“She was riding her donkey down past the hiding-place in the mountain, when David and his men descended toward her, and she met them.”-1 Samuel 25:20
The Hebrew sages identify seven women from Scripture as prophetesses.
They are…
Sarah
(Abraham’s wife)…
Miriam…
Devorah…
Hulda…
Esther…
And Avigayil who we’re reading about now.
Why was Avigayil given the honor of being called a prophetess?
There are two reasons.
First, in verse 20, just as David and his men were coming to battle Nabal, Avigayil took the same route that led her to David and his men.
Many Bible translations don’t show this amazing “coincidence” very well.
A much better way to express it would be to say…
“At that exact moment when she was riding her donkey, she ran into David and his men.”
The point is in God’s world, nothing happens by chance.
God orchestrated Avigayil to take that path at the precise time necessary for this key meeting.
This is one of the reasons why the sages have listed her in the Prophetess Hall of Fame.
The second reason is that her speech to David will prove she’s more than just a wise woman.
What she says shows she deserves to be viewed as a prophetess of the God of Israel.
Of course, the takeaway for today is there is no such thing as a chance occurrence in God’s universe.
There is no word for “coincidence” in Hebrew…
And for good reason.
The God we worship is in control of everything.
Everything happens for a reason, even when things go wrong.
Our mistakes and hard times are also part of His plan for us.
So take courage and have hope, knowing your life will unfold exactly as it is meant to.
I leave you with these words from the prophet Jeremiah:
“‘For I know the plans
I have for you,’
declares the Lord,
‘plans to prosper you
and not to harm you,
plans to give you
hope and a future.'”
-Jeremiah 29:11
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