I Samuel 25:38

"And it came to pass about ten days after, that the Lord smote Nabal, that he died."

The account of Nabal was nothing good and the end of Nabal was not good. I often consider death and the ways of it, and this much I have consider, it is not good to die at the hands of the Lord. And it came to pass - word study, to come; time moves along and there is a season for everything, including a 'time to die'. About ten days after - Nabal had been smote with 'his heart died within him'; It would seem that he had a stroke or heart attack, this is only a quack observation from my perspective. But for ten days life had not ended but it was not in what God intended. There are many that they simply become a shell of what life is to be. the diseases, strokes, aging all are part of this lack of full life. and as there is a purpose for everything under the sun, so there is purpose for this. It should be that we ask here, with Nabal's wickedness and offence against God, and God smites him in the next phrase of our verse, why did He let him last ten days? To those that are in the dying process, the question is often asked, 'Why does God let them continue?'' Many a child of God watching their loved one suffer asks, "Let them depart and be at peace." Yet the answer does not come; why? Is it possible for us to know such things? Is it possible for us to accept? Many a person has been hardened over this. 'It's not fair; It's not right; If God is God why doesn't He do something?' all of these are things that I have heard adn there is an answer to each of them. But I would dare say, that they would not like the answer to be given to the 'why'. At this time it is enough for me to say, do you have enough faith to beleive that God is right and just in all His ways? then be content that His will and way is perfect. That the Lord smote Nabal - the Lord is able to smite someone and death not always be the end result; He smote Miriam with leprosy; He smote the men with blindness in Sodom; He smote the Philstines with the emerods. But it is to note that the Lord smites for a purpose for a reason and as students in the Word we must answer, 'Why did God do that?' Now you would be able to see that there are other times when the phrase is used, "the Lord smote them', that death was the end result. why Nabal? what did he do or not do? Which is what everyone always assumes, 'they must have done something against the Lord'. what if it is that they did not something the Lord commanded? Let there be no doubt about Nabal, he was wicked and evil in all of his ways. His servants called him, a son of Belial. It is recorded that in all his ways he was churlish and evil. This is almsot to say, that he was pure evil, the thought alone should provoke us to consider. ARe there not men like this? there has always be men like this, for this is the full reward of the curse of sin. some men dabble with sin, some consider it, others indulge in it, others make it a way of life but then there are those that are consumed with it. These are those that are dead men walking, they have committed the unpardonable sin and it is not a question of eternity for them, for they have rejected it outright. It is only a matter of when they will die by the hand of the Lord. For it is the Lord that judges and executes this sentencing of hell for such. We often see in Scripture the scene of God sending His angel to smite those that are not protected. The account in Egypt with the death angel; the rebellious in the wilderness the Lord smote them, the end time when God will reap with a vengance on thsoe that have longed rejectded His hand of salvation and mercy. To such God puts forth His hand or simply says the word, "Let them die". To understand that their are those that have so grieved the Holy Spirit beyond redemption, should tears not flow for such. Yet, look at all mankind and see your loved ones, friends, those around us and the masses of humanity, 7 billion and how close are they to this happening to them. Weep, Yea, weep abundatly for God to have mercy, extend His longsuffering with the wickedness of man. Did He not do it with us? Was He not longsuffering with our evil ways? Does He not extend to us grace? For those that are in such sin, it is not just a little sin, they are purely evil and no good thing dwells within them. The hope of salvation is not present, then what is to stay a most righteous judge from this last pharse of this verse, He died - the end of opportunity and the end of hope; for a child of God they know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. But for the lost they go from death to death, the second death. And it is worse than the first death. These are perishing, these are cursed and when God says, 'Let them die', who is able to stand and defy that command? when will that come, ten days where given to Nabal. what of those you know and care about? How much time is there?