Clothed in Bravery
“Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done great deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit on a snowy day.” 2 Samuel 23:20
Benaiah is one of my favourite men in the Bible. He’s known as one of King David’s mighty men and he’s not afraid to do what needs to be done to get the job done – know what I mean? There is nothing normal about going into a pit on a snowy day to kill a lion?? There are other mentions of him overcoming and killing two Moabite warriors and overpowering an Egyptian giant with his own spear. I wonder about the back stories; how did he find himself in these situations? What I do know is that these brief stories speak of bravery, initiative, and valour – three characteristics activated because of his positioning. We may not be killing lions on a snowy days but we certainly find ourselves in pits of adversity or up against foreign giants, and I believe these three characteristics are what today’s pastors and leaders should exemplify.
These moments in Benaiah’s story are where we see the hand of God intervene and equip him for what needs to be done. They speak of an interplay between divine empowerment and human bravery. Bravery is never a weakness, nor a waste of time and it seems to be something we need to be clothing ourselves in daily – to stand up and against that which defies the things of God and His plan for humanity. Benaiah’s triumph over the lion, the Moabites and the giant Egyptian serves as metaphors for God’s ENABLING power.
Heavenly initiative is something I believe we all need. To reach this world, we need to be on the same page as Heaven. Our ideas and thought patterns need to have the hand God pulling them altogether, allowing us to see the bigger picture of what needs to happen or what is going on. It’s His blueprint, not ours. May our initiative become spirit filled and spirit led. That we would know exactly what needs be done and how.
And valour. I pray that we would be men and women of valour. Men and women that display and operate from a place of great courage, deep conviction, strength and noble fortitude. We may not be physically fighting but like Benaiah, we know the cost and sacrifice that takes place when you stand in a positioning of serving. He knew the cost of his yes to King David (and later on King Solomon). The cost looks different (I hope!) but it’s still there. But being a man or woman of valour enables lions to be killed, Moabites to be removed and the overpowering of giants to take place.
Benaiah. A man of bravery, initiative and valour.
A man who knew what he was called too. What location (if you will) he was serving. What team he was a part of. A man who knew exemplified three incredible leadership characteristics and who saw results.
Be brave.
Be filled with heavenly initiative.
Be a man or woman of valour.
Adam Mansfield