have left unpunished. Crime and pillage are thus avoided.

What makes a reprehension not only willingly listened to, but has a visible effect on whoever it is addressed to ? Abigail's attitude on this matter is exemplary : she hurries, puts herself at David's feet, takes Nabal's fault on her. Then she reminds David of his anointed dignity of God and of the divine promises he is the subject of. It places the facts in their proper context : on the one hand Nabal, wicked and mad, who must be ignored (Proverbs 26:4), on the other David, future king of Israel, who cannot afford to to fish. Abigail, by his wisdom and the excellence of his reproof, appeases David's anger (Proverbs 16:14).

In a dispute between believers, if reprehension seems necessary and justified to us, let us imitate the attitude and wisdom of Abigail. The slave of the Lord is to be gentle to all, able to teach, supportive, gently straightening up opponents (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

Conversely, if the reprehension is directed at us, let us be inspired by David's attitude. Although under the influence of anger, he remains silent throughout Abigail's talk, does not interrupt him, does not justify himself... On the contrary, his first words are to bless God !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)