Jeff Williams, missionary to New Zealand, preached a message entitled A Field of Fools from 1 Sam 25:1-25. Nabal was a fool, and many of the people whom we try to reach with the gospel are fools.

Missions is a spiritual war like Saul against David. David typifies Jesus. In 1 Sam 25, he was anointed but not yet on the throne. David’s men came to Nabal with a message of peace in David’s name. Likewise we come to sinners with a message of peace in Jesus’s name.

Like Laodicea in Rev 3:14-17, we are trying to reaching apathetic, spiritually impoverished souls for Jesus. This the Nabal age, in which we are trying to reach fools in a field of fools. We are working in:

A mission field of prosperity, 1 Sam 25:6. In prosperity, people are not interested in the Lord.

A mission field of rejection, 1 Sam 25:10. Nabal rejected David’s men like sinners reject us when we speak to them about Jesus. Like Nabal, they are selfish, 1 Sam 25:11.

A mission field of fools, 1 Sam 25:25. They are fools just like the fools in Rom 1:20-22.

How to deal with fools in the field of fools.

Tell Jesus about it, 1 Sam 25:12. It’s his field, and therefore it’s his problem. Lk 9:52-26 he came to save them. 2 Pet 3:9 he’s not willing that any should perish. Col 4:3-4 pray to the Lord to help us with open doors and utterance.

Use the sword, 1 Sam 25:13. Preach the Bible, Heb 4:12.

Look for an Abigail, 1 Sam 25:14, 23-24. Some, in this field, will ask for forgiveness, become a part of the bride of Christ, and serve the Lord.

Conclusion: don’t forget Titus 3:3-6. We were also once foolish but we obtained mercy. So have mercy.