Knowing God by His Names: Jehovah Nissi (The Lord Our Banner)

ILLUS. Foreign Mission Board parade of banners. It was an impressive display of banners with all the names of God in both Old and New Testaments. It was a reminder that we have a powerful God who reigns.

I. OUR GOD IS JEHOVAH-NISSI

1. Jehovah-Nissi means the Lord is my Banner

a. the name appears in Exodus 17:15, and is the only place where it is found

“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 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 the throne of the LORD, the LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:13-16, ESV)

2. what prompted Moses to build an altar to God and dedicate it to the Lord?

a. Exodus 17 picks up the story o the Israelites shortly after they left Egyptian bondage and were traveling to the land of Canaan under the leadership of Moses

b. while they were encamped at a place called Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites — a local people who didn’t appreciate the Israelites passing through their land

3. Moses put Joshua in charge of leading the Israelite army

a. He tells Joshua “I will stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand — as long as I hold it up we will prevail”

1) not much of a battle plan by human reckoning, but perfect by God’s reckoning

b. when the armies met in battle, Moses, along with Aaron and Hur, was standing on a nearby hill holding high the rod of God in his hands

1) as long as he held the rod aloft Israel prevailed, and pushed back the Amalekites

2) but as Moses grew tired — remember, he’s over 80 years old — and as his arms began to sink the Amalekites began to push Israel back

3) at that point, Aaron and Hur sit Moses on a rock and each holds up one of Moses’ arms “So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” (Exodus 17:12)

c. because of that Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people (Exodus 17:12)

4. the miracle-working rod was like a battle standard flying over their army identifying them as God’s people who are depending on God for victory

a. the rod represented God’s power working on their behalf

A. ALTARS ARE PLACES OF REMEMBRANCE

1. any number of times God’s people erected an altar to God — not as a place of sacrifice, but as a place of remembrance when God had done something great on their behalf

a. this altar is erected in remembrance of God’s protection and salvation

“But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. 5 Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.” (Psalms 60:4-5, ESV)

2. just as banners and flags today identify groups and those who belong to them, God’s banner identifies those who belong to Him

a. who belongs to God?

1) those whom He has elected and saved from their sins and given eternal life to

B. JESUS IS OUR BANNER OF SALVATION

“In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean. 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.” (Isaiah 11:10-12, ESV)

1. in Romans 15:12 the Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah’s words and applies them to Jesus

a. Jesus, himself, said “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32, ESV)

2. just as Moses raised the rod of the Lord as a sign of God’s saving protection for the armies of Israel, Jesus was lifted up on the cross that all who receive him are protected from the wrath of God

a. as long as we keep our eyes on him, Satan can never overcome us

b. Jesus is our banner of salvation

II. APPLICATION

ILLUS. Moses shows us three very important things. 1st, he shows us God's wise providence. 2nd, he shows us God's divine provision of victory. And 3rd, , he shows us God's call to remembrance, a call to remember both the victory that He supplied and the judgment that He pronounced and in so doing Moses teaches us important lessons for the Christian life.

1. what does this name of God mean to Christians?

a. what lessons can we take away from this story?

b. what does Jehovah Nissi — The-Lord-Is-My-Banner — mean to us today?

A. 1ST, God Does Not Leave Us to Fight Our Battles in Our Own Strength

1. when Israel faced the Amalekites, they were former slaves in Egypt, not experienced soldiers

a. but God fought for them, and they were victorious

b. by keeping his arms lifted towards heaven, Moses was honoring God as the ever-present One

2. the Bible tells us, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . the rulers of darkness . . . against spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Ephesians 6:12)

a. we may feel inadequate, but we do not fight alone, and God promises victory

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)

b. the enemy of your soul wants to discourage and defeat you

1) he sends doubts and you wonder, “Where is God? And why doesn’t He step in and do something!”

3. in those times we lift up our eyes to the banner of the cross

a. God raises the banner of His son over you to remind you that His presence is with you

b. when we are fighting spiritual battles, God is our Ever Present One

B. 2nd, God Expects Us to Cooperate with Him as He Works on Our Behalf

1. Israel was victorious as long as Moses held the rod of God aloft

2. we can depend on God for victory, but we must do our part

a. our part is making ourselves available to God

b. our part is having faith that God can do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think

C. 3rd, We Can Help Others to Gain the Victories God Wants for Them

1. when Moses could hold up his hands no longer, Aaron and Hur stood by his side to hold them up for him

a. we can do the same for others — supporting and encouraging them in their daily struggles and holding them up in prayer

Gal 6:2

D. 4th, It Is Important to Remember and Celebrate the Way God Has Led Us and the Victories He Has Provided

1. Moses built an altar to commemorate what God had done for Israel

a. he called that altar — “The-Lord-Is-My-Banner”

b. remembering what God has done for us will keep His blessings fresh in our minds and draw us close to Him

2. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6; Hebrews 13:5).

We should express gratitude for God’s blessings. The psalmist wrote: “You have raised a banner to . . . save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered” (Psalm 60:4, 5, NIV). By expressing our gratitude to God, we show our love for Him—and we encourage others.

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