10-01-06-The Names of God--Jehovah Nissi

We have been looking at the compound names of Jehovah (The I AM who I AM) as they are revealed in the Old Testament and have already examined the names of Jehovah Jireh (The Lord My Provider) and  Jehovah Rophe (The Lord My Healer).  Each of these names shows a characteristic about God that was revealed as a result of the needs of the children of Israel.  They also give us a greater picture of the God that we serve and help us to see that God is all that we need for every area of our lives.  Of course, we have also seen that since God never changes, all that is revealed in the Old Testament is true today and was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Today, we are going to look at the next name that is revealed to us in the scriptures—Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner of Victory).

¨     Exodus 17:8-16 (NIV) 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 The Lord is my Banner (Jehovah Nissi). 16 He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

To understand this passage, we need to go back to where we last left the children of Israel.  That was at the waters of Marah (Ex 15:22-27) where the bitter water was changed into sweet water by Moses throwing a tree that God told him to into the bitter water.   Not only was the water bitter, but the Israelites were bitter—murmuring and complaining because they did not have good water to drink.  They had forgotten how only 3 days before God had delivered them from the Egyptian army.  God told them that if they would listen and obey His voice, do what He told them, listen to His commandments, and trust Him, then He would be their healer.  So they continued on in their journey to the place called Elim (v. 27) and found a wonderful oasis where they rested. 

But as they continued on from that place of rest, they grumbled and complained again.  This time because they did not have food to eat.  So God provided manna daily and even quail for them to eat.  But then we come to the beginning of Exodus 17 and we find them camped at Rephidim complaining again about not having water, so God tells Moses to strike a rock and water gushes out from it.  Now look at vs. 7 and you will see that Moses called the place Massah (test) and Meribah (quarrel) because the children of Israel had quarreled and tested the Lord there.  It seemed like no matter what God did for them, it was never enough.  Do you see the attitude of ungratefulness and constant murmuring they had?  They had been seeing God as Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Their Provider), and did not appreciate it.  But they are about to see the protection of God as Jehovah Nissi when suddenly their lives are truly at stake at the hand of a nation called the Amalekites who want to destroy them.

So who were the Amalekites?  In Gen 36:12 we see that Amalek was a grandson of Esau.  What do we remember about Esau?  He sold his birthright for a pot of beans to Jacob his brother because he was hungry (Gen 25:29-34).  This tells us that he did not consider the spiritual birthright as important as the fleshly food.  So the lineage of Esau was one that was based on the flesh instead of the spirit—whereas the lineage of Jacob (Israel) was based on a spiritual heritage.  Now the scripture tells us that the things that happened in the Old Testament are there as examples for us to learn from.  So the Amalekites are a type of the flesh—concerned about fleshly things like conquering an innocent people who they were actually related to.  Therefore,  this story is a type of the battle between the flesh (Amalek) and God. 

So what does that have to do with us today?  Well, when we look at what took place, we discover the truths of how this battle was fought.  First, we see Moses assigning Joshua as the general of the army of Israel.   Now that was not really a very great honor for Joshua, because there really was no army.  Remember they left Egypt as slaves, who did not have weapons or training in warfare.  They were shepherds and brick layers—not warriors!  Any weapons they had were probably a result of those they gathered on the shore at the Red Sea after the Egyptians were destroyed.  So Joshua is tasked with gathering together fighters and taking on the trained armies of Amalek.  Joshua’s name means “Jehovah is Salvation” and is a direct type of Jesus who is our salvation.  So the one who is fighting for us and with us in this battle against the flesh, is Jesus our Savior.  He is the one who never sinned in the flesh (Heb 4:15) and has already won the battle over the flesh.  Isn’t it good to know that the commander of our army knows what He is doing and always wins!

Now Moses goes up on a hill and holds up his hands to God with the rod (staff) that God had given him.  He did a similar thing when the Israelites crossed over the Red Sea on dry ground (Ex 14:16).  When his hands got heavy, Amalek would prevail, but when they were lifted up, Israel would prevail.  Finally Moses sits down and Aaron and Hur help to hold his hands up and Joshua is able to defeat the Amalekites.  This shows us that Joshua with his misfit band of men were not the ones winning the battle.  It is clear that Jehovah Nissi was the one who fought for them and won the battle.  It is also clear that Moses interceded to God on behalf of the children of Israel.

Now, if Amalek represents the flesh and Israel represents the spirit, then there is a clear battle going on here between the flesh and the spirit.  Why is it that sometimes we can seem to be all spiritual and walking in victory and other times it seems like the flesh is winning the battle?  I believe there is a key here that will help us understand this dilemma of spiritual warfare.  You see when we get born-again our spirit is made new—we become new creations (2 Cor 5:17), but we still have the same flesh to contend with.  Remember the grumbling, murmuring, complaining Israelites that we looked at earlier?  Why were they grumbling and complaining?  Was it because of the spiritual or the flesh?  Obviously it was because of the flesh—no water, no food.  Well, how can we expect to be victorious in our lives when we have an ungrateful and unthankful attitude for the provisions that God has given us?  Maybe we don’t drive the nicest car—but we drive the one that God has provided for us.  Maybe we don’t have the biggest house—but we have the home that God has provided for us.  Maybe everything is not going the way we want it to—but if we are God’s children then He knows what we need and provides it for us (Matt 6:25-34).  This is the most important part of victory in our lives—recognizing God’s provision and praising Him for it!  

One area that we constantly have to deal with is the battle in our minds.  Paul told us in Romans 12:2 that we are to renew our minds:

¨     (NIV) Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is as we renew our minds with the Word of God that we are changed.  Then we are able to discern what God’s will is for our life.  We are able to see Him working in every area of our life and know that He is for us and not against us (Rom 8:31).  If we do not renew our minds, then it is clear that we will not be changed into the image of Christ and instead will be conformed to the pattern of this world.  That is we will become the murmuring, complaining people controlled by our flesh.  You see the one thing the Israelites did not do was to thank God everyday for His provision (Manna).  They did not appreciate the fact that God was providing food and water for them.  Instead they grumbled and complained everyday.  Here are a few other verses to renew our minds with:

¨     Eph 5:20 (NIV) always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¨     Eph 5:1-4 (NIV) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

Now there is another part of this story that we must not miss.  When Moses built an altar to give thanks to God for the victory, he called it Jehovah Nissi (The Lord is My Banner).  He was recognizing God’s victory over Amalek and giving God the praise for it—not Joshua.  But look at vs. 16 it says, He (Moses) said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”  Moses saw that God would continue to fight against the Amalekites long after he was gone.  In fact the Amalekites were a continual source of frustration and it is not until the time of Hezekiah (approx 700 BC) that they are finally destroyed as a people (1 Chron 4:43). 

But if Amalek represents the flesh, then this passage says that “The Lord will be at war against the flesh from generation to generation.”  Why is that important?  Because it tells us that the battle that we fight against the flesh is not only ours, but God is involved in it—by His choice.  He does not leave us alone to fight the battle, but instead promises to be there with us until the end.  So when we get weary from fighting against our flesh  and want to give up, we need to remind ourselves that Jehovah Nissi is fighting the battle with us.   Some may say that we do not need to fight, but God does all the fighting.  If that is true then why does Hhe tell us to fight the good fight of faith (2 Tim 4:7)?  Why does He give us spiritual armor (Eph 6:10-18)?  Why does He tell us to earnestly contend for the faith (Jude 3)?  Why does He say that we are to be good soldiers (2 Tim 2:3-4)?  No my friend, in the fight against our flesh—we have to do the fighting.  The problem is that we cannot fight it and win in our strength.

However, here is the good news—Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner) has given us the spiritual weapons that we need—powerful weapons—His Word and prayer to fight the battle and be victorious.   Also, you are not alone on the battlefield, the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are there to make intercession for you (just like Moses did). Like Aaron and Hur holding up Moses hands, we have Jesus and the Holy Spirit holding us up, so we will win!

¨     Heb 7:25 (NIV) Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.

¨     Rom 8:34-39 (NIV) Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.  35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

¨     Rom 8:26-27 (NIV) In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Friends, if God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31).  Not even our flesh can overcome us if we will stay on the Lord’s side and use the weapons He gives us.  When we feel like we are losing the battle, we need to check and see if we have been grumbling and murmuring instead of praising God.  Then when we repent, He will fight for us and bring victory over those fleshly desires of wanting it our way and not trusting Him for our daily provision.