Jehovah Nissi: My Banner

Jehovah Nissi: My Banner

~ Names of God ~

Exodus 17:8-15

Introduction

There’s a story of an organization that offered a bounty of five thousand dollars for every wolf captured alive. Two hunters named Sam and Jed decided to head for the hills and make some money capturing wolves. Day and night they scoured the mountains and forests searching for the valuable prey. Exhausted after three days of hunting without any success, they both fell asleep.

During the night, Sam suddenly woke up to find that he and Jed were surrounded by a pack of fifty wolves, with flaming red eyes and bared teeth, snarling at the two hunters and preparing to pounce. Sam nudged Jed and said, “Hey, wake up! We’re gonna be rich!”

Have you ever been going through life on a mission, and then something interrupts it that is unexpected? In those times, you have a choice: do you embrace the situation, or do you run from the situation in despair? That is the kind of decision that we constantly face in life, just like Sam and Jed. Sometimes the circumstances are trivial – like a detour on the way home due to road construction, or weather raining on our parade. At other times, the circumstances are more critical - perhaps even life and death – like Sam and Jed. In the Bible, Moses and the children of Israel faced a very serious situation in the Old Testament that they had a decision to make regarding. Would they fight, or would they give in? Would they stand strong? Or would they cower? The story I am referring to happened while the Israelites were wandering in the desert heading to the promised land. On the way, they were attacked by a group of people called the Amalekites. Their response would determine their immediate future, and perhaps the future of several generations. Let’s read about this unique story.

Exodus 17:8–15 – “ 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. 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 memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah Nissi (The Lord is my Banner).”

Today, this story gives us many lessons – including a name of God that can be comforting to those who face difficult decisions in times of trial. The name that was given to God comes here is one of a picture of hope, victory, and faith. It is the third name in my series on the Names of God. The name here is Jehovah Nissi (knee-see) which means, The Lord is My Banner.

Body

I. The Meaning of ‘Jehovah Nissi’ in the Bible

The first thing that can help us understand is the meaning of the words themselves. Then we can look at the context and nuances of what that word means.

Original Hebrew Words

Jehovah means “God”, “Yahweh”, or “Lord”.

He is the Lord, Jehovah, Adonai, the God of His chosen people. BTW, you are his chosen people when you put your faith in Him. 1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Once you put your faith in the Lord our God and His son Jesus, you leave the darkness of sin in this world and enter in to the kingdom of light and life.

Nissi (knee-see) means “Banner.”

The word Nissi can be translated as banner. It can also be translated as flag, sail, signal, or standard (a word we don’t use much anymore). It carries with it the idea of something lifted up for people to see from a long distance off. Examples: flag on a ship, banner on a hill in battle, signpost that is visible for all to see. Think of it like a sail, or a flag on a pole, or maybe even a lighthouse on a shore. We see this picture of a ‘Nissi’ in other Bible scriptures.

Isaiah 13:2 – “On a bare hill raise a signal (Nissi); cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.”

Isaiah 49:22 – “Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal (nissi) to the peoples”

Ani means “My”

In this instance, it shares the personal nature of God. How he is not just that for certain groups of people, but he does that for each of us. Moses says that when he showed up, he was “my” banner. Have you ever experienced the personal nature of God? Do you have a relationship with Him where you can experience first-hand his goodness to you? Then he can be your “Ani” Jehovah Nissi. Can you say like the Psalmist in Psalm 31:14, “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my (ani) God.”

What An Ancient Banner (Nissi) Represents

Let’s jump into this story in Exodus 17 to understand what a Nissi is. There was a battle raging between the enemy, the Amalekites, and the children of Israel (God’s people). Moses stood on the hill and held up his hands as a “nissi” to help the troops out during this battle. His hands may not have been a flag or piece of cloth on a hill, but they represented the same thing as one might represent today. Here are the 3 characteristics behind an Ancient Banner (Nissi).

It is a rallying point.

In ancient times, a banner or standard was raised on a mountain or at the front lines of a battlefield to act as a gathering point and a symbol of hope for warriors. It showed soldiers where to gather and unified them in the midst of conflict. Moses hands lifted high carrying the staff of God identified that they were united together as God’s people to fight together. Today, people use banners for something similar when they march out at the beginning of a sporting event behind their flag (show entrance to Bobcat football games). What led the team onto the field? Banners (on horses). We still use banners today as a rallying point.

Flags can become a rallying point. That is part of what is happening in this story.

It declares allegiance.

Just as soldiers fight under a specific country’s flag, a “banner” indicates whose side you are on and where your loyalties lie. In this story, they are rallying under the banner of Jehovah, their God. Their allegiance (for the time being) lies with Moses their spiritual leader and their God Jehovah. Moses is on the hill pointing them to the one in heaven who can help them overcome every enemy.

We see something similar when countries march in international competitions like the recent World Cup Soccer matches, or even the Olympics. Athletes march behind their flag to show allegiance. (show pictures) Fans wave flags to show their allegiance and support. They did the same thing back then with banners. They waved them to show allegiance. Moses was lifting his Nissi (which happened to be his hands) into the air at the top of a hill to pointthe people to the place where their true allegiance should lie – in the name of their God Jehovah. They needed to ally with Him!

Where is your allegiance? Is it in the Lord your God? Or is in in something else?

The third aspect of a banner that we saw back then and even today is…

It is a symbol of victory.

In war (or even in competition), when you defeat an enemy, the victor will often fly a banner over the location. This declared that their territory was now yours. We see this in modern wars. For example, when America would defeat a foreign army (like Great Britain, or Mexico, or Germany), they would fly an American flag over the area. When we arrived at the moon, what did we do on the surface of the moon? We planted our flag. It was a sign of victory. We conquered this new frontier.

As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, we still celebrate regularly at special events using banners. We call those banners flags and we even sing about one of those victories. We declare in melody, “Gave proof through the night that the flag was still there. Oh say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

We declare all three meanings behind our banners. We won! We are victorious. We declare our allegiance once again. And we rally together around this. In essence, what the ancients did in Moses time is what we still do today. By placing a banner over the battlefield, Moses was declaring victory for God’s people. He was celebrating their allegiance to Jehovah. And he was rallying the people.

Side note: How long do you think it took for Moses and the people to determine that when his hands were raised to God, they were winning? And when they were down, they started to lose. Maybe they needed a practical way to see the effect that putting their faith in God accomplished again. (They were a little stubborn and easily forgot what God had already done. After all, he had miraculously delivered them from Egypt, they had crossed the Red Sea on dry land, he given them manna every single day (except the Sabbath), and had recently provided water from a rock. You would think they would have figured this out by now. But, as God often said, the Jews were stiff-necked people.) Some of us are the same today.

II. How to Achieve Victory In Life

Let me jump into the story where we find this name of God in Exodus 17. Letme start with a little background. The children of Israel had just been miraculously delivered from slavery in Egypt, had crossed the Red Sea, and were now traveling across the desert toward the land God had promised to them. God had already provided manna, quail, and even water from a rock just before this. (Renee talked about this some last week in the children’s message). The people are “weary and worn out” according to Deut. 25:18 as they are making this trek in dry and dusty conditions. Then, an enemy called the Amalekites decided that they are going to eliminate these people threatening their land. So, they go to war to annihilate the Israelites (who interestingly enough are actually relatives of the Israelites, descendants from Jacob’s twin brother Esau.)

Why are they not accepting of their kin, but instead wanting to destroy them? Not sure. But, isn’t this how the enemy often works? He turns people that should love each other against one another. AND – the enemy often swoops in during moments when people are weak, tired, and vulnerable try and destroy them. Satan likes to kick us when we are down! Satan has had this playbook for years. When did he come after Job in the Old Testament? After he had gone through suffering, loss, and extreme trial. When did Satan tempt Jesus? At his best? Nope! He attacked him when he was fasting in the wilderness and was weak, tired, and hungry. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:8, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” He is like a lion waiting for injured or weak prey to pounce on. When you are weak, he attacks. We shouldn’t be surprised that is what he did here, because we read about it many times in the Bible. Earlier in 1 Peter before he talks about the devil being a lion, he said, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.” Satan’s M.O. (method of operation) is to kick us when we are down. To tempt us when we are weak. To destroy us in the time of weariness. He doesn’t play fair. He only wants to win and will do whatever it takes – even if it means attacking you at your lowest.

Moses then rallies the troops to defend the people. He sends Joshua to lead the army into battle, while he makes his way to the top of a hill with Aaron and Hur to preside over the fighting. As the battle rages, we learn several lessons about how to achieve victory in life

Lift up the name of the Lord.

When we lift up the name of the Lord, we win in life!

Proverbs 21:31 – “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 20:4 – “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

‘In God We Trust’ is not just a slogan, it is a battle cry! Let me say that again: ‘In God We Trust’ is not just a slogan, it is a battle cry! Victory lies in the name of the Lord! He is our strong tower! He is our banner! Song: “When all I see is a battle, you see my victory. When all I see is a mountain, you see a mountain moved.” When God’s people (including you) lift up the name of Jesus, we will see spiritual strongholds demolished, lives set free, and spiritual victories accomplished. Do you believe that this morning? If you don’t feel it yet, maybe this will inspire you (from a black gospel church service)…

Video Song: Victory is mine

Lift up leaders!

When we lift up leadership, we win in life! We win individually. And the groups we are part of win as well (just like the children of Israel here). This is especially true of lifting up godly leadership, like Moses. He wants us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). He wants us to submit to them. (Romans 13:1). He wants us to financially take care of them (1 Timothy 5:17-18). [I won’t read the verses. You can peruse them later for yourself)

I firmly believe lifting up leaders will bring victory in many areas. That is why when I came here, one of the first things I did was raise up prayer partners for the pastor and leaders. If we think we can thrive as a church without this, we are sorely mistaken. We must lift up our leaders. Moses couldn’t have prevailed without the support of Aaron and Hur. Our church cannot succeed without prayer warriors lifting up their leaders. You see… not everybody can be a Moses or Joshua, a D.L. Moody or Billy Graham. But every Christians can be like Aaron and Hur and help hold the hands of their spiritual leaders. Was one Christian commentator said, ‘God is looking for people who will share in the battle and the victory because they continue steadfastly in prayer”

Lift up others!

Do you think that if Moses, Aaron and Hur would NOT have done their part that Joshua and the army would have prevailed? I don’t! We need people willing to lift up others in the battle! And when we do, others win at life in the battles they face. Sometimes the battle isn’t even close when we help one another in the Lord’s strength! It says here that Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people (v.13) This wasn’t a lucky victory, or barely making it out alive. They overwhelmed! It was decisive! Why? Because of God! And because of God’s people! They were lifting each other up! Did you know that when you lift up others before the throne room of God in prayer, you can help them to achieve victory? Did you know that when you lift up others through encouragement you can help them to overcome discouragement and hopelessness in their life? Did you know that lifting others up in support can give them the motivation to keep on keeping on? Listen to this story from long ago in a fishing village on the New England coast.

Many years ago, prior to the use of motor boats and modern conveniences, a group of New England fisherman were out at sea fishing during the winter when a furious storm came up suddenly. The men in the boats rowed desperately to reach the safety of the harbor. Everybody made it except for one old man named John. He had almost reached the mouth of the harbor when a great wave came along and dashed his tiny boat up against a rock. He managed to pull himself up on a tiny ledge and hang there for dear life.

His friends saw what happened. There wasn’t anything they could do about it. It was growing dark, and the seas were high. All they could do was wait. They built a bonfire on the shore and kept it burning all night. Every once in a while, someone would throw his cap up in the air, hoping that the old man would see it. At last, dawn began to break and the winds began to die down. They rowed their boats out to try and find their friend where he had last been seen. Sure enough, as they got close to the area, they saw the man still clinging to the rock. They picked him up and brought him safely back to shore.

When the old man had been warmed by the fire and had been given something to eat, they finally asked him what it was like out there. “Well,” he said, “it was the longest night of my life. I made out pretty well at first, but then a big wave came along and flattened me out and I felt myself slipping. I was worn out. I was ready to give up. I remembered that my old man had went down at sea, and I had decided my time had come, too. But just as I was ready to let go, I looked through the darkness and saw somebody’s cap going up in the air. I said to myself, “If there’s somebody who cares enough about old John to stay out on a night like this, I guess I’m not going to quit yet.” Just then the winds seemed to ease up, and I got a fresh hold, and well, here I am.

When we lift up others, we may be just what they need to keep going! We may be the difference between them winning and losing in life or in the circumstances they are facing. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Take some time to lift up others in your life – through prayer, through a kind word, through a helping hand, or simply being with them. You may get them through a dark night of their soul just like this fisherman.

For the last part of this message as we look into the name Jehovah Nissi, I want to share how we can plant banners (nissis) into our life so that we can proclaim “The Lord is My Banner” and achieve great victories for ourselves and for the kingdom of God. This is an area that I believe the Lorde has laid on my heart this week that I feel he wants us to hear.

III. How To Release God’s Blessing Into Your Life

I believe that God wants to impress upon some of us, maybe all of us, the fact that he is getting us ready to receive some blessings. But there are some things we need to understand and get ready for before that happens.

Hinderances to God’s Blessing

We don’t steward what God has given us.

In the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, Jesus chastised the servant who buried his talent in the sand. He called him a “wicked, lazy servant!” for his actions. The point is that when God gives you something, you had better be a good steward of it. But some of us aren’t ready. God isn’t going to give us something that we are not ready to steward well. Why would he send lots of baby Christians into our church if we couldn’t or wouldn’t disciple them? Why would he give us more resources if we won’t steward the ones we have. (BTW, stewarding does not mean hoarding. Nor does it mean wasting. It is investing into the kingdom of God wisely).

I believe that the first 10 years of being here God is seeing if we would steward well what he has already given – including the facilities, people, and the Word of God. Now that we are ready, god wants to pour our more into our lives.

We violate the principles in God’s Word!

There are spiritual principles (some might call them laws) that God has setup in the universe. These are as real as things like gravity, motion, and thermodynamics. But they are spiritual. Some examples include: the law of reaping and sowing, the law of giving and generosity, the law of faithfulness (be faithful in the little things before God gives you more), and the law of multiplication. If we violate God’s laws and principles, we will not receive the rewards he promises. For example, if you expect to receive God’s promises without reaping or sowing generously, then you are mistaken. Sometimes we want God to bless us and we violate his laws. We do our own thing. Sometimes it is willing disobedience. And sometimes it is just ignorance. How can we expect God to bless us if we violate the principles he has created to govern the world – and even the spiritual world!?

Our enemy steals things from us.

The Bible describers Satan as our adversary (1 Peter 5:8). It says that he is a thief that has come to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He doesn’t want you to live life to the fullest that God promises (John 10:10). He will do whatever he can to steal whatever good thing the Lord wants to bestow upon you. He steals our joy! He steals our peace. He steals our sleep. He steals our faith in the Lord (tries to get us to do things without God). He even steals the word of God (see Jesus’ parable of the sower). If he can steal your passion, purpose, and any good thing the Lord gives you, he will.

But the good news is this: God wants to restore what the enemy stole. I feel very convicted in my spirit that God is about to pour out some blessings on His people if we will do our part. If we will step into the calling that God has for us. How do we do that?

Actions That Will Release God’s Blessing

There are some things that we need to do to activate Gods blessings in our lives. You can find these ideas and principles in the Bible.

Give - more and more.

God loves cheerful givers (2 Cor. 9:7). And he blesses givers in many ways. Luke 6:38 lays it out plainly for all to see. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” You want more blessing! Then bless more. Give more. It’s that simple. Don’t be stingy! Don’t be stingy with God. Don’t be stingy with your generosity to others. Don’t feel like you have to hold back your giving to punish somebody you don’t like or agree with. I’ve had God challenge me to give to causes I didn’t necessarily want to because he was teaching me to give without conditions, and to heal my heart. If you want more blessings, then give more!

Take care of those in need.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Jesus expects us to be people of compassion to help those in need. In Isaiah 10:1–2, the Bible pronounces judgement on those ignoring the less fortunate. “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, 2to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless.” Even the town of Sodom was destroyed partially because of this problem. Ezekiel 16:49 - 49 “ ‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.” You will not receive blessing if you don’t care for those in need! If you turn a blind eye to the suffering around you, then shame on you. Don’t expect a blessing form God.

If you struggle in this area, try doing something good for the needs. They always need volunteers at the food bank – you could start there. There are always shut-ins and elderly who could use a helping hand (moving heavy things, mowing a lawn, taking out the trash). Maybe you could start a habit of checking in on the widows, orphans, and those with broken families. Some of you have volunteered to adopt-a-youth to help the younger people who need another positive role model in their life. (Side note: this last week, Joel baptized 10 youth in water. How many of you would volunteer to regularly pray for them over the next month).

Another way to release blessing is…

Test the Lord in tithing.

Some of you barely give. Some of you give here and there when you feel like it. But the pattern of the Bible is to give regularly. Listen God’s words to the people in the book of Malachi. Malachi 3:8–11 says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 11 I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty.”

The only place in the Bible where it says to test God is right here - in tithing! What is tithing? The word literally means 1/10. It is giving at least 1/10 of your increase to God. That was the minimum in the OT. If you are not giving 10% of your earnings to God, then you are robbing him, and even robbing yourself of the blessing God wants to give you! I challenge everyone here to at least tithe (The NT encourages more than 10%–it basically says be extra generous).

Take back what the enemy stole.

I’ve mentioned this many times, but in the 1 Samuel 30, David’s home base was attacked by his enemy the Amalekites. These are the descendants of the same enemies that fought against Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites in the desert. They attacked, plundered, and stole everything of David’s – including all the wives and children of him and his army. David and his men were greatly distressed but sough the Lord for help. What did the Lord do? He gave them a plan to take back what the enemy stole. Not in their own strength, but in the Lord’s strength (1 Sam. 30:6). 1 Samuel 30:18–19 tells us the outcome. It says, “David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. 19 Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back.”

God can take back what the enemy stole. He can repay for what the enemy takes from our lives. In this passage, you can read about how God eventually blotted out the name of the Amalekites because of what they did (Exodus 17:14). For us today, sometimes we need to step up in prayer and take back what the enemy has stolen from our families. He has a thief and tries to steal our name, our future, and pour purpose through things like drug or alcohol addiction. He steals our innocence through sin and pornography. He tries to take our blessings through making us apathetic or tired or weary. I say, “It is time to take back what the enemy stole!” Friends… it is time to step up and step in to take back what Satan stole. Let’s release the blessings of God into our lives! Let’s release the blessings of God into our church! Let’s release the blessings of God into our community! The window is open! The time is now!

In Jeremiah they gave us a great example of how to do that. Jeremiah 51:27 says, “Set up a banner on the earth; blow the trumpet among the nations; prepare the nations for war against her; summon against her the kingdoms, Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz; appoint a marshal against her; bring up horses like bristling locusts.”

Just as they setup for battle against heir enemies in Jeremiah, we must battle against the enemy of our souls, Satan. His time is short! And we have the strength of the Lord. Let’s not let him win anymore. Let’s take him out. Let’s take back what he stole. Let’s, as the song says, go into the enemies camp and “take back what he stole from me. He’s under my feet, he’s under my feet. Satan is under my feet.”

Closing

Are you ready for Jehovah Nissi to be your banner? Are you ready to fight under his allegiance and under his authority to see victory? Are you ready to rally around Him and see the enemy defeated? God wants not only to be Jehovah Nissi for his people thousands of years ago, but he wants to be Jehovah Nissi for us today! Are you ready to fly the flag for Him? There is an old Christian kid’s song that went like this:

Song: Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my life, from the castle of my life, from the castle of my life. When the king is in residence there. So lift it high in the sky let the whole world know. Let the whole word know. That the king is in residence there.

I am ready to fly a flag for victory, for allegiance, and to rally God’s people to receive the blessings He has for us. Are you? I am sick and tired of watching the enemy get the victory. It is time to, as one movie says, “Release the Kraken”, but do it spiritually. Release the Kraken of the Word of God. Release the Kraken of generosity. Release the Kraken of blessings.

I was talking to a person that has a prophetic gift say that they saw a picture that God gave them a while ago of a wall of blessings sitting on the other side of the Crazy Mountains that God wants to pour out. It has been prepared in advance for the right time to be released. I believe now is that right time. Another prophetic person said something similar. They mentioned seeing a water or deluge of God’s spirit and blessing that God wanted to pour out on this area. In my spirit, I believe it is time to release that into the atmosphere. Are you ready for it? Because when it happens, we need to steward it well and use it for the kingdom of God (not for ourselves).

Closing prayer

Lord, we lift you up today! We want to see victory for your children! We want to raise up leaders, other people, and the name of the Lord! You are our Jehovah Nissi. You have won battles and you will continue to win battles. We want your blessing to be poured out on us! Help us to do our part. And when we need to repent, convict us and lead us on the right path for your name’s sake. The name that is above all other names. The name that we hold high in this place – Jehovah Nissi. God, may you be glorified.

Exit video: Victory Is Mine (get ready and excited for it)