Introduction

What price must she pay for true love?

Her days marked by turmoil and faded dreams, Abigail has resigned herself to a life with a man she does not love. When her husband Nabal's foolish pride angers David and his men, she boldly steps forward to save her family-and David, the would-be king, takes notice.

When circumstances offer Abigail a second chance at happiness with the handsome David, she takes a leap of faith and joins his wandering tribe. But how can she share his love with the other women he insists on marrying?

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Excerpt

Maon, 1017 BC

"Rumor has it David is in the area not far from here. If you but
say the word, Father, we could leave Simon for good and join
him. I hear he has women and children in his company now.
Mother and Talya and Abigail would not be out of place."
Abigail nearly sloshed water over the sides of the bowl as
she stood in the courtyard straining it through a cloth for tomorrow's
washing. Her brother's oft-repeated plea shouldn't
surprise her. She'd heard it many times in the past two years
since the king's son-in-law had run off and surrounded himself
with disgruntled men. So why did the thought cause her
heart to beat faster and her limbs to tremble now?

"Ah, Daniel. Always you bring my failures before me." Her
father's exaggerated sigh carried to her from the roof, where
her parents, Daniel, and his wife Talya sat talking in the early
light of the moon. She could imagine the slight shrug of his
weary shoulders, the look of defeat in his eyes. Why did her
brother insist on pushing his point? If he wanted to run after
David so much, then go! But leave her father, leave all of
them, in peace.

"You have not failed, Judah. You are a good husband, a
loving father."

"Yes, yes, you need not appease me, dear wife. Every day I
watch my Abigail grow lovelier, and do you not think I regret
what that man will do to her spirit once she lives under his
roof? Ach! You mustn't tempt me, Daniel. To run away . . . It
is far too appealing."

Silence followed the comment. Abigail sucked in a breath,
disbelieving. Was Abba actually tempted to do as Daniel suggested?
He'd never indicated such a thing in the two years
since her childhood betrothal to pay off her father's debt-a
betrothal made before she had reached her full maturity,
before her womanhood had come upon her. She fingered
the sash at her waist, her heart thumping an erratic rhythm.
The change had been late in coming, but six full moons had
passed since then. Six months of knowing her betrothed could
come at any moment.

"But Father, if you know things will only get worse when
Abigail marries that fool, why let her? Surely there is a way
to stop this, to undo the damage before it is too late." Daniel's
voice dropped in volume, and Abigail strained to hear. She
crept closer to the stairs leading to the roof and placed one
foot on the bottom step.

"There is nothing to be done. Don't you think your father
would have gotten out of the agreement if he could?" The
voice of her mother, Naamah, was stern as always, giving
Abigail a measure of hope. Her father would not give her to
Simon's son Nabal if he truly feared for her future. He would
have gone to the elders, found some other way to pay Simon
off-something. "But I'll admit, David would be a far better
master than Simon of Carmel."

Her mother's admission, so unprecedented, sent a chill
down Abigail's spine. She gripped the wall for support, her
limbs suddenly unable to continue the trek to the roof. Why
were they talking like this? Nabal could come at any moment,
even this night. How could they even speak of running away?
What would become of her?

"Perhaps I could take the case to the elders . . ." Her father's
voice pierced her in its stark uncertainty. Never had he suggested
such a thing. "They may agree to a termination rather
than a divorce . . . Abigail would carry the stigma, though,
and I cannot provide for her forever."

"I will provide for her." She barely heard Daniel's declaration
above the pounding in her head. Divorce? No man
would want her again. She would remain alone and barren,
her life wasted.

And what of Nabal? Sudden doubt assailed her. Brash,
deceitful son of Simon. The picture of kindness at their betrothal-
but if her brother spoke the truth, the man carried
an impulsive, explosive temper. Hadn't she sensed it in the
look he gave her when he took her aside into the privacy of
the grape grove at the community wine treading? She pulled
in a steadying breath, remembering the flush of shame-and
pleasure-she had felt in the moment of his possessive kiss.
What began as a tender, heady feeling of love's awakening
had turned aggressive and harsh. She pressed two fingers to
her trembling lips.

She couldn't deny it. Nabal was an attractive man. Of medium
height, his muscles were not strong like Abba's or thick
cords like Daniel's, and his hair was darker than her chestnut
tresses, black as a goat's skin, his eyes the color of an onyx
stone. Sandwiched between his mustache and beard, his smile
brooded something dark, mysterious. She'd heard the way the
virgins giggled at his princely manner and flirtatious looks.
If she had not known he belonged to her, she might have
wondered if he had set his eye on one of them. And the knowing,
the realization that he was bound to her, had made her
proud. Someday he would come for her and carry her off on
a jewel-bedecked camel to share in the wealth of his estate,
to share the intimacies of his love. Intimacies he had already
hinted at . . . if she had not pushed him away that day.
She grasped at the fringe of her shawl, cinching it tight,
shivering more from the flash of anger she recalled in his eyes
than the night's damp, cool breeze. She'd almost ducked and
run from him, but his grip on her arms had held her secure.
He wouldn't have slapped her for refusing him, would he? He
would wait for the proper time, until she was truly a woman
as she was now. He knew all he need do was come for her.
He wouldn't force her among the grapevines.

She shook her head, determined to clear it of the disturbing
thoughts. Father may entertain traitorous ideas of annulling
her marriage, but how did she dare? She had already allowed
too much . . . and Nabal would collect on her father's promise
one way or another. Of that she was sure.

Lord, help me.

"If we run after David, how will that improve a thing? His
enemies are around every corner. We would never know peace
again." Her mother's words stilled the restless pounding of
her heart. Yes, this was what they needed-wisdom-to talk
sense into her brother, whose own logic was tainted with living
under the oppression of Simon's employ. And her father
whose weariness grew greater with every passing day, his
regret palpable.

"Your mother is right, Daniel. I'm too old to live my life
on the run, not to mention what it would do to your mother.
We would only slow David down."

"You are far from old, Father. The freedom alone would
renew your strength."

"Would you have your child born in a cave, my son?" Her
mother's severe tone returned. "Talya is better off here, until
she is safely delivered."

Abigail released her grip on the wall and stepped back
onto the stones of the courtyard. The discussion would turn
to other things now. Too many infants lined the crevices in
the burial caves near their home-brothers and sisters she
and Daniel should have shared. Daniel wouldn't chance his
future or Talya's health after such a declaration. Their mother
knew how to get her way.

Abigail's sandals trod softly across the court and into the
small house, and she eased the door shut behind her. Two
years she had waited since her betrothal, and now at fifteen
summers since her birth, she was ripe with longing for a
home of her own. At three and twenty, surely Nabal longed
to marry, to procure sons.

When, Lord? When would her bridegroom come for
her?

She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes and pushed
aside Daniel's comments of Nabal's churlish behavior. When
they married, things would be different. She would help Nabal
see the error of his ways, gently point out how people lost respect
for men who were rude or unkind, help him change.
Things would be better. They had to be.

With a heavy sigh, she glanced about the dark room, then
settled onto her mat, listening to the muffled voices of her
family on the roof. Uncertainty niggled at the back of her
thoughts. Everything had seemed so possible until now. Until
she had heard her father's doubts and her mother's agreement.
Until the possibility of annulment seemed a reality.
Until running away to join a band of outlaws sounded more
appealing than marrying her husband.
... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. The story begins with Abigail discovering that her family does not approve of her betrothed nearly as much as she once thought they did; in fact, they want to put an end to her marriage and run after the king's outlaw son-in-law David. How does this discovery set the tone for the rest of the story?

Abigail, however, clings to the hope that once she marries Nabal, she will be able to change him. Why is such a hope of changing someone through marriage unlikely to be fulfilled?

2. When Abigail realizes the type of man Nabal is, she dares to hope that her father will have success in annulling her betrothal, but Nabal gets wind of the plan and comes for Abigail before her father can act. Abigail is thrust into a marriage to a controlling, abusive man, and there is nothing she can do to get out of it. In that culture, she was at his mercy. Have you ever been in a situation where you were helpless to get away and were at the mercy of unkind and perhaps even cruel people? If so, how did you respond? If not, how do you think you would respond?

3. After six months of marriage to Nabal, things go from bad to worse when Nabal physically abuses Abigail. From then on things change, with Abigail either avoiding Nabal or doing all in her power to appease his unpredictable moods. In our modern society, it may be hard to imagine a woman putting up with such a man, but Abigail had little choice and did the best she could. Have you ever had to live with or work for a person with such unpredictable moods-an angry, even violent person? What steps did you take to appease such a person? How would you counsel someone in a similar situation?

4. While Abigail is living every day of her life longing for peace, her parents, her brother, and his family have run away, leaving her alone with only her maidservants for comfort. Do you think Abigail should have gone with them to escape Nabal's wrath? Do you consider her father and brother cowards for running away from Nabal's employ and for leaving Abigail at his mercy? Why or why not?

5. When Samuel dies, Nabal makes a show of mourning the prophet only to gain the approval of the king. Have you known people who are concerned only with appearances and do things to look good even though they don't mean them? Have you ever done something similar to impress those around you? What was the result?

6. David sends men to Nabal to ask for food to help feed his hungry men and their families. He has provided unsolicited protection for Nabal's shepherds and considers such a request valid. Nabal obviously disagrees and rebuffs David. David reacts in a fit of rage, determined to kill not only Nabal but also every man in Nabal's household. Abigail hears of David's plan and sets out to stop him. Why is her decision to attempt appeasing David a risk to her own life? How do you think you would have reacted in similar circumstances? Have you ever had to play peacemaker?

7. Later, when Abigail is about to tell Nabal of her visit to David, she is given the chance to flee to David's camp and hide out with her family. But she chooses to stand by her abusive husband in order to protect the servants who would suffer if she left. She also feels a certain loyalty to her marriage vows. Do you think she did the right thing? Why or why not? Is her example necessarily sending a message to women to stay in abusive relationships? Does her attitude suggest weakness? Or does her response offer women in similar circumstances a glimmer of hope?

8. Abigail tells Nabal what she has done, and then Nabal suffers some type of seizure, which takes his life ten days later. A few days after his death, David proposes marriage to Abigail, and she accepts. But David already has a wife living as a fugitive with him. He is also technically still married to Michal and plans to get her back someday. Why do you think David wanted a third wife? Why do you think Abigail accepted, knowing she would be living in a polygamous relationship? Would such a relationship have seemed normal to her in that culture? Even if it did, how do you think Abigail might have felt knowing she would have to share her husband with another woman?

9. After years of running for his life, David grows weary of being a fugitive. He succumbs to the fears of those around him, particularly his wife Ahinoam. As a man, David would want to fix things, to provide his wives a place of refuge and peace, but the only way that seems likely to happen is for them to leave Israel altogether. Do you think David made a wise decision in running off to the land of the Philistines? How might he have handled the situation better? Did his decision show a lack of trust in God?

10. While David and Abigail are living in Ziklag, David lives a lie in relation to the Philistine king. That lie comes back to haunt him when he is asked to fight with the Philistines against Israel. No sooner is he freed from that dilemma than another rises, catching him completely off guard-he discovers his wives and the women and children of his band have been kidnapped and Ziklag lies in ashes. His men blame him for their predicament and threaten to stone him. How does David react? Do you think God allowed these things to get David's attention? Why or why not?







11. Abigail is dealing with a lot of emotions once David rescues the women and children from their kidnappers. On the one hand she is jealous that Ahinoam will be the first to bear David's child, while on the other hand she is silently grieving the loss of her maid Zahara. David refuses to discuss Zahara's betrayal or allow Abigail to share her feelings with him. Though Abigail's relationship with David is far better than what she had with Nabal, she cannot share her heart with him as she would like, and she must constantly share his love with another. How does she cope? Does she do a good job of it? Do you think she should have been more outspoken, stuck up for herself more, insisted that David meet her needs?

12. The day finally comes when David is crowned king of Judah, and he soon takes four more wives. Abigail has gone from being one of two to one of six women in David's life. To top things off, David rarely spends intimate time with her, thinking to spare her from suffering in childbirth, as she did with Chileab. How does this affect their relationship?

Even in modern times, polygamy is gaining acceptance in various religions and cultures around the world. Have you ever known anyone caught in a polygamous marriage? Have you ever had to deal with a spouse's unfaithfulness? How did you handle it? What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation?

13. When Chileab is five years old, something happens to him that changes David and Abigail's relationship. How can a husband and wife keep a good relationship in times of crisis? How could David have been a better husband to Abigail during this time? Should Abigail have acted differently toward him?

14. Toward the end of the story, Abigail's solution for living with a household of multiple wives is to get away. She wants to live with her father and make a safe sanctuary for David to visit her in peace, away from the jealous eyes of her sister wives. She presents her idea to David, thinking he will see things her way and happily agree to her plan. Instead, he sees her request as a slight to him and reacts in anger. Have you ever made plans that excited you, only to have them backfire and cause a reaction you didn't expect in the one you love most? How could David and Abigail have avoided such miscommunication? What steps could you take in the future to clear up a misunderstanding between you and a loved one? Will you take those steps?

Weblinks

»	Publisher's Book Info
»	Author Jill Eileen Smith's web site
»	The Wives of King David web site

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