ABISHAG
1 Kings 1:1-4
I’ve got to share something that’s been wrecking my mind lately. I was reading this passage in 1 Kings – you know, the kind of scripture that most people just skim over – and God dropped something in my spirit that I can’t shake. The Bible says:
“Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, ‘Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.’ So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.”
I was sitting in my study, thinking about all these legendary faith warriors in the Bible. You know who I’m talking about – the ones who were out here slaying giants, calling down fire from heaven, walking on water – the real MVPs of the faith game. And I started wondering: what happened when these spiritual champions got old?
David’s experience is clearly detailed. And the Bible doesn’t try to flex here. It straight up tells us: the man was cold (1 Kings 1:1). THE David. Giant-killer David. Worship-leader David. Dancing-before-the-Lord David. He’s just … cold. It seems to be such a mundane detail, doesn’t it? Yet something about it struck me as profound.
Here was a champion warrior who had dominated in battle, now elderly and unable to keep warm. I was going to preach this message called “When the Warrior Grows Old.” For real, I had it all planned out. We were going to talk about legacy, passing the torch, all that good stuff. But sometimes God will hijack your sermon prep! Because as I’m reading this passage for like the fourth time, God says, “Stop. You’re missing something. Look at Abishag.”
Her story, tucked away in 1 Kings 1:1-4, is remarkable, highlighted by her presence at David’s time of greatest need. Her role may have been crucial in preserving the kingdom for Solomon.
Here’s the context: David couldn’t maintain his body temperature, so his servants proposed finding a young maiden to lie beside him for warmth. And so began the search! Scripture tells us “they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.”
So the search is on, and they don’t just grab anybody. They don’t post on Instagram like, “Hey, who wants to be the king’s nurse?” No! The Bible says they searched THROUGHOUT ALL ISRAEL.
That’s not a small thing! We’re talking about a nationwide talent search. This is like “America’s Got Talent” meets “The Bachelor” meets ministry! They’re looking for someone specific, someone special. And they find this young woman named Abishag from Shunem – that’s a 30-hour walk from the palace!
The Bible tells us she was beautiful – and not just beautiful, but “very lovely.” Different translations try to capture it: “unsurpassed in beauty,” “stunningly beautiful.” But her beauty wasn’t just about her appearance. This girl had something different about her, something that came from her lineage.
She was from the tribe of Issachar, and this is where some folks need to lean in. Because when Jacob blessed Issachar back in Genesis, he said something that would echo through generations. He said Issachar was “a strong beast of burden resting among the saddlebags. When he saw how good the countryside was, how pleasant the land, he willingly bent his shoulder to the task and served his masters with vigor.”
Some people are missing their blessing because they think serving is beneath them. But can I tell you something? The servant’s spirit that was prophesied over Issachar wasn’t a curse – it was a calling! Some people look at Issachar and say, “Oh, they settled for less.” But when you’re in the place God has for you, you haven’t settled for less, you’ve positioned yourself for more!
Zig Ziglar – and I know some of you are too young to know who that is, Google him later – Zig said something profound. He said, “If you help people get what they want, they will help you get what you want.” But that principle didn’t start with Zig! That principle started with Jesus!
The truth is we’ve got it twisted in the church sometimes. We think leadership is about having people serve us. But look at David’s journey! Before he ever sat on a throne, he was serving in the sheep fields. Before he ever wore a crown, he was running errands for his daddy, taking lunch to his brothers. Before he ever ruled the palace, he was serving in it!
Too many people are too focused on their title when God is trying to develop their testimony! We’re so worried about our position that we’re missing our purpose!
Look at Ephesians 4:11-12. It says Christ gave leaders “to equip his people for works of service.” Not to build their own kingdom – but to equip others to serve! That’s Mandalorian energy right there – “This is the way!”
And let me tell you about these servant-hearted people. They’re rare. They’re different. They’re like spiritual unicorns! They don’t just hear you – they listen with their heart. They’re not trying to hurt you – they’re trying to heal you. They’re not focused on their own spotlight – they’re trying to help somebody else shine! It takes genuine power to lift others up, even at personal cost.
A true servant isn’t chasing after titles or positions. No, they’re earning their stripes in the trenches, keeping their word and pouring into others. When someone has a servant’s heart, they see something in people that others miss – they see potential! They see what God can do through somebody!
They’ve got this supernatural ability to step into someone else’s shoes. They understand what makes people tick, what breaks their hearts, what drives them forward. When the team wins, they win! That’s kingdom thinking right there!
When Jacob spoke those prophetic words over Issachar about servanthood, he had no idea that generations later, those same servant genes would position a young woman to serve Israel’s greatest king! Only God could write a story like that! Only God could take a servant’s heart and use it to shape history!
When Abishag got her divine assignment – and make no mistake, this was a divine assignment – she wasn’t serving the warrior king David. She wasn’t serving the giant-slayer David. She wasn’t serving the David who danced before the Lord with all his might. No! She got David in his winter season. She got David when he was old, when he was cold, when he was dying.
This is crucial – a true servant doesn’t get to pick their assignment! Abishag’s beauty wasn’t just skin deep. It radiated from her heart, from her compassion, from her willingness to serve without asking what’s in it for her. While other women in David’s life were there for political gain or personal advantage, Abishag served from a pure heart of devotion.
Let me challenge you with this today – we need to start honoring those people in our lives who are making deposits instead of just taking withdrawals! Some people come around only when they need something, but thank God for those precious few who show up to pour in, to build up, to make us better!
Here’s the bottom line – some of you are waiting for the perfect ministry opportunity. You’re waiting for your ideal assignment. But God is asking you right now, “Will you serve here? Will you serve in this season? Will you serve in this place?” Because your greatest breakthrough might just be on the other side of your willingness to serve right where you are!
Your service matters! Your faithfulness matters! God sees every act of service, and He’s getting ready to elevate those who’ve been faithful in the small things!
Abishag enters the scene at a critical juncture in Israel’s history – while she was just doing her job, just serving faithfully, there was a whole political crisis going down! Adonijah is trying to steal the throne, Nathan the prophet is running intelligence operations, Bathsheba is making power moves – and right in the middle of all this drama is this young woman from Shunem, just being faithful in her assignment!
We just never know what God is doing through our faithfulness! You’re changing diapers in the nursery, thinking it’s just another Sunday, but God might be raising up the next Billy Graham in that cradle! You’re serving in the parking lot, thinking you’re just directing traffic, but you might be the first face of Jesus somebody sees that day!
So, there’s a battle for the throne raging behind the scenes. Adonijah, David’s fourth son, is out there trying to crown himself king while his father’s still breathing! But hallelujah, God had different plans! Solomon was God’s chosen one!
When Nathan the prophet uncovered this plot, he didn’t waste time! He got word to Bathsheba, who rushed to David’s chambers where Abishag was serving. When David heard what was happening, he called for Nathan, Zadok, and Benaiah to anoint Solomon right then and there! He then called a general assembly of all the people in the land and crowned Solomon as King in front of everyone.
Listen, David is old and cold, but there’s still a red hot anointing that’s burning inside. His final recorded prayer is pure fire. I can’t prove this, but I can imagine what happened before he uttered the Prayer. I think he might have taken inventory of his life … and looking back he recalled those amazing life victories:
- In that shepherd’s field he remembered, “God delivered me from the bear and the lion!” Somebody give God praise!
- In the Valley of Elah – “When that giant fell, God gave me victory!” Touch somebody and say “Giant-killer!”
- On those battlefields – “Tens of thousands couldn’t stop what God was doing!”
- In that cave of refuge – “When Saul was hunting me, God was hiding me!”
- At the camp of Ziklag – “Even when the Amalekites took everything, God gave it all back!”
And then David exploded in praise! Listen to these words: “YOURS, O Lord, is the greatness! YOURS is the power! YOURS is the glory! YOURS is the victory! YOURS is the majesty!”
David knew something we need to get in our spirit today – every victory, every breakthrough, every blessing comes from God! He wasn’t done! David declared, “Both riches and honor come from YOU! YOU reign over all! In YOUR hand is power and might! In YOUR hand it is to make great and to give strength!”
Now, here’s what I want someone to grab hold of tonight. Abishag wasn’t just taking care of an aging king – she was stepping into divine purpose! She thought she was just serving in the ordinary, but God was working in the extraordinary!
Some of you are sitting here thinking your life doesn’t matter much. You’re changing diapers, you’re answering phones, you’re driving carpool, you’re serving in the nursery. But I came to tell somebody – what looks mundane in the natural might be miraculous in the spiritual!
We’re all looking for meaning. We’re all searching for purpose. But here’s the revelation – your purpose isn’t waiting somewhere out there in your tomorrow; it’s waiting right here in your today!
Abishag’s story teaches us something powerful about serving God. Every meal you cook, every floor you sweep, every report you file, every child you nurture – it matters! Why? Because God doesn’t see like we see! While we’re looking at the task, He’s looking at the heart! While we’re counting hours, He’s counting faithfulness!
Some of you have been feeling overlooked, undervalued, unnoticed. But I hear the Spirit saying, “I see you! I see every act of service! I see every sacrifice! And what you’re doing in secret, I’m about to reward openly!”
Your faithfulness matters! Your service matters! Your ordinary moments matter! Because when you dedicate them to God, He turns them into extraordinary victories!
