“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…
Hana…
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
Hi, I’ve just emailed you
Hi, you’ve only mentioned the names 6 women
Thanks for pointing that out. I fixed the post.
The seventh prophetess recognized by the Hebrew sages is Hannah (Chana), the mother of the prophet Samuel. She is celebrated for her heartfelt prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10, often referred to as Hannah’s Song or Prayer. This prayer is considered a prophetic utterance because it speaks of God’s sovereignty, justice, and the future establishment of a king, which many see as a reference to the coming of King David and, ultimately, the Messianic era.
I emailed your personal email address last week, did you get a chance to read it?
Thanks. Yes, I received it. Just haven’t had a chance to fix all the errors you pointed out. Will get around to it soon!
I sent an email to your personal email address last week, did you get a chance to read it?
Yes. Thanks for pointing out the errors.
Hi there,
I just searched my email inbox. The last message I got from you was the following on December 14, 2024.
“n 1S18-7: Spiritual Stability Versus Earthly Power, you’ve written “Dav7d’s popularity had reached immense levels”. 1S18-10 – He could have cared less should be “He couldn’t have cared less”. 1S20-14: Why Christmas And Easter goes to 1S20-13. 1S21-16: The Edomite Factor – the bible verse quoted is from 1 Samuel 21:7.
1S21-20: Trust Over Tactics – you’ve quoted 1 Samuel 21:14. 1S24-9: Father-Son Relationship is quoting 1 Samuel 24:11. 1S25-6: When God Steps In – And again, it ain’t that much difference (it ain’t that much different or their ain’t that much difference).
1S25-4: Divine Love – “the ideal minimum of men” should be the ideal minimum NUMBER of men. 1S25-8: How To Find Peace – You’ve mentioned 6 names. Some believe there are 5 prophetesses, some believe 7 & some believe there are more. I would love to hear your thoughts on why you believe Hannah is / isn’t a prophetess for instance. Also what are the similarities and contrasts between how God uses prophets & prophetesses (if there are any), maybe you can cover this topic when you reach Huldah or the book of Ester.
1S25-22: How David’s Multiple Marriages – You’ve written “Saul had given David’s first wife to Michal”. 2S5-21 doesn’t open”
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