Jehovah Nissi = the Lord is my banner
At some point we have heard both the Greek and Hebrew names
for God yet we've heard very little in the way of practical and viable
definition. I hope to break this down for you today.
Why is a banner important In military strategies because they
designated position on the battlefield,(whose troops belong to
who) which is always a chaotic place. In
the noise and smoke of battle, regiments could become scattered and turn on one
another in fear, and vocal commands could not be heard. So a visual reminder
was a critical component, and soldiers were trained to follow the flag.
The Lord is my Banner. This name for God is found
in Exodus 17: 15 (HCSB). Take a peek at the context with me from
verses 9-16.
Moses said to Joshua, "Select some men for us, and go
fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God's staff in
my hand." Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek,
while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. While Moses held up
his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek
prevailed. When Moses' hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put [it] under
him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one
side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went
down. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army with the sword. The Lord then said
to Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to
Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven." And
Moses built an altar and named it, "The Lord Is My Banner." He said,
"Indeed, [my] hand is [lifted up] toward the Lord's throne. The Lord will
be at war with Amalek from generation to generation."
I zoned in on the fact that we would be at war with the
Amalekites for generations..."Why the Amalekites?" I asked.
So, I looked up who they were: The name is often interpreted
as "dweller in the valley", and occasionally as "war-like,"
"people of prey", "cave-men" In some rabbinical
interpretations, Amalek is etymologised as a people am,
who lick blood, but most specialists regard the origin to be
unknown.
In essence we would be at war with people who live in low places
and thrive on the blood, misfortune and misery of others!
What battle are you in ?
Is it God chosen? Strange question, isn't it? Scripture is
very clear in this particular passage that the Lord, in fact, chooses certain
battles for us to fight. Are you allowing Him to assume the role of Jehovah
Nissi in your battle?
Are you in a battle that you have chosen, one that is
outside the will of God? Are you fighting a battle because you're operating in
self-will? Does your current battle seem
insurmountable? If you're recognizing Jehovah Nissi , then you have been
promised the victory, but if you are
fighting based on your own will, you have guaranteed your defeat.
Where in your life do you need God to be Jehovah Nissi – the
Lord my Banner – and go before you so that you may know victory?
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