“Jehovah is our Banner” or “the Lord Who gives me victory.”
God is a strong defense even when you are facing impossible and overwhelming situations. He is known as Jehovah-nissi, the Lord who gives me victory.
Jehovah Nissi is found in Exodus 17:15.
Exodus 17:15 KJV And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi.
Exodus 17:15 CEV Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord gives me victory.”
Exodus 17:15 NKJV And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner.
After a difficult battle with Amalek, Moses built an altar and named it “Jehovah-nissi”, “the Lord gives me victory.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 GNT Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, He will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.
The victory Israel experienced over Amalek happened while Moses was leading God’s people through the wilderness.
They had journey from the Wilderness of Sin and camped in Rephidim, northeast of Mount Sinai. After they camped, they found no water for the people to drink. Just as the people of Israel, our faith and trust in God is often tried by the circumstances and difficulties of life. When the people thirsted, they complained to Moses and said, “Why have you brought us and our livestock out of Egypt to kill us with thirst?” They had just made the arduous journey through the Wilderness of Sin, and camped in Rephidim. The people were expecting a relief from their journey, but they found no water.
Have you ever made it through a specifically difficult and dry journey in life and expected relief, but found none?
Their complaint and challenge against Moses was really against God’s faithfulness. When the people were ready to kill Moses, God told him to take some elders and go before the people.
God said, “I will stand before you on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” (Exodus 17:6).
This was one of the great miracles that God gave His people through the Wilderness. God had brought them through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna from heaven. Now when they thirsted, God gave them water from the rock. The presence of God came down and provided the refreshing and renewing of body and spirit that they needed.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NKJV Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
In the dry desert, God provided water to satisfy their thirst. Moses called the place Massah and Meribah because the people murmured and complained against God.
Why had they doubted when they had seen the power of God?
God had brought them out of Egypt with a mighty strong arm and had fed them angel’s food.
Exodus 17:8 While the people of Israel were camped in Rephidim, Amalek came and attacked Israel.
God’s people were weary and weak from their journey.
Many of our battles come when we are weary and weak. Have you ever had a day when everyone and everything seemed to conspire against you? What do you do when everything is against you?
Many people today are feeling overwhelmed by the build-up of things they are facing. You may be among those who feel overwhelmed by everything that is happening in your life and in the world.
The attack by Amalek was unprovoked and God considered it a wicked and atrocious act.
God was not going to overlook Amalek’s actions. God let Moses and Joshua know that He would utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven for what they did.
When you are facing the attack of the enemy, you need to take certain steps to gain the victory and success.
Exodus 17:9 NKJV And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
Here are two components of what Moses did.
First, he told Joshua to prepare to fight on a physical battlefield.
Moses told Joshua to choose some men and go out to fight with Amalek. Some of our battles in life require physical strength and determination. Joshua and the men of Israel had to go out and fight with Amalek. Sometimes in life you must take a stand against the enemy of your soul. You may have to stir up all of the strength and stamina you possess to fight the battles that are before you. Moses did not want Joshua to go and fight Amalek alone. There is wisdom and strength in standing together. Jesus said where two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them of My Father in heaven, (Matthew 18:19). There is power in agreeing with one another.
Second, Moses was going to stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in his hand.
Exodus 17:10 NKJV So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
Although Joshua and his chosen men were on the battlefield, Moses was interceding before God for Israel. This is a lesson in intercession and prayer. It has always impressed me that Moses had Aaron and Hur go with him to the hilltop and prevail before God. Don’t go into your next great challenge without prayer and intercession before God.
Exodus 17:11-12 NKJV And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
When Moses’ hands were lifted up, God’s people prevailed in the battle.
This still happens when God’s people bind together in prayer. Whatever you are facing, keep on praying. Moses knew that he needed someone to help him on the hilltop, so he took Aaron and Hur with him to pray. It is necessary for each of us to have other believers pray when we are facing spiritual and physical attacks. When Peter was in prison, constant prayer was offered to God by the church, (Acts 12). Everybody needs an Aaron and Hur to hold their hands up when they become weary.
Jehoshaphat and God’s people were under attack by a great multitude.
2 Chronicles 20:3-4 NKJV And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to ask help from the Lord.
Israel’s enemies outnumbered them three to one and it appeared that God’s people were going to be defeated. Jehoshaphat confessed, “O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, You are powerful and mighty and no one can stand against you!” You need to develop that kind of faith and trust in God. With God nothing is impossible.
Galatians 6:9 NKJV And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
James 5:16 The effective prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective and can accomplish much
Exodus 17:13-14 NKJV So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
The armies of Israel fought with the normal techniques of combat, but the victory was assured by God’s power.
Always keep in mind that the battle is the Lord’s. You may win the victory, but God is the power and His is the glory.
After the battle was over and Joshua and the men were celebrating victory, Moses built an altar.
Exodus 17:15 KJV And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-Nissi.
Exodus 17:15 CEV Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord gives me victory.”
Exodus 17:15 NKJV And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner.
God is Jehovah-Nissi.
He gives us the victory. He is the One Who defeats all our enemies. He is the One Who brings us through the wilderness. He gives us reason to celebrate and rejoice. Jehovah-Nissi, “The Lord gives me victory.” You may have to face the next great battle. You may come against the next enemy of your soul when your body is weak and your strength is failing. Here is the message you cannot afford to miss. “The Lord gives me victory.” This is the banner we need to raise. God is on the scene.
David wanted to remind Israel about this in Psalms 124.
Psalm 124:1-7 NKJV “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say— “If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, When men rose up against us,” Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.” Blessed be the Lord, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.
Jehovah —Nissi, “The Lord gives me victory.”
