“And Benaiah — the son of Jehoiada — the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel — who had done many acts — he slew two lion-like men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow. (21) And he slew an Egyptian — a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand — and slew him with his own spear! (22) These things did Benaiah — the son of Jehoiada — and had the name among three mighty men.
This terse account of one of David’s mighty men was a favorite story that my father, Don Carpenter, would often tell to the boys around the campfire out here at Camp Del-Haven.
He would focus on the part where it says that Benaiah went down and slew a lion in the midst of a pit — in time of snow. He would wonderfully embellish the story by his describing a bitter cold night when outside an Israelite village Benaiah and all the people would hear the roar of a man-eating lion that had fallen into a pit that he had dug to catch him. And then he would tell how Benaiah must have put on his boots and big heavy coat, stick his big hunting knife in his belt, light his torch and walk through the middle of the village to the edge of town where the pit would be that he had dug. As he told this story — you could actually hear the crunch of Benaiah’s footsteps in the snow as he made his approach to the pit. Once he was there — he would stick the torch so it shed its light down in the pitch black darkness of the pit. Then he would describe how the lion would then roar and leap toward the torch in an effort to escape the pit he was in. Benaiah would then announce to the beast that their life and death encounter was inevitable to take place — and that he, the lion — could not win. He would then take his knife out of his belt — and would jump into the pit to do battle and slay the lion. When Benaiah climbed out of that pit — he went back to his home having triumphantly and forever silenced the roaring lion once and for all and thereby saving his people from the dreadful man-eater.
This, dear ones, draws a beautiful picture that describes just what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for His people! He has jumped into the dreaded pit of death to fight and win the battle that we could not even begin to fight. This He has done — when He went to the cross — and then to the grave — to then come out of the grave as the winner of the ultimate victory over our evil enemies — Satan and sin.
Ro.8:37 tells us: “…in all these things -we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!” Christ our propitiation — our sovereign Savior and substitute — has fought the battle over our souls for us — and won for us the wonderful victory whereby we — by His great grace — may truly rejoice! He — the eternal Son of God could not lose. Our eternal redemption and justification is the fruit of His victory!
For Christ’s Glory Only!
-John Carpenter
“Fear ye not! Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord — Which He will show to you today… The Lord shall fight for you — and you shall hold your peace.” Ex.14:13-14
