The diversity of women in the Bible and the unique roles each played present to the 21st century woman different shades of womanhood. Some of the women were exceptionally amazing and their character is worth emulating. Others were evil and wicked and their dubious deeds should be avoided. Yet, others were just victims of circumstances, presenting to us the vulnerability of womanhood and ways we could alleviate those vulnerabilities. While some women played active roles as judge, queens, religious leaders, warriors, wise women etc. Others played roles such as servants, concubines, bed warmers, witches etc. All these different shades are still relevant to the contemporary Christian woman. Navigating the different systems of this world, can sometimes demand different roles at different times. When we go through the women in the Bible, we get an answer to which roles are God pleasing and others that are not. One woman who played a subtle role in scripture is Abishag. Who is Abishag and how is she relevant in Biblical history?
Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. (1 Kings 1:3)
Abishag lived through the reigns of king David and king Solomon. She was a Shunammite woman. 1 Kings 1:1-2 states this: "When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our Lord the king may keep warm.” David needed to be kept warm. The best remedy at that time was a woman to lie beside the king to heat him up. A search was made for that woman. None of the wives and concubines were good for the task. A young virgin was needed. "Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her." (1 Kings 1:3-4). Abishag took care of the king until he died. She was still a virgin because the king had no sexual relations with her. However, she reminded the concubine of the king since she was brought in for just a single purpose of taking care of the king and lying beside him to keep him warm. Abishag should have been a teenager serving a 70 year old king.
Before David died, Solomon was made a king in his stead. Prior to that, Solomon's half brother Adonijah, son of Haggith had set himself as a king (1 Kings 1) but his plans failed. When David died, Adonijah went to Bethsheba, mother of king Solomon and made this request: “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” (1 Kings 2:17). Although Bethsheba didn't seem to know the intent behind this request, when she presented it before Solomon, he was not happy about Adonijah's request. The king answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!” (1 Kings 2:22). Adonijah's request did not go well with Solomon. The king swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request!" (1 Kings 2:23). That same day, Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died (1 Kings 2:25).
Abishag might have been aware of the contention for her ownership. She would eventually end up as one of the thousand women of king Solomon. Abishag was David’s warmer, Adonijah's request and Solomon's authority. The story of Abishag gets clouded in history but we cannot forget that at the final days of David, Abishag took care of the giant slayer. She provided warmth and comfort. She made life easier for David.
The little things we do might be the bigger picture that is sustaining others. Don't look down on your abilities. Maybe your smile is keeping someone alive. Keep smiling!
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