As Solomon established his kingship, nagging problems lapped over from the previous reign, specifically in the form of people disloyal to his father. These men deserved death, and looked to remain a thorn for Solomon in coming years.

So Solomon turned to Benaiah. One of King David’s mighty men, Benaiah proved himself as a powerful warrior, even climbing down into a pit on a snowy day to kill a lion. Certainly a guy who knew how to handle a himself in a fight.

Solomon first dispatched Benaiah to snuff out Adonijah, Solomon’s half-brother, who coveted the throne for himself, despite the plan of succession laid out by David. Next, Benaiah settled old scores with Joab, for his murders of Abner and Amasa. Finally, Shimei received a visit from Beneaiah, getting his due for cursing David when he fled from Absalom.

My bad choices, my old sins, usually find me out. We reap what we sow. In these situations where Benaiah worked, I see dramatic examples of sowing and then reaping. To oppose kings with violence often led to violent reprisals, and the men who died at the hand of Benaiah understood this principle as they grasped for power.

But no grasping for Benaiah. He served his kings loyally and without question. He accepted dirty jobs and saw them through to the end. Benaiah fixed problems.

A frightening, yet incredibly valuable, man in the king’s service.

1 Kings 2 in week twenty-two of reading the Bible cover to cover

Benaiah, depicted killing a man of Moab by William Etty 1829