The NIV Bible puts it this way - If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they
Pride deceives us to think that without us, others cannot make it, or that we can allow or disallow another's blessing. Pride can make us to greatly disrespect others and treat them unfairly, especially when we are in a privileged position. Pride causes masters to maltreat servants. Pride makes Kings put their subjects through inhuman treatment. Pride is what moves the rich to withhold help from the poor, especially when it is within their ability.
I have often thought of Nabal and what happened to him in 1 Samuel 25. He was a rich man who had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep. He probably truly had never heard of David. David and his men however knew him and had helped his servants to take care of his sheep. David sent his men to ask Nabal of a favour, but Nabal answered David's men - “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?”
This angered David, and he intended to teach Nabal a lesson. Abigail, Nabal's wife, however used wisdom and humility to assuage David's anger. David refrained from harming Nabal. I always wondered though, why Nabal's story did not end here. He had done wrong, his wife had pleaded on his behalf, end of story! But this was not so. Nabal had not touched an ordinary man, he had touched a King!
WHAT IS NEXT?
