Religion & Spirituality
Great Bible Truths Podcast Episode 144 Lessons from their lives Talk 10 Benaiah - Performing Great Exploits Welcome to talk 10 in our series, Lessons from their lives. Today our subject is Benaiah. Benaiah was one of David’s mighty men and we’re given a summary of his exploits in 2 Samuel 23 :20-21. 20 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men (KJV ‘lion-like’). 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. Romans 15 :4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. We shall consider: The nature of the enemy The dangers of the battle The weapons of our warfare The Nature of the Enemy Benaiah defeated : Two of Moab’s best men (lion-like men of Moab) A lion in a pit A huge Egyptian Let's take these in reverse order: EGYPT In biblical thought Egypt may be taken to symbolise: The world The flesh The pleasures of sin The world (out of which God’s people had come 1 Cor.10:1-2 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. The flesh (on which God’s people must not rely Isaiah 31:1, 3 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord ! The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together. The pleasures of sin (which Moses had left behind Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. THE LION The lion is a symbol for the devil 1 Peter 5 :8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour MOAB Moab symbolises : Sexual perversion Moab was the son of Lot by incestuous union with his elder daughter (Genesis 19 :30-38) Idolatry In Numbers 25, the Moabite women seduced the men of Israel and led them into the idolatrous worship of the god Chemosh, involving child sacrifice. Oppression Judges 3 :14 tells us how the Children of Israel served Moab for 18 years. Supernatural Opposition In Numbers 22-24 Balak, king of Moab, hired Balaam to curse Israel, BUT How shall I curse whom God has not cursed ? Demonic Power These were lion-like men of Moab. Not the lion, but like the lion ! The Dangers of the Battle NUMBERS were against him – TWO of Moab’s best men APPEARANCES were against him – lion-like men As strong as lions ? As savage as lions ? Looked like lions ? ! CIRCUMSTANCES were against him – snow, pit, hands cold, lion hungry ! enemy bigger – Egyptian 7’6 tall (1 Chr.11 :23) – superior weapons (spear) The Weapons of our Warfare Despite the enemies, despite the dangers, he conquered ! How ? He had had experience in the fight He was from Kabzeel. This was in Judah on the borders of Edom. There would have been many border skirmishes. He had plenty of opportunity to perform great exploits (v.20) He had the promise of God In Numbers 22 Balak, king of Moab hired Balaam to curse Israel, but in Numbers 24:17 Balaam declares that Moab would be crushed: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a sceptre will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab… He entered into the victories of his King David had already defeated Moab (2 Samuel 8 :2) David was already a lion-killer (1 Samuel 17 :37) David was already a giant-killer (1 Samuel 17 :50) So, too, JESUS has already conquered the enemy for us. He has taken the enemy’s chief weapon out of his hand and destroyed him with it ! Hebrews 2 :14 tells us that by his death he has destroyed him who had the power of death – that is the devil.