JEHOVAH-NISSI
“The Lord Our Banner”
“And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi” (Exodus 17:11, 15)
When God called Moses to lead His people through the wilderness journey, and Moses claimed inadequacy, God instructed Moses to use the staff that was in his hand. In his first encounter with the Pharaoh, he used the staff. In Exodus 17, Israel was at war against the Amalekites, he again had a staff in his hand.
Could it be that this is the same staff that he threw to the ground as he stood before Pharaoh? We remember that when he threw it to the ground, at God’s command, it not only turned into a snake, but it swallowed up the rods that were turned into snakes by Pharaoh’s magicians (Exodus 7:12). Was it the same rod that Moses stretched out over the Red Sea? (Exodus 17:21, 26) Or when he smote the rock, at God’s command, and water gushed out to refresh the people of God and wash away the filth of the desert? (Exodus 17:6). Even later on in the journey to the Promised Land, Moses’ staff was used to hold the bronze serpent to which the sick and dying looked to be saved. (Numbers 21:8) With that rod Moses defeated the magicians of Egypt, stripped Pharaoh of his power, humiliated Egypt’s gods and brought Israel out from slavery to freedom on the edge of the Promised Land. God was demonstrating to Moses that his staff was an instrument of divine power and authority; it was all he needed to fulfill his task. All of these incidents of Moses and his rod are prophetic, for they point to Israel’s Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Exodus 17, the Amalekites had purposed to prevent the people of Israel from continuing their journey into the Promised Land. Moses told 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” (Exodus 17:9). This staff of God that Moses held in his upraised hands the next day was like a battle flag, or banner, signaling to everyone the Lord’s presence with Israel. “As long as Moses held up his hands”, this passage tells us, “the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning” (Exodus 17:11). When Moses’ hands grew tired, his helpers, Aaron and Hur, sat him on a stone and held up his hands so that they remained steady until sunset. That was enough time for Joshua and the troops to overcome the Amalekite army. After this great victory, just as a victorious army would plant their flag, Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is My Banner” (Jehovah-nissi) (Exodus 17:15).
My brothers and sisters, I submit to you that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is Israel’s Jehovah, is the Lord, our banner. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:32). In my heart and mind, I can see Jesus on the cross, and not only are his hands lifted up, but his whole broken and bloodied body is lifted high for everyone to see. When any man sees that light, if he has the courage to walk in it, God will give him the victory over sin and death. When I think of the scripture, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…”(Hebrews 12:2a), this passage of the Bible lets me know that there is hope for the human race. We are in the greatest battle known to man. It is greater than the world wars, greater than the Korean War, the Vietnam and Gulf Wars. It is the war against sin and Satan, and it will determine where we will spend eternity. So, when I get a little discouraged and think that I am having it a little hard, I look to Calvary where Jesus hung and died for me that I might be saved. He is my Jehovah-nissi, my Banner, the Author and Finisher of the Faith.
May God bless us to grow in Grace.
Pastor Gaiters
