Narrative Themes: The Love Of God Lesson 5

                                                                                                                     The love of God rescues us from the pit 

1 Chronicles 11:22 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts; he slew two lionlike men of Moab; also, he went down and slew a lion in a pit in a snowy day.

Hi friends. Let me begin by saying that when I used to read this story about Benaiah jumping down into a pit to kill a lion, the first thought that went through my head was, "So, what's the point? What's the purpose of doing that? Was he just trying to show everyone how brave he was? Was he just trying to prove to everyone just how valiant he was? What's the point in risking your life like that when you could have                                                                                           just as easily shot him with an arrow or threw a spear?                                                                                                    What's the point?"

So one day, just to appease my agitated heart, I did a little investigating. What I found blessed me. 

You see, going to my Hebrew concordance, I found the word "pit" doesn't mean any deep hole in the ground. The word actually means a manmade pit dug for the purpose of containing prisoners. The Hebrew word for "pit" actually means "a prison." 

So now a picture is becoming clear. Here is what very possibly happened. The enemy moved into a territory and set up headquarters there. If there wasn't already a pit there, the General (or whatever ranking Officer was in charge) commanded some men to dig a pit for the purpose of containing prisoners captured in battle.

Now I understand why such an urgency in Benaiah's heart to leap down into the pit and slay the lion. 

The scenario is something like this: David's army has invaded this enemy camp. In battle, Benaiah comes across this pit. He looks down into the pit and sees cold, starving, terrified prisoners just waiting to be devoured by the lion. There are probably half-eaten corpses strewn around the pit. So Benaiah now feeling an urgency to rescue them, jumps into the pit. With a mighty thrust of his spear or sword, kills the lion! 

This is a great story, isn't it? You just have to love this narrative. But the question I have to always come back to is, "How does it apply to New Covenant believers today? What does this have to do with my walk with God today?"

Let's describe the scene in the story and talk about how it relates to us today.

First, it is a snowy day. A snowy day can represent a few things. 

A snowy day is a cold day so it can represent coldness of heart. It can represent those seasons in my spiritual walk where I feel like my heart has turned frigid. I feel like I have lost my passion for Christ. 

I feel like I have turned apathetic. I feel so indifferent to God and the things of God. I don't know how it happened, but I feel so cold towards the Lord. 

A snowy day can be a dimly lit day. It can represent despair and depression consuming my heart. 

I not only feel so cold towards the Lord, but I wake up in the morning feeling depressed, discouraged and despondent. I am feeling overwhelmed by hopelessness. 

A snowy day is a slippery day. "No matter how hard I try to get out, I keep sliding back into my pit! 

No matter how much I try to pray or read my bible, I keep slipping back into my depression, despair and grief."

What a miserable place to be trapped in!

And if that isn't enough, the verse says there is a lion in this pit. This can plainly speak of the lies of the devil roaring in your mind. The enemy is screaming into your ear, trying to devour your mind with his lies. The lies of the enemy are so deafening!   

I don't know if you have ever been in such a pit, but I have! It is a horrible place to be trapped in. 

But going back to our story, here is the good news: Benaiah comes to the rescue!

And what a representation of Christ he is! Christ is not going to let us die in our pits! 

Why?

Benaiah's name means Jehovah is building. What a revelation!

Jesus isn't going to let us die in our pits because He started building something in our lives and He is going to be faithful to complete it. The day we got saved, the Spirit of God motivated by the love of God moved into our lives and began a good work, and He is going to be faithful to finish that work. 

Because God loves us, He is not going to let us be consumed in our pits. In His time and in His way, He is going to come into our pits, destroy the works of the devil, pull us out, and complete the good work He has started in our lives. Praise be to God!

Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord, and put their trust in him.