Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, performed great exploits. He struck down Moab’s two mightiest warriors. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard. (2 Samuel 23:20-23)
Background
Benaiah was held in greater honor than any of David’s mighty warriors for good reason. He was fearless.
The lion was in a pit. Benaiah was likely safe outside the pit. He could have simply left the lion as is. Played it safe. It would have made more sense. At least more worldly sense. But that wasn’t Behaiah’s nature. He wasn’t finished. He was taking the battle into the pit.
And we know the ending.
Reflections
For me, this story is about the heart of a man who chose to finish a dangerous confrontation…when earthly wisdom would have suggested the best route would be to play it safe. Who in their right mind would chase a lion into a pit and risk death when their individual safety could be at stake? Especially, when considering that Benaiah could have just left the lion alone. Answer – A man, of course, who had been regarded with more honor than any of David’s mighty men – Benaiah.
Frankly, I think our heavenly father is looking for more men with the same heart. The same passion. Men inclined to seek spiritual confrontation with an intent to do great harm. You might say to play offense. Men playing for a much more important priority than self-preservation. Men who are prepared to leave the confines of safety and chase down a lion into a scary pit.
The reality is that many of us live very close to people experiencing significant hurt and injustice and pain. You might say that many of these people who are hurting the most aren’t necessarily living on the doorsteps of our suburban neighborhoods. Some of these people hurting most must feel like they live in a pit. They could use an advocate. Or a lion-slayer.
It is all too easy for Christian men, including myself, to huddle in our homes and our neighborhoods and to leave the job of reaching out to others. But that isn’t God’s plan for his disciples. He is looking for men who are prepared to move beyond their bible studies and small groups and prayer meetings and to live out a life as a spiritual warrior that loves recklessly. That takes the fight sometimes into the pit. That puts faith into action.
CT Studd, the renowned British missionary in the early 1900’s, who spread the gospel in China, India and later Africa, made this statement, “Some want to live within the sound of the church or the chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop, within a yard of hell”. CT Studd was a lion-slayer.
Lord, for whatever reason there are many in our current generation that seem so focused on safety and pursuing our own pleasures. In many cases, massive needs are close by and yet we often don’t do anything. We don’t advocate for justice. We/I sometimes prefer to live exclusively in our nice, friendly Christian communities. We need you to change our hearts. But we also need you to quicken our feet so that we act. Please build up within this generation a heart that is willing to “run rescue shops within a yard of hell”. And to take the fight into the pit. Amen.
What if each one of us asked God to do a work in our heart to change us so that we became people of action? How much more credibility would we have in those communities if our efforts were more focused on lavishly loving than only narrowly evangelizing?
What if... 