BELIAL, The Wicked Ruler

Belial: Rejecting the Lord's Anointed

However, Nabal accused David of being a rebellious servant. 1 Samuel 25:14 says, "... he railed on them." This is speaking of Nabal's treatment of the servants of David. He treated them with contempt. He insulted them. He scoffed at them. He flared out at them. Nabal was a wealthy man, yet he refused to give to the Lord's anointed. The Word of God says he was "very great" (1 Samuel 25:2). He possessed "three thousand sheep and a thousand goats". The name Nabal means "churl". Webster's definition of churl means "a rude, ill-bred person, or stingy morose person." To be churlish means to be vulgar, ill-natured, difficult to work with or deal with. Abigail referred to her husband as a "man of Belial". She knew that her husband was unapproachable and that no one could speak to him. The Rotherham translation says, "he is such an abandoned man, that one cannot speak to him." The Basic English version says, "he is such a good-for nothing person." The Knox version says, "he is so cross-grained a man that there is no reasoning with him." The word "cross grained" means difficult to deal with. As much as we like to see good in everyone, there are unfortunately people in the world like Nabal. Can you imagine what Abigail had to deal with being married to this man? It was only because of her wisdom that her life and the lives of her loved ones were saved. She is an example of the power of intercession. And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, and he died. 1 Samuel 25:38 The American Translation says, "the Lord inflicted a stroke upon." This was after Nabal held a feast in his home, like the feast of a king. He was a stingy, selfish, and irreverent man. He did not respect the anointing upon King David. The Lord's judgment came upon him. and he died. David stated: "...for the

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