The Greatest Hero Never Mentioned

There exists a truly deep field of Bible heroes in the Old Testament. We take note of these great people on account of their superior qualities, honored positions, or the victories they achieved over notable foes. In the church we have heard many lessons from the life of David. Elijah and Daniel are well known to us too. You may even be familiar with more obscure figures such as Ehud, Deborah, and Jael. But when is the last time you heard a lesson on Benaiah? Have you even heard of him?

Benaiah wasn’t a king, a judge, or a prophet. We don’t sing songs about him. He’s not likely to be found in any Sunday school flannel board character box either. Benaiah does not receive a lot of attention from us, and yet the Biblical record speaks of his greatness. It’s there for us to read. Take the time to study his life under King David (2 Sam. 23:20-23; 1 Chron. 11:22-25) and his service to King Solomon (1 Kgs. 1:36-40; 4:1-4), and you will be able to form an impressive list of Benaiah’s accomplishments:

• Descended from a valiant man.

• Defeated two Moabite champions.

• Killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

• Slew a giant with his own spear.

• Won a name among mighty men.

• Appointed over King David’s guard.

• Supported Solomon as David’s heir.

• Commanded King Solomon’s army.

Besides being a fun research project and interesting foray into Israelite history, the study of lesser-known heroes, like Benaiah, benefits us in several ways. Perhaps the lesson of greatest impact is this: more than just the “big” names among God’s people we hear so much about, we also know that many “little” people played a part in the unfolding of God’s plan. Additionally, we can remind ourselves that there must have been many more faithful men and women whose lives and names we don’t have recorded for us at all. Therefore, a person’s impact cannot be measure by how well remembered they may be or by how often they’ve been in the spotlight. Benaiah may be the greatest hero never mentioned. He faithfully served two of Israel’s mightiest kings and fiercely opposed their enemies. It’s fair to say he was used by God to bring about His will, and the greatness of this courageous and loyal soldier is not diminished simply because too few of us take notice.

Maybe at times you have felt unimportant or invisible. Maybe you have perceived yourself as being overshadowed by others in certain situations. You need to know that your devotion to God is what makes you great, not recognition or fame! Trust that the thankless jobs, whether small or simply done in secret, are seen by God—He sees everything (Psa. 139:7-12; Mt. 6:1-4; Mk. 14:3-9; Col. 3:22-24; Heb. 4:13). Whether we receive much or little from our fellow man, may we ever be loyal to our Maker and strive to receive His “well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt. 25:21).