'31' The Series - Abishag

Have you ever wondered how your story will be told? wondered what words will give flesh to your tale? (Well, I won't say I haven't). 

Our leading woman's story today is one told with very few words, just 4 and half verses tell her story in the bible (while some other women have books in the bible named after them, ikr!!!!!) so you can imagine how many times I felt like "How do I tell this woman's story?, is there really anything to tell?" but then didn't the stone the builder rejected become the cornerstone?

I picked up this stone and got to building.

"Let a young virgin be found for the king and let her attend him and become his nurse; let her lie against his chest, so that the king may feel warm. so they searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king."

Abishag left her home, her family, the life she knew and a new life was given to her. one shaped by forces and circumstances beyond her control. Culture, tradition and power collaborated  to grind the ink that would one day write her story. 

She became David's nurse and cared for his basic needs. She lived in the palace but not as a wife nor as a concubine (she didn't have the title most sought after beautiful women had). She was just a caregiver, one whose presence could be easily ignored (ironic, right?).

 

We can very well assume she did a lot of not so pleasant things while taking care of the king like cleaning up after him (he was described as old and weak so there is every possibility).

 

But in the course of doing the seemingly ordinary duties of taking care of an old king whose household was puzzled with finding out who would succeed him, she became an important piece in the puzzle. Not only did she witness the naming of the next king of Israel (Solomon, son of Bathseba), she also became a symbol of power when one of the sons (Adonijah, son of Haggith) of the old king asked for Abishag's hand in marriage.

"King Solomon said to his mother 'why are you asking for Abishag the Shunamite for Adonijah? ask then the kingdom for him also......' (imagine a king saying a mere caregiver is synonymous to a whole kingdom. Not so ordinary right?) then king Solomon ordered for Adonijah to be put to death"

 

It could have been any other girl in the whole of Israel but it was her, she was given a new place so she gave herself to the people and the purpose of being there and ultimately got her platform (4 and half verses but she got it) and that was all the EXTRA she needed.

Often times the extraordinary we want to be is right there in the ordinary we are and all we need to get it out is unwavering devotion.

P.S. some scholars are of the opinion that Abishag is king Solomon's "Song"☺