EVER HEARD OF BENAIAH?

by TAMMY PHILLIPS
April 2, 2021

Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. (2 Samuel 23:20 NKJV)

My last encouragement was about fasting.  Take a journey with me.  Allow me to outline how mightily God showed Himself and directed me in the first week of the fast in 2021.  I felt like Isaiah in Isaiah 6:5, I literally became “undone” at how Holy Spirit wove all this together. Remember, faith comes by hearing.

January 4, 2021:
I heard this word of encouragement from Lana Vawser, excerpt from her post, https://lanavawser.com/2021/01/04/i-heard-the-lord-say-battle-weary-warriors-i-am-restoring-your-roar/ : 

“The Lord will RESTORE THE ROAR of these battle-weary ones.  He is raising them       up in FIERCE BOLDNESS.  There is not only a complete restoration, healing,            deliverance, and resurrection coming upon these, but FIERCE BOLDNESS to declare      and speak the word of the Lord and the revelation of heaven with such accuracy, such conviction and such power, that it will cause the kingdom of darkness to shake and      tremble.  These ones were HUNTED by the enemy, but the resurrection power of God is coming upon them so strongly right now that they are now becoming the HUNTERS. They are the ones being sent out on assignment from the Lord with the ROAR of the Lion of Judah within them and through them that will bring an OVERTURNING to the enemy’s plans.”

January 6, 2021:
A podcast from Ana Werner and Lana Vawser I heard:

• RESOLUTE ONES HOLD onto your promise! (You know, RESOLUTE is my word.)
• A warrior filled with wisdom ascends into the high place and releases regional breakthrough, bringing down the strongholds of the mighty.” (Proverbs 21:22 TPT)
• We are warriors in the kingdom.

Later the same day, I learned about an inspirational, valiant character in the Bible that I knew absolutely nothing about, Benaiah.  I first heard of him from my son, Parker.  On Park’s first day as an Operations Volunteer with the Austin Peay State University football team, he learned about Benaiah from the head football coach, Scotty Walden.  He came home and shared the story with me. The team’s mantra is “Chase the Lion.”  Scotty encouraged the team to “have an attitude of ATTACK in everything they do and, when faced with opportunity or adversity, run to the fight and not away from it.”  This mantra was all based on the story of Benaiah. 

I did some research and found out that not a lot is said about Benaiah in the Bible.  One would be led to believe from the few things that were said that he was a fearless warrior.   And he took after his valiant grandfather, in that he was bold, brave and courageous.  I mean… he went on the defense, chased and killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day.  Hello?  HE CHASED THE LION! We are also told that he killed two Moab heroes that were as strong and brave as lions.  And like David, he killed his own, seven-foot tall, Egyptian giant by plucking a spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and slaying his enemy with his own spear.  Benaiah seemed fearless.  His exploits earned him favor as one of  David’s might men. He was given charge of David’s bodyguards (2 Samuel 23:23).  Later, after his faithful service, he was named commander-in-chief of Solomon’s army.

The amazing thing about God is He KNOWS ME and you, and Holy Spirit always confirms His word.  He knows that for us to really get what He is saying, He is going to have to hammer it home and tell us more than once.  It’s like confirming appointment.  He sets the appointment, but He always follows up, if there is somewhere He really wants me to be.   

January 8, 2021:
Within days of Parker telling me about Benaiah, Dutch Sheets in his, “Give Him 15” devotional, also shared about him.  He stated that Benaiah had a warrior’s heart and that we are called to have one, too.   Isn’t that what Proverbs 21:22 said?

Take-a-way lessons from Benaiah, the lion and the word:

• BE RESOLUTE.
• A warrior rises, brings breakthrough in their life and the lives of others, and brings down the mighty.
• We are determining to become fierce, bold, warrior hunters in Him.
• “He is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. But those God-given opportunities often come disguised as man-eating lions. And how we react when we encounter those lions will determine our destiny. We can cower in fear and run away from our greatest challenges. Or we can chase our God-ordained destiny by seizing the God-ordained opportunity.”-from Mark Batterson’s, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day
• With resolute, focused, ferocious faith, we are to attack everything we do.
• Run to the fight not away from it.
• CHASE THE LION!

Like Benaiah, praise God, I have valiancy in my lineage!  My great grandmother Mary Willie Veal Hewell was a “Benaiah.”  She was something else.  She was a warrior in her own way.  She was sassy, obstinate, stubborn, strong, bold, brave and courageous.  She was a protector.  I do not believe she was afraid of anything.  When she was in her seventies, I saw her more than once chase down a rattle snake with a hoe.  I do not know how she would do it, but she would chop the head right off the snake with her hoe.  I do remember that.  What an example she was to me!

Who fearlessly chases the lion and the rattlesnake?  The one who God has built up.  Benaiah translated means, “Jehovah has built,” or “Yahweh has built up.”  God builds us up step by step and from glory to glory.  I want to be a warrior in the kingdom of God. I want to walk by faith on the rattlesnakes of my life.  How about you?

I enCOURAGE you to chase your lion into the snowy pit.  Be a bold, brave, courageous warrior in the kingdom of God.  Walk by faith. He goes before you, stands behind you and is beside you every step of the way.  CHASE THE LION and the rattlesnake!