(This is from a Facebook post. Visit the Biblical Families Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/groups/biblicalfamilies/)
The story of David and Abigail can be found in 1 Samuel 25.
The story of David and Bathsheba can be found in 2 Samuel 11,12.
Marital status prior to the relationship
All three people were married prior to having a relationship: David was married to Michal (daughter of Saul), Abigail was married to Nabal, and Bathsheba was married to Uriah the Hittite.
David's Relationship with the Women
David has no relationship with Abigail while she is still married to Nabal.
David does have a relationship with Bathsheba while she is still married to Uriah (and commits the sin of adultery which at that time was punishable by death).
David's Relationship to the Husbands
In both cases David wanted the husbands dead, albeit for different reasons. He wanted to kill Nabal for his lack of hospitality and insults.
Uriah, although he was a good and faithful servant, David wanted him dead to cover up his own guilt because he had already gotten Bathsheba pregnant.
What David Did
David went up to kill Nabal, but his wife wife Abigail intervened and saved Nabal's life (at least from David and no doubt making a good impression on David in the process). Through the actions of Abigail David was prevented from sinning.
In the case of Uriah, David had Joab place Uriah in a position in battle where he would get killed, thus David motivated by Bathsheba compounded his sin by murdering Uriah.
What God Did
In the case of Abigail, Nabal was struck dead by God incidentally making Abigail single. David not wanting to pass up a good thing when he sees it marries Abigail (even though he was already married to Michal). Nowhere is it mentioned that God disapproves of any of the events or the existence of a relationship between David and Abigail.
In the case of Bathsheba David marries her, too (making her at least the third wife), but this time God sends the prophet Nathan to rebuke him, thus demonstrating that God is not shy about calling out sinful behavior. God's complaint does not appear to be that he took more than one wife (otherwise Nathan would have showed up back when he took Abigail), but rather that he took someone else's wife (and killed her husband to do it). God generously spares David's life, but perhaps delivers an even more harsh punishment in condemning his first born child with Bathsheba to die.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/biblicalfamilies/)
The story of David and Abigail can be found in 1 Samuel 25.
The story of David and Bathsheba can be found in 2 Samuel 11,12.
Marital status prior to the relationship
All three people were married prior to having a relationship: David was married to Michal (daughter of Saul), Abigail was married to Nabal, and Bathsheba was married to Uriah the Hittite.
David's Relationship with the Women
David has no relationship with Abigail while she is still married to Nabal.
David does have a relationship with Bathsheba while she is still married to Uriah (and commits the sin of adultery which at that time was punishable by death).
David's Relationship to the Husbands
In both cases David wanted the husbands dead, albeit for different reasons. He wanted to kill Nabal for his lack of hospitality and insults.
Uriah, although he was a good and faithful servant, David wanted him dead to cover up his own guilt because he had already gotten Bathsheba pregnant.
What David Did
David went up to kill Nabal, but his wife wife Abigail intervened and saved Nabal's life (at least from David and no doubt making a good impression on David in the process). Through the actions of Abigail David was prevented from sinning.
In the case of Uriah, David had Joab place Uriah in a position in battle where he would get killed, thus David motivated by Bathsheba compounded his sin by murdering Uriah.
What God Did
In the case of Abigail, Nabal was struck dead by God incidentally making Abigail single. David not wanting to pass up a good thing when he sees it marries Abigail (even though he was already married to Michal). Nowhere is it mentioned that God disapproves of any of the events or the existence of a relationship between David and Abigail.
In the case of Bathsheba David marries her, too (making her at least the third wife), but this time God sends the prophet Nathan to rebuke him, thus demonstrating that God is not shy about calling out sinful behavior. God's complaint does not appear to be that he took more than one wife (otherwise Nathan would have showed up back when he took Abigail), but rather that he took someone else's wife (and killed her husband to do it). God generously spares David's life, but perhaps delivers an even more harsh punishment in condemning his first born child with Bathsheba to die.
