2. The book of 2 Samuel, chapter 23, lists the
names "of the mighty men whom [King]
David had" (verse 8).
One was "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada… he
went down and slew a lion in the midst of a
pit in time of snow" (verse 20).
Scripture doesn't tell us what Benaiah was
doing when he encountered this lion. We
don't know his frame of mind, but we do
know his reaction. And it was gutsy!
3. Let's state the obvious here:
Benaiah was not the odds-on
favorite. Not only do fully
grown lions weigh up to 500
pounds (225 kilos) and run 35
mph (55 kph), their vision is
five times better than a human
with 20/20 vision! This lion had
a huge advantage in a dimly lit
pit. A sure-footed lion with catlike reflexes gains the upper
paw in snowy, slippery
conditions.
4. Doesn't it seem like Benaiah is choosing his battles poorly?
It's too risky. It's too unpredictable. It's too dangerous.
But Scripture doesn't say that Benaiah was a prudent
warrior.
It says he was a valiant warrior.
5. For most of us, finding ourselves in a pit with a lion on a snowy day is
the last place we'd want to be. But you've got to admit something:
"I killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day" looks awfully
impressive on your résumé if you're applying for a bodyguard position
with the
King of Israel!
Not only did Benaiah land a job
as David's chief bodyguard, he
climbed all the way up the
military chain of command to
become commander of Israel's
army. Benaiah was the second
most powerful person in the
kingdom of Israel. But his
genealogy of success can be
traced all the way back to a lifeand-death encounter with a maneating lion. It was fight or flight,
and Benaiah had the guts to
chase the lion.
6.
7. He wasn't afraid of offending
Scribes and Pharisees, touching
lepers, washing feet, defending
prostitutes, or befriending tax
collectors.
8. In the words of British
author Dorothy Sayers:
"The people who crucified
Jesus did not do so because
He was a bore. Quite the
contrary; He was too
dynamic to be safe. It has
been left for later
generations to muffle up
that shattering personality
and surround Him with an
atmosphere of tedium. We
have declawed the Lion of
Judah and made him a
housecat for pale priests
(& pastors) and pious old
ladies."
9. I used to wonder about the
episode recorded in John 2 where
Jesus threw a Temple tantrum,
making a whip and throwing the
merchants and money changers
out of the Temple. It didn't fit my
Sunday School caricature of Him.
But I've come to appreciate that
side of Jesus.
10. Faithfulness to Him has nothing to
do with maintaining the status quo or
holding the fort. It has everything to
do with competing for the Kingdom
and storming the gates of Hell.
The gates of Hell are defensive. The
church is called to play offense!
(Matthew 16:18).
11. Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.
Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a
dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention.
Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution.
Stop criticizing and start creating. Expand your horizons.
![The book of 2 Samuel, chapter 23, lists the
names "of the mighty men whom [King]
David had" (verse 8).
One was "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada… he
went down and slew a lion in the midst of a
pit in time of snow" (verse 20).
Scripture doesn't tell us what Benaiah was
doing when he encountered this lion. We
don't know his frame of mind, but we do
know his reaction. And it was gutsy!](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)