S6 Episode #8- Jehovah Nissi, The Lord Our Banner
THE ONE WITH JES & JEHOVAH NISSI
This week Jes is sharing Part 9 of our Names of God series! We are highlighting different names and character attributes of The Lord. Understanding who God is and who we are in Him are vital parts of walking in freedom and remaining rooting in who we are created to be. This week we are learning about Jehovah Nissi– The Lord is our banner, our source of victory, He fights for us. In ancient times, a banner was a bare pole with a bright shining ornament that would sparkle in the sun. The Lord is the light that we shine into the world, and the world will recognize we are His by the light that we carry.
The first time that we see this name of God in the Bible is in Exodus 17:15, during the nation of Israel's war against the Amalekites. Many Biblical scholars believe that the Amalakites are a representation of our flesh, or our sinful nature. Therefore, The Lord, Our Banner, is shining light into the darkest places of our sinful nature. He is the One providing victory over the darkness in our lives.
Whatever season you are in, you can be confident that Christ has the ultimate victory! Even if we don’t experience the freedom and relief on this side of Heaven, we know that Christ has the final say and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will proclaim that He is Lord.
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J E H O V A H N I S S I: It’s part 9 of our Names of God series! We are highlighting different names and character attributes of The Lord. Understanding who God is and who we are in Him are vital parts of walking in freedom and remaining rooting in who we are created to be. This week we are learning about Jehovah Nissi– The Lord is our banner, our source of victory, He fights for us.
The first time that we see this name of God in the Bible is in Exodus 17:15, during the nation of Israel's very first war. They have left Egypt, and although they have seen God show up in powerful, miraculous ways, many of the Isrealites were feeling weak and weary. At this low point, they are attacked by the Amalekites. This was an unprovoked attack from behind… taking out the weakest and slowest that would naturally be found in the back of the pack.
Deuteronomy 25:17-18 describes the scene in this way, “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God.”
Let’s read Exodus 17:8-16, where the story takes place.
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. (REF-i-dim)
I want to pause here already because we have a geographical location, which always seems to have some sort of sweet insight for us. This one was no different! Rephidim is Hebrew for “place of rest”. The Israelites have been traveling in the wilderness and they have had many moments of feeling weak and weary, and yet now they find themselves in a place of rest. I wonder if their defenses were down. I wonder if they were caught off guard by an unprovoked enemy attack. How often is this how attacks come up in our own lives? We let our defenses down and that is the very thing that the devil needs to catch us off guard and exploit our weakness. Yet, even though the Israelites were caught off guard, and we can often find ourselves caught off guard, God is never surprised or caught off guard.
The enemy has no respect for the sacred places in our lives. He will come at you with everything in his arsenal. Yet, you serve Jehovah Nissi– the God who has the final say and the ultimate victory! (But more on this later…)
Historians believe that this spot of Rephidim was near an oasis in the desert, so some believe that the Amalekites were fighting over access to a water source. When I read this, it hit me to my core. Since the Isrealites left Egypt, God had already done three mind-blowing miracles related to water. (1) He parted the Red Sea, allowing the Isrealites to cross on dry land and escape the pursuing Egyptian army. (2) He made the bitter water of Marah sweet to drink, and (3) he most recently had brought water out of a rock in order to provide for His people. God has gone above and beyond to show His people over and over again that He will not allow them to die of thirst in the desert, and that He is sovereign over all things, even water. SO, when I learned that the Amalakites were attacking over control of a water source, I just about fell over with the revelation that we so often go to battle over things that God has already freely given us. We stress and worry about things that we already have full access to, through Christ.
Back to the story…
8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”
10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.
I think there is a powerful truth for us here: Moses’ hands are raised in a posture of surrender. When he prayed, the Israelites won. This is such a clear picture of the power of prayer. Prayer is essential to victory over anything we face in this life.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against[a] the throne of the Lord,[b] the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
There, in verse 15 we saw this name of God used for the very first time: Jehovah Nissi– The Lord is my Banner.
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, a ‘banner’ is “a flag, or standard, carried at the head of a military band or body, to indicate the line of march, or the rallying point…” In ancient times, a banner may not have been a cloth flag like we picture now, but rather a bare pole with a bright shining ornament that would sparkle in the sun. I love this imagery– that The Lord is the light that we shine into the world, and the world will recognize we are His by the light that we carry.
BATTLE AGAINST THE SINFUL NATURE
Many Biblical scholars believe that for a modern-day application of this passage, the Amalakites are a representation of our flesh, or our sinful nature. David Guzik of The Enduring Word Commentary explains, “Because of God’s strong command to battle against Amalek until they were completely conquered, many see the Amalekites as a picture of our flesh, the unspiritual aspect of man that makes war against the spirit. In this sense, “Amalek” constantly battles against the spirit and must be struggled against until completely conquered (Galatians 5:17).”
Galatians 5 helps shine some light on the sinful nature (our flesh) that we are constantly battling. Verses 19-25 say:
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
So if The Lord is our banner, then he is shining light into the darkest places of our sinful nature. He is the One providing victory over the darkness in our lives.
Also, in ancient times, the banner or pole that you would carry into battle showed everyone around you where your allegiance lies. Who were you fighting for? Whose hill were you willing to die on?
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ was lifted up on a pole to give us victory over sin and death once and for all. Herbert Lockyer explains, “The word Nissi itself has some interesting implications and is rendered standard, ensign (in Isaiah); as sign in Numbers 26:10, and as pole in connection with the brazen serpent lifted up upon it to give life to Israel. Our Saviour was lifted up upon the pole and by all He accomplished upon it, we have victory over the world, flesh, and the devil. The Lord Himself is the Victory over the Amaleks we face, and He is our Banner leading up always in triumph.”
Ok, wow– I LOVE how every single name of God in the Old Testament points directly to the work that Jesus would do in the New Testament. Jesus is a tangible embodiment of every single aspect of the character of God.
1 Corinthians 15:55,57
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”... “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
IN THE STILL OR IN ACTION
Heading back to Exodus and the Old Testament, we see God fight 2 different battles in a relatively short period of time. In Exodus 14, God protects the Israelites from the pursuing Egyptians, and now in Exodus 17, he defends them against the Amalekites. However, there are some distinctions between these two battles that I think are important for us to notice. There are two different ways that God tells his people to fight: in stillness and in action.
The first is in stillness: Sometimes God directs us to be still so that He can show up and win the battle. We see this earlier in the story, in Exodus 14:14. The Egyptians are quickly advancing upon the Isrealites , but Moses tells them, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
The second was in action: Sometimes God prompts you to be still and wait for Him to work. Other times, God is leading you to get in the battle and fight. This is what we see as the Israelites face the Amalekites. But even in this, God is still the source of the victory. The prayers of Moses sustained the people. God could have won the battle without the help of the Israelites, but they could not have won without Him.
Is there an area in your life where you feel God leading you to be still and let Him fight for you? You’ve done all you can do in your own power, and you still feel stuck or discouraged? Maybe that is something you need to release into the capable, loving hands of Jehovah Nissi.
Song of Solomon 2:4 says “He brought me to His banquet house, His banner over me is love.”
Let His Banner of love cover you and give you the rest that your soul so deeply longs for.
Or perhaps there’s a situation in your life where you feel God calling you to action. It may be time to make the change, have the tough conversation, take a stand for what you know is right.
Whatever season you are in, you can be confident that Christ has the ultimate victory! Even if we don’t experience the freedom and relief on this side of Heaven, we know that Christ has the final say and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will proclaim that He is Lord.
1 John 5:4-5
“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
FINAL THOUGHTS
I want to leave us with this final thought from Kay Arthur in her book, Lord, I Want to Know You. She states,
“True, the battle rages between flesh and Spirit, as it did between Joshua and Amalek in the valley of Rephidim. But look up. There on the holy mount of heavenly Zion is the Son of God with arms extended high, even living to make intercession for you (Hebrews 7:25). All power and authority have been given to Him, and what is His is yours. You are a joint heir with Christ (Romans 8:17). Therefore, you have no reason or excuse for waving the flag of surrender. Stand firm. ‘Be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might’ (Ephesians 6:10). Fight the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7). Of course there is a battle, ‘but thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ’ (2 Corinthians 2:14).”
So even when you feel like you are surrounded by darkness, you carry the banner of light. Find peace in the knowledge that He is fighting on your behalf and He will never give up on you!
1 Corinthians 15:54
“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
I long for the day when we will see death swallowed up in victory! But until that day, stand firm with Jevohah Nissi.
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