CRYSTALLIZATION-STUDY OF 1&2 SAMUEL
Message Eleven
David and Abigail Typifying the Warring Christ and the Warring Church
Scripture Reading: 1 Sam. 25:2-42; Eph. 5:25-27; 6:10-13; Rev. 19:7-9, 11-21; Heb. 6:19; 10:19-20; 13:13
I. First Samuel 25:1b-44 is a record of David's dealing with Nabal and Abigail:
A. In this chapter we see Abigail's wisdom in appeasing David—vv. 23-31.
B. David responded to Abigail's appeal by blessing Jehovah, who sent her to meet him, and also by blessing her, who kept him from entering into bloodshed and from avenging himself by his own hand—vv. 32-35.
C. Abigail's beauty and wisdom caught David, and after Nabal's death he took her as his wife, and she became his counterpart in warfare—vv. 36-44.
II. David typifies the warring Christ in the midst of sufferings—v. 28:
A. David typifies the Lord Jesus as a man in His suffering on earth before His resurrection; David's suffering was for the conquering of the usurping enemies and the gaining of the good land, the ground for God's building—Psa. 69:1-9.
B. David's being established by God is seen in his repeated victories over the Philistines; thus, he is a type of the warrior Christ—2 Sam. 5:17-25.
C. Because Jehovah is the Warrior fighting the battle for us and triumphing over all our enemies, He is our triumph, our victory—Exo. 17:8-16.
D. Psalm 110:5-6 reveals that in addition to being the King and the Priest, Christ is the Warrior:
1. In the day of His anger at His coming back, Christ will be the greatest Victor, overcoming all the nations, shattering the kings and the head of the enemies, and executing judgment on all those who oppose Him—vv. 1-2, 5-6.
2. According to Revelation 19:11-14, in His coming back Christ will be the fighting One:
a. The Lord will not fight alone against Antichrist and the armies of the nations.
b. Christ will come with His bride as His army, and with her He will fight against Antichrist and his armies—vv. 7-9.
E. The Warrior Christ is the victorious Christ—John 12:31; Eph. 4:8; Heb. 2:14:
1. In His earthly ministry the victorious Christ defeated the devil and destroyed his works—Matt. 4:1-11; 1 John 3:8.
2. In His crucifixion the victorious Christ cast out the ruler of this world, destroyed the devil, caused the rulers and authorities to be stripped off, and nullified death—John 12:31; Matt. 27:51; Heb. 2:14; Col. 2:15; 2 Tim. 1:10.
3. The resurrection of the victorious Christ declares that He is victorious over death—2:8.
4. In His ascension the victorious Christ "led captive those taken captive"; He released us from the usurping hand of Satan and brought us to the highest place in the universe—Eph. 2:6; 4:8.
5. The victorious Christ will come as the fighting General, the Warrior, with His army to fight Antichrist, the kings under him, and their armies at Armageddon—Rev. 19:11-21.
III. Abigail typifies the warring church in the midst of sufferings—1 Sam. 25:2-42:
A. From 1 Samuel 25 onward, Abigail was always at the side of David the warrior and followed him in his wars—vv. 40-42:
1. Abigail's marriage to David typifies the church enlisted as an army for warfare—Eph. 6:10-20.
2. Abigail typifies the warring church, fighting for God's kingdom in the midst of sufferings—Rev. 1:9; 11:15; 12:10.
B. The type of Abigail portrays our need to be one with Christ in His sufferings—Phil. 3:10; Col. 1:24; Rev. 1:9:
1. The afflictions of Christ are of two categories: those for accomplishing redemption, which were completed by Christ Himself, and those for producing and building the church, which need to be filled up by the apostles and the believers—Col. 1:24.
2. The fact that Paul mentions the afflictions of Christ in connection with the stewardship of God indicates that the stewardship can be carried out only through suffering—v. 25:
a. If we desire to share in the stewardship of God, we must be prepared to suffer—Rev. 1:9; 2 Cor. 1:3-6.
b. All those who participate in the service of the church or in the ministry must be ready to partake of the afflictions of a steward; this means that we must be willing to pay whatever price is necessary to fulfill our stewardship—4:10-12; John 12:24-26.
C. The type of Abigail portrays the church's participation with the Lord Jesus in spiritual warfare—Eph. 6:10-20:
1. The church as Christ's counterpart, His bride, is revealed in Ephesians 5:25-27, and this counterpart becomes the warrior, the fighter, in Ephesians 6:10-13:
a. Ephesians 5 and 6 will be fulfilled in Revelation 19.
b. The totality of the overcomers becomes the bride to be the counterpart of Christ (vv. 7-9), and this counterpart becomes Christ's army to defeat Antichrist at Armageddon (vv. 11-21).
2. Not only must God's eternal purpose be fulfilled and the desire of His heart be satisfied, but God's enemy must be defeated; for this, the church must be a warrior—Eph. 1:11; 3:9-11; 6:10-12.
3. Spiritual warfare is necessary because Satan's will is set against God's will—Matt. 6:10; 7:21; Isa. 14:12-14:
a. Spiritual warfare has its source in the conflict between the divine will and the satanic will.
b. As the church, our fighting is to subdue the satanic will and to defeat God's enemy—Rev. 12:11.
4. Satan is terrified of the church as the Body of Christ, the corporate warrior fighting against him and his kingdom—S. S. 6:10; Eph. 6:10-20.
5. Christ will marry the one who has been fighting the battle against God's enemy for years—Rev. 19:7-9, 11-16.
6. The overcomers who constitute the bride of Christ fight the battle against all the enemies of God and defeat them in order to bring in the kingdom of God—2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 11:15; 12:10.
IV. The type of Abigail portrays a believer who goes forth unto Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach—Heb. 13:13:
A. Our Christian life has two aspects—an inward aspect and an outward aspect—Heb. 6:19-20; 13:13:
1. The inward aspect is typified by the Shulammite, and the outward aspect is typified by Abigail—S. S. 6:4, 10, 13; Heb. 13:13.
2. On the one hand, we are within the veil, in the Holy of Holies; on the other hand, we are outside the city, the camp, before men—Heb. 6:19-20; 13:13.
a. Inwardly, we enjoy the resurrected Christ, and outwardly, we follow Jesus—6:19; 13:13.
b. When we touch the Lord in the inner chamber, in the Holy of Holies, in the secret place, we can be likened to the Shulammite—10:19-20; S. S. 1:4; 4:10; 6:13.
c. When we testify for the Lord and work for the Lord in our outward living, we can be likened to Abigail wandering with David in the wilderness—1 Sam. 25:40-42.
B. Every day we can experience these two aspects—Heb. 6:19-20; 10:19-20; 13:13:
1. We are within the veil as the Shulammite, living in the Holy of Holies and enjoying the resurrected and glorified Christ, and we are outside the camp as Abigail, living in the world and following the lowly Jesus—6:19-20; 13:13.
2. Like the Shulammite and Solomon, we remain in the palaces of ivory and fellowship with the Lord inwardly, and like Abigail, we outwardly live and work by following David to war and suffering—Psa. 45:8; 1 Sam. 25:40-42.
3. The One within us is the resurrected Christ, and the One without is Jesus the Nazarene—Rev. 1:17-18; Matt. 2:23.
4. Inwardly, we have the enjoyment of the Shulammite in the secret place, and outwardly, we have the public living of Abigail.
C. When a believer in Christ comes out from within the veil, the inner chamber of fellowship, he is able to take the way of the cross and follow the suffering Jesus—Heb. 6:19; 10:19-20; 13:13:
1. Only those who enter within the veil can go forth unto Jesus outside the camp and bear His reproach—6:19; 10:19-20; 13:13.
2. It is the resurrected Christ in us who leads us to follow the suffering Jesus—v. 13.
3. The Lord Jesus has walked the way of the cross and entered into resurrection, and now He is leading us, His Abigail, to take the way of the cross and follow Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach—v. 13.