Fierce Femininity

Hazzy unpacks what fierce femininity looks like through the actions of Abigail

What is a Godly woman? How do we become one and what does she look like? In the Bible, Abigail is a fantastic example of what it means to be a Godly woman. For anyone who doesn’t know the story of Abigail, here’s some context: David kept watch over Nabal’s sheep and servants so that no harm would come to them, but when David asks Nabal to return the favour by giving David and his men food and water, Nabal refuses. This infuriates David because Nabal has repaid his good for evil so David sets his heart on killing Nabal and all of his male servants and companions. Abigail was Nabal’s wife and word got back to her on what David was planning to do. She acted quickly and prepared a small feast for David and his men, because David and his men needed food. She took the food to David and bowed with her face to the ground as she approached him.

“When the Lord has fulfilled for my lord every good thing he promised concerning him and has appointed him ruler over Israel, my lord will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord your God has brought my lord success, remember your servant.” David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak.” 1 Samuel 25:30-34

Abigail was so humble – she didn’t need to be. If David had come to attack Nabal she would’ve been safe, she would’ve survived because she was a woman, but she wasn’t selfish, she wanted to save all the men’s lives so she did exactly that. She didn’t rally up the men to go and fight David, but instead she went in humility and made herself vulnerable. David could’ve killed her there and then, but she trusted God that He would bless her courage.

Abigail reminded David of God’s promises, she brought his focus from man and back to God. She reminded David that God’s plan was for him to become ruler over Israel. David was destined to become king, so he needed to act like it. Her speech was sobering, and it convinced David, as she brought him back down to earth instead of being consumed by his emotions. She reminded David that he didn’t need to avenge himself, because God would take vengeance for him (Deuteronomy 32:35). Abigail was an intelligent, beautiful and a Godly woman, which is why she was able to act quickly, provide David with what he needed, and bring his attention back to God. She convinced David to spare their lives and avoid needless bloodshed.

Abigail also helped David to do right in the eyes of the Lord. This is a true woman of God. After Abigail’s speech, David praises God because God used Abigail powerfully. God blessed Abigail’s courage and humility by making her a queen – she became David’s wife! A noble woman protects her household and her family and this is exactly what Abigail did (Proverbs 31:27). Abigail demonstrated all the feminine qualities the Bible tells us to have and it makes her a hero. Typically, we see men being the heroes, the ones who saves many lives, but in this scenario, it was Abigail, not her husband Nabal.

“Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

— 1 Peter 3:4

God calls women to be submissive, but He also calls us to be noble (Proverbs 31:10). The word noble in Hebrew is ‘Chayil’ which means strength or army. 1 Peter 3:4 tells women to be quiet and gentle; we can often perceive this as being fragile and weak, but in actual fact it means something very different. The original Greek work used for gentle is ‘praus’ and it is used to describe Jesus in Matthew 21:5 when referring to Zachariah 9:9.

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

— Zachariah 9:9

In Greek, Jesus is described as praus and in Hebrew (in Zachariah), He [Jesus] is described as ‘ani’ which means poor, humble, and afflicted. Why is Jesus lifted so high, being called a king and righteous and victorious, but also called humble, lowly and afflicted? Jesus wasn’t riding on a great stallion, He was riding a donkey. Did He have the right, honour and authority to ride a stallion? Absolutely! But He chose to ride a colt instead.

Following Jesus’ example of gentleness is humility. It’s having power but submitting it to God. Jesus had the power to call down 12 legions and angels and completely annihilate all those who were persecuting Him (Matthew 26:53). He could’ve destroyed every wicked person there and then and only saved those who were righteous, but He didn’t, instead He was praus. God calls us to follow Jesus’ example (1 John 2:6). God made women to be strong; He made us boss women; He made us hustlers, He made us vigorous, courageous, and hardworking, but He also calls us to submit that power to Him and be humble instead of using our feminine power for our own gain.

The Greek word for quiet is ‘hésuchios’ which means peaceful and tranquil – this is the opposite to being stressed out and a train wreck. I’m sure most of us can look at our lives or look at the weeks we’ve had and think “I really don’t have it together”. So, how can we possibly be like the Proverbs 31 woman? I struggle to make my bed and have three meals a day let alone being a full-time mum, wife, manage a household, make clothes, or buy fields… So, how does she do it? Jesus had a stressful life, He had crowds of people following Him around all the time, to the point where He had to withdraw from them and be by Himself so He could pray (Luke 5:16). Jesus was able to have a gentle and quiet spirit because He depended on prayer. He trusted God’s plan and knew that if He was obedient to it, He would lead many to eternal life (John 12:49-50).

How do we become incredible examples of Godly women like Abigail? Pray. Having a gentle and quiet spirit requires tremendous strength, and it is so precious in God’s eyes. Remember: women are warriors, women are strong, and women are precious and honoured. Next time you’re in a stressful situation and you have a fit of rage or lose your cool, ask yourself: how was my prayer life today?