During his time (years) in the wilderness, trying to stay safe from King Saul and his “assassination squads,” David played the role of an ancient Robin Hood!

He protected the landowners and inhabitants of that distant land. No raiders would plunder their cattle and servants … not on David’s watch!

Once a wicked Jewish man named “Nabal” (which is Hebrew for “fool”) fell under David’s jurisdiction. (He owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats! So says 1 Samuel 25:3.)

David (and his men) protected Nabal’s shepherds and on one occasion needed in return mere water, bread and a little meat! (“Income” for David and his men, his followers. True … only “ten” young men went on this expedition, but “in the name of David.”) See 1 Samuel 25:5 and 11.

Well, Nabal refused to help and nearly got himself killed for his brash insolence! (1 Samuel 25:10-11 give his exact words.) But his Wife Abigal intervened with David and no deaths occurred, not at David’s hand anyway.

Subsequently, Abigal made her own investigation. “Was David good or not good to her husband’s servants?”

Here was their reply to her: “The men (David and his crew) were very good unto us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were conversant with them, when we were in the fields.” 1 Samuel 25:15, kindness to the core, no plunder or abuse of any sort!

Now, the next verse is my “key” though today. We keep listening to Nabal’s shepherds: “They were a WALL unto us both by night and day, all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.”

Wow!

A “wall” David was!

That means he was a protector from robbers and marauders and thieves and any other harmful intruder!

He was not a “gate” inviting them into Nabal’s public pastureland!

But a “wall,” are you hearing this?

This reminds of a Passage in the Song of Solomon.

A young lady had a choice to make for her life, her lifestyle. Would she be a “door,” a bad thing, allowing any stranger entrance into her heart, life, her very body?

Or would she be, a good thing like David and his men, a “wall” … refusing such unwarranted advances? (Song of Solomon 8:9)

Christian friend reading here today … BE A WALL IN YOUR HOME. Keep the devil away! Allow him no access.

And BE A WALL AT YOUR CHURCH, helping keep it clean and separated from the world.

For that matter, BE A WALL IN YOUR OWN LIFE, keeping up your “guard” against any easily besetting sin.

Yes indeed, David was a WALL of protection in his at-that-time community!

So must we be in ours.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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