When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, “Blessed be the LORD who has avenged the insult I received at the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from wrongdoing. The LORD has returned the evil of Nabal on his own head.” Then David sent and spoke to Abigail, to take her as his wife. When the servants of David came to Abigail at Carmel, they said to her, “David has sent us to you to take you to him as his wife.” And she rose and bowed with her face to the ground and said, “Behold, your handmaid is a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord.” And Abigail hurried and rose and mounted a donkey, and her five young women attended her. She followed the messengers of David and became his wife.
David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and both of them became his wives. Saul had given Michal his daughter, David’s wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was of Gallim.
Comment: Nabal is written quickly out of the story and life goes on! Sometimes we don’t understand the marriage behaviours in the Bible. It is pretty easy to understand that Saul, when David fled for his life, gave his daughter (Michal) whom he had given to David as wife number one, to another man, presumable a loyal supporter. And sex is a strong driving force in life; The need for someone to share the duties of life with; children to support you in your old age; for the leaders of nations marriages sealed contracts; and other things came into play in life. So before David married Abigail he had already married again to Ahinoam who is always given precedence when David’s wives are later mentioned. We don’t know if David’s marriage to Ahinoam was one of love or convenience but Abigail responds to David’s proposal as if there was a strong desire to be David’s wife.
Prayer: Under all the pressures of life, help me to make wise decisions, O Lord.
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. It would be a good thing if we could get into a “time machine” and go back to this time and understand the culture of the people who lived then. When we compare what we read in this passage, and put it alongside our culture today, it is certainly not what we as God’s people would do in having more than one wife at the one time. We can only leave this in God’s Hands and do our best to follow God and obey Him in our own lives. God bless you.
LikeLike