(This is a fictionalized account of the journal of a woman from the Bible. It is a bit long, but I didn’t want to split it into several posts, so dive into it only if you have some time to read it.)
Journal Entry #1
My Wedding Day
Today is the day when I will meet my betrothed for the first time. My father assures me that Nabal will take good care of me, for he is a successful businessman with many servants.
Father received a large bride price for me, which will help both mother and father into their old age. At only fourteen years of age, I am quite able to cook and clean, and mother made sure I
learned to read and speak properly.
What an exciting day this is for me and for my family!
My family will await my bridegroom until this evening. He sent his friend to our house to let us know that the day had finally arrived. The elder of the tribe of Judah will come to speak blessings over our marriage before we walk back to Nabal’s home with our friends and family lining the roadway with torchlights to mark our path.
A tremendous feast will follow for many days, and then we will settle into our life together. I do hope Elohim will bless us with children quickly. I love children and will miss living with my brothers and sisters like I do now. Mother has given me much instruction on how to keep my home properly and how to please my new husband.
Will he look at me with a twinkle of mirth and love in his eyes, like
father does to mother?
Elohim has given them many years of happiness and five children. Surely, He will bless my new home too. I must learn to trust Him like my parents have for all these years.
Journal Entry #2
Six Months Later
I can barely put into words these last few months of disappointment. Since the evening of our wedding, Nabal spends every night drunken by wine, and every day pinching pennies and demanding harder work from exhausted servants.
At first, I thought I could change him. I tried so hard never to make him upset. I followed his instructions for how to run the house to the letter.
I reused every bit of twine and paper.
I made sure the servants had his supper ready and warm for whenever he might slam the door open and demand it to be on the table.
Eggshells are fragile things to walk over without breaking.
Nothing I do is ever right or enough, and I am weary of the beatings and the heartbreaking barbs he screams at me. The
servants avert their eyes and scatter like mice when the master comes home. There is no one who can help but Elohim, so I make my prayer to the One who sees, who hears, and who can make
the impossible possible.
Journal Entry #3
Two Years Later
Life has fallen into a steady pattern, but it has been a long time since I have written anything in my journal. Though Elohim has not blessed me with a child, it is His mercy that prevents such a cruel man from having children. The monthly time alone that the law requires is
a kind reprieve from Nabal’s heartless demands and his beatings.
Thankfully, this is the time of sheepshearing, so he has been away in Carmel all week.
I was able to smooth things over with the neighbors when he angrily beat their cow to death because it wandered into our pastures. When the servants and I brought over the dressed meat
with a feast of fixings, they nervously spoke of young David who has been in hiding from King Saul. It sounds like there was some trouble with his servants and Nabal up in Carmel.
Elohim, please lead me in Thy truth, and give me strength and wisdom to know what to do. Nabal will be home tomorrow, and he will be very angry about this.
Journal Entry #4
The Following Day
Nabal is home, drunk, and crashing about the house screaming about young David.
Is not this the David that killed the giant Philistine with just a stone and sling? If Elohim was with him then, surely, He is with David now.
I am frightened.
Nabal just keeps saying, “Who is David? He breaks away from his master and expects to take my bread, my water, and my hard-earned meat from my sheep for servants that are not
mine?”
Nabal has drunk every bottle of wine he can find, and all my beautiful pottery lays shattered against the mud brick walls. He will pass out soon, and I must hurry. The servants say
David and his army of disenchanted ruffians are camped nearby.
Elim, the head shepherd’s son, heard Nabal’s mistreatment of David’s messengers, after they had protected the flocks and shepherds against the marauders that lurk in the hills.
David and his men will destroy the servants, the house, the animals, and everything in his path to get to Nabal.
Elohim, grant me words to say to Your anointed servant. Protect these innocent servants who have long been mistreated by the evil, angry man they must serve. Hinder David from accomplishing what will only cause him regret in the future. Cover me with your wings of protection when I must tell Nabal what I have done.
Journal Entry # 5
Crisis Averted
Only Elohim could have stopped David from his plans of revenge. He gave me words and wisdom to meet the hungry army. My servants carried two hundred loaves of bread, five roasted sheep, five measures of dried corn, a hundred clusters of raisins, two hundred cakes of figs, and two bottles of wine that Nabal had somehow missed.
Food quiets many an angry mob, and so, this feast slowed them down enough to foster a conversation.
I fell before David’s feet and asked him to place all the blame upon me.
I made no apologies for Nabal, even explaining that his name meant that “folly was with him.” I reminded David of the Lord Jehovah, whom he served.
I implored him not to shed innocent blood, and to leave vengeance in Elohim’s wise hand. From nowhere, words came to my tongue with conviction.
“The soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.”
Like Elohim was with David when he fought Goliath, so He was with him now.
When David becomes king, this moment will cause him no regret, for he did not follow through with his vengeance.
I asked him to remember me when Elohim makes him king. Perhaps
there is hope that someone can help me after all.
Journal Entry #6
Ten Days Later
I can scarcely believe the details of the last ten days, for when I came home from speaking with David, Nabal was indulging in a merry feast. He was much too inebriated to speak about the events of the day, so I waited until the morning.
Though he complained of a terrible headache, I tentatively broached the subject of David and his men. I described the terror of the
servants who feared for their lives, and the plan I made to circumvent disaster.
The more I said, the angrier Nabal grew until his meaty hands wrapped about my neck and I felt darkness taking hold.
Just when I thought my life was over, his body dropped to the floor with cold sweat pouring from his forehead. Quickly, I called the servants in to help Nabal into bed where only his labored breathing marked life.
This morning, his chest suddenly heaved one last sigh as his face
drew into a death mask of fear.
Elohim has heard the pleas of His servant and released me from my vows. He has avenged David of his enemy and shown Himself strong on his behalf. Blessed be the LORD. May His name be praised forever.
Journal Entry #7
A Few Days Later
David has sent his servants to request my hand in marriage and to bring me back to him. This all feels like a wonderful dream that I hope I do not awake from.
He is blessed by Elohim, anointed to be king, and so much kinder than I have known any man to be. He even wrote a poem of his
affection that he promised to sing to me when I come. Of course, I sent back word that I would be perfectly happy washing his servants’ feet.
Why he would want me to be his wife, I cannot understand, but I trust Elohim. He has a plan. And besides, all the wealth that Nabal has left behind will surely help care for David and
his small band while he runs from Saul. Just a short time ago, I thought David might kill us all, but now what he spared will help him live.
Only Elohim could work such a miracle as this!
Journal Entry #8
One Month Later
“Shift, shift, slap…” Scrubbing David’s tunics on the rocks in the caves is a bit different than handing them off to the servants in the kitchen. Life on the run has been so much more difficult than I ever imagined, but having David by my side brings unbelievable peace.
His songs of praise to Elohim every night lift our eyes to the One who knows, who sees, and who promises to be a loving Shepherd.
David chose to take another wife about the same time I joined him. Ahinoam can be unkind and hurtful when David is not around, but I choose kindness in return. I learned long ago that I can only choose my response. There is no changing how someone else decides to behave. I will continue to stay my mind on Elohim’s promises and trust the covering of his wings.
Last week, David and his officer, Abishai, went down to King Saul’s camp. All of Saul’s guards and his chief officer slept so deeply, no one heard them approach. David could have
ended all the fear and chaos of running from Saul right that minute, and no one would have blamed him. Instead, he only took Saul’s spear and water cruse.
Once David arrived back at the hill across the valley, he called out to Abner, reprimanding him for not keeping watch over his king. David once again repeated that he was not out to hurt Saul. He would not raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed one. Saul blessed
him, and promised not to harm him, but David is unconvinced.
He said we must go to Gath before Saul kills him. It seems like jumping out of the kettle into the fire, so I only pray for David to have wisdom to know what is best.
Journal Entry #9
Settled in Ziklag
Surprisingly, King Achish gave David and his men a city to dwell in, and life is much more stable here. Ziklag is dry and arid, but it has been home while David and his army attack outlying cities. King Achish believes David is raiding towns under Saul’s domain, making him valuable to the Philistines.
Right now, the Philistine army is gathering to make war with Saul’s army. David has feigned loyalty to Achish, hoping for the opportunity to turn on them for the people of Elohim.
He may be gone for some time, so he has left the women and children here.
Ahinoam and I have grown closer, spending evenings enjoying each other’s company. She said that my cheerful kindness won her over, and now we behave more like sisters than enemies. Life has been hard for both of us, but Elohim has given us companionship in David’s absence. We pray that he will be home soon.
Journal Entry #10
Stolen!
Shortly after David and his men left, a surprise raid by the Amalekites kidnapped all the animals, women, and children out of Ziklag and marched us through the wilderness. There is little time to write, but much time to pray.
Elohim, please rescue us. Though we walk through the
valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil: for Thou art with us; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort us.
Journal Entry #11
Safe At Last
Judah has called David to his rightful throne.
Elohim, in His great mercy, kept David and his men from going to war with the Philistines. When they arrived back at Ziklag and saw the
city burned to the ground, the men nearly stoned David. They could not believe they had lost everything they owned.
David nearly gave in to discouragement, for there was no one to speak a word of comfort in his ear. He, too, had lost everything.
He related later, in a quiet moment together, how he
chose to remember all Elohim had done for him throughout his whole life. He remembered when he had been chosen apart from his older brothers to be anointed king of Israel. He thought of the
nights Elohim filled him with strength to fight the lion and the bear, and then later, the courage to stand against Goliath. He recalled the many times he narrowly escaped from Saul and his men.
He smiled into my eyes when he spoke of how Elohim sent me to keep him from taking Nabal’s life.
With every remembrance, his courage renewed, and soon, he rallied his men to rescue us from the Amalekites. They found a sick slave nearby who led them straight to us, and nothing was lost.
With the spoils, David sent gifts to the nearby tribes. Sadly, the Philistines had killed Saul and his son Jonathan in battle, and now Judah called David to be their king. The other ten tribes
linger with Saul’s son, Ishbosheth.
Journal Entry #12
Chileab
Life is much busier these days, with little time for writing. David’s new son is a hungry little man, alerting me to his needs with soft fusses and grunts. David declared him fit to be a
mighty prince, holding us close and kissing my cheek.
Fighting and intrigue fill the kingdom, and Ishbosheth’s army constantly clashes with David’s men.
That is all he would tell me, however. He wants me to focus on caring for his new son, since apparently, he needs to eat around the clock!
It is unlikely that David will spend much time with me now that he has added several more wives in addition to his responsibilities in the kingdom. Ahinoam delivered David’s firstborn son, Amnon, just a month before Chileab arrived.
Isn’t it just like Elohim to send me a little gift of companionship in David’s place? He has been so very good to me.
Journal #13
King of Israel
After two years of civil war, David became king over all of Israel. Jerusalem is now our home, and David has gathered many more wives and sons. David’s life rarely touches mine anymore, and Chileab spends time learning with the other princes, so things are much quieter for me.
I busy myself with embroidery during the day, and in the evenings, I enjoy teaching the servants how to read.
Today brought some rich excitement to the city, however!
David danced into Jerusalem with Elohim’s Ark of the Covenant after its long stay in Kirjath-jearim.
The first time David attempted to bring the ark into Jerusalem, he did not read the Law of Moses closely and attempted to move it on an ox cart. Tragically, Uzzah, the ox-cart driver, reached out to steady the ark so it would not fall, and he died right there in the road.
Finally, David consulted the priests to find that the Ark should only be carried by beams on the shoulders of the Levites.
David was overcome with joy to see the Ark coming back to its rightful place.
Michal, David’s first wife, called me to the window to see him jumping and spinning in the air like a young boy at play. She scoffed at his exuberance, but my heart overflowed with love for his
passion for Adonai.
What kindness Elohim has shown for His people to give them such a king after His own heart, and to establish the kingdom with His blessing!
David’s song written for the occasion touched my heart, so I will write a few lines of it here.
I sing it as my own song of gratitude for what Adonai has done.
A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.
I will extol thee, O Lord; for thou hast lifted me up,
and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave:
thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his,
and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing:
thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
This will be my song to him until my dying breath, for Elohim has been so very good to me.
Abigail
–Erica B.
His Song in the Night 