The lion and the giant

Tuesday 10 August 2021

The lion and the giant

Benaja, the son of Jehojada, who was a valiant man of Kabtseel, was famous for his exploits... He went down in the middle of a cistern and he struck a lion there on a snowy day. He hit an Egyptian 2 and a half meters tall. 1 Chronicles 11:22, 23

Last Tuesday, we offered a practical application of the first of three exploits of Benaja, King David's trusted man. His second feat is fighting a lion in a cistern on a snowy day. All the circumstances are there to make the fight difficult : he is alone, in an inhospitable place and it is snowing. His opponent is a lion, a symbol of a force whose power surpasses that of man. But Benaja emerges victorious: he kills the lion.

The circumstances of life are sometimes difficult : I am alone with a distressing problem, I have bad relations with members of my family ; I am having difficulty in my job, I am going through an illness, I am experiencing incomprehension... I am close to discouragement, I cannot find anyone to talk to. The devil shows up, the fight seems uneven. Well no ! At that time, the Lord sees me and offers me the possibility of overcoming. It is enough to cry out to him to know the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:6,7). This supernatural victory is the work of Christ in me.

Benaja was also victorious over an Egyptian giant, an image of the evil power of the world. He meets him with a stick, grabs his spear and kills him.

The world attracts us. There is a great risk of giving in to temptation. A life of personal relationship with the Lord will give me victory over the carnal lusts that wage war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11).

In summary, the three exploits of Benaja are as many victories over :

The flesh,

The devil,

The world.

As Benaja had access to David's private audiences, the Lord wants me to experience the gentleness of his presence, reveal his secrets to me, clothe me with his strength.

The fight against the enemy is real and may seem uneven, but not as the devil would have me believe. He is an enemy defeated by the Lord Jesus on the cross. I am on the winning side : with him I can be victorious.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)