Custom Built: Benaiah

 

Benaiah, the Lion Slayer

Benaiah

• He was one of David’s “mighty men” (1 Chronicles 27:6) who commanded the Cherethites and Pelethites.
• He was renowned for his heroism; with Zadok and Nathan,
• he kept his position under Solomon, and was appointed chief of Solomon’s army.

²⁰ 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. ²¹ 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. ²² Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty warriors. ²³ 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 Characteristics of Benaiah:

He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. Samuel 23:20b 1)     LION CHASERS KNOW THAT THE BIGGER THEIR GOD IS THE SMALLER LIONS BECOME. When (King Darius) came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?” Daniel answered, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. Daniel 6:20-22 2)     LION CHASERS UNDERSTAND THAT PLAYING IT SAFE IS RISKY. And without faith it is impossible to please God…Hebrews 11:6 We live by faith, not by sight… 2 Corinthians 5:7 1)     What is the lion you need to chase and conquer? 2)     To chase your lion, you’ll have to take a “first step.” What is the first step you need to take to conquer your fear? 3)     My God is the Indescribable One. Though none of us have words to explain His goodness, try. Who is God to you? “My God is…” What can you learn about Benaiah from this passage? Make a list of words that describe what kind of person you think he is, using only these four verses. Pray and ask God to speak to you this week through the life of Benaiah. Memory Verse: One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. – Proverbs 18:24