2 Samuel 23:18-23: a reflection

18Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three. 19Wasn’t he most honorable of the three? Therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn’t included as one of the three. 20Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow. 21He killed a huge Egyptian, 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 killed him with his own spear. 22Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men. 23He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn’t attain to the three. David set him over his guard.

Among the roll of David's mighty men, particular courage and faithful service are singled out for honor: Abishai and Benaiah, who did valiant deeds, are given a name and a place among the honored, though each had his own rank and did not exceed it. Benaiah did these things, the account says, and had a name among the mighty men; he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn't attain to the three. Their courageous, faithful service was recognized and honored, given a lasting name; and yet each had his own place and rank, honored for what he was without needing to be more than he was. This shows the honoring of faithful courage, and contentment with one's own place. Faithful courage is recognized and honored. Each had his own place and rank, honored without envy. Courageous, faithful service is given a lasting name. Honor your place without needing to exceed it.

Notice two things in this record: the honoring of courageous, faithful service, and the acceptance of one's own rank. These men, Abishai and Benaiah, are honored for their valiant deeds, their faithful and courageous service to their king; their names are recorded, their exploits remembered. Faithful courage was not overlooked but honored. And yet the account also notes carefully the ranks: Benaiah was more honorable than the thirty, but did not attain to the three; he had his own place, high but not the highest. There is no suggestion that this troubled him or that he grasped for more; he was honored for what he was, in his own place. This reflects two good things. First, that faithful, courageous service is worth honoring and is honored by God, even when it is not the greatest or most prominent. And second, that there is a contentment in accepting our own place and rank, being honored for what we are without envying those above us or grasping to be more than we are. Each of us has our own place; we can serve faithfully and courageously in it, honored for what we are, without needing to exceed it. Serve faithfully in your own place, honored for what you are. Faithful courage is honored, even when not the greatest. Accept your own rank without envying those above you. Contentment honors our own place without grasping for more.

That is worth taking to heart, for faithful courage is honored, and there is a contentment in serving faithfully in our own place without grasping to be more, as Benaiah was honored yet accepted his own rank. We can either despise faithful service that is not the greatest, or grasp discontentedly for a higher place than we have; but these men were honored for their courageous service, and Benaiah accepted his own place without envy. Faithful service in our own place is honored. Serve faithfully and courageously in your own place, honored for what you are, without grasping to be more. Serve faithfully and courageously in your own place, content to be honored for what you are without grasping to exceed your rank, as David's mighty men Abishai and Benaiah were honored for their valiant deeds and given a lasting name, while each had his own place, Benaiah more honorable than the thirty but not attaining to the three, without any suggestion that this troubled him or that he grasped for more; for faithful, courageous service is worth honoring and is honored by God even when it is not the greatest or most prominent, and there is a contentment in accepting our own place and rank, being honored for what we are without envying those above us or grasping to be more than we are, so that we can serve faithfully and courageously in the place that is ours, honored for what we are, without needing to exceed it.

Lord, among the roll of David's mighty men, particular courage and faithful service are singled out for honor: Abishai and Benaiah, who did valiant deeds, are given a name and a place among the honored, though each had his own rank and did not exceed it. Benaiah did these things, the account says, and had a name among the mighty men; he was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn't attain to the three. Their courageous, faithful service was recognized and honored; and yet each had his own place and rank, honored for what he was without needing to be more. This shows the honoring of faithful courage, and contentment with one's own place. Show me two things in this record: the honoring of courageous, faithful service, and the acceptance of one's own rank. These men are honored for their valiant deeds, their faithful service; their names are recorded. Faithful courage was not overlooked but honored. And yet the account notes the ranks: Benaiah was more honorable than the thirty, but did not attain to the three; he had his own place, high but not the highest, without grasping for more. This reflects two good things. First, that faithful, courageous service is worth honoring and is honored by you, even when not the greatest. And second, that there is a contentment in accepting my own place, being honored for what I am without envying those above me. Take that to my heart, for faithful courage is honored, and there is contentment in serving in my own place without grasping to be more. Keep me from despising faithful service that is not the greatest, or grasping discontentedly for a higher place; help me serve faithfully and courageously in my own place, Lord, content to be honored for what I am without envying those above me or grasping to exceed my rank, as Benaiah accepted his own place.