He lived in a time when faith in God and the fearless valor that faith produces was often expressed by serving in the army of God’s kingdom. They whispered of his exploits. He had gone into a pit and had slain a lion in the time of snow. He had slain an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall and whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. With only a staff, Benaiah had gone against him and had plucked the Egyptian’s spear from him and killed him with it.
Benaiah (Ben-AYE-i-ah) is described as valiant, honorable, a man of mighty deeds. His trustworthiness is seen in his being appointed chief of David’s bodyguard. When David was near death and the squabbling among his sons endangered the kingdom, David appointed Benaiah to engineer the anointing of Solomon to be the next king. When David explained the task, Benaiah replied, “Jehovah, the God of my lord the King say so too.” To me this shows that Benaiah was concerned that what they were about to do should have the approval of God.
In his dying days, David left Solomon instructions concerning some unfinished business. The most serious was the execution of Joab. David charged that Joab had “shed the blood of war in a time of peace,” referring to Joab’s treacherous murder of Abner and Amasa. Joab had been a participant of Adonijah’s effort to wrest the kingdom from David, his father. Because of these things, in II Kings 2:6 David charged Solomon, “Do therefore according to your wisdom. Let not his hoar head go down to Sheol in peace.” When news came to Joab that David had so instructed Solomon, Joab fled to the Tabernacle and laid hold on the horns of the altar as an appeal for mercy. When Benaiah told Solomon, “He is in the Tabernacle and refuses to come out. He said, ‘I will die here,’” Solomon replied, ‘Then do as he says and bury him that the blood he has shed without cause may be taken away from my father’s house.” The trusted, brave, honorable, and obedient Benaiah was appointed by Solomon to be the new Commander-in-chief.
The qualities possessed by Benaiah are still needed in God’s army and kingdom today with recognition that Christ said, “My kingdom is not of the world” and the Apostle said, “our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, world rulers of this darkness, and the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Faith, bravery, courage, valor, and dependability are still in style!
