As I was dressing one morning, I glanced at a flip
calendar that sits on my dresser and it happened to
be recounting some of the names of God. These names
struck a chord within my heart and I sensed the Holy
Spirit urging me to delve deeper into some of the
names of God. Why? In antiquity, a person’s name
revealed much about their character. This is no less
true when you study the names of God, for His names
tell us a great deal about the person and character
of God.
The first name that we will focus on is Jehovah
Nissi – The Lord is my Banner. This name for God is
found in Exodus 17: 15 (HCSB). Take a peek at the
context with me from verses 9-16.
Moses said to Joshua, "Select some men for us, and
go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on
the hilltop with God's staff in my hand." Joshua did
as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek,
while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of
the hill. While Moses held up his hand, Israel
prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek
prevailed. When Moses' hands grew heavy, they took a
stone and put [it] under him, and he sat down on it.
Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one
side and one on the other so that his hands remained
steady until the sun went down. So Joshua defeated
Amalek and his army with the sword. The Lord then
said to Moses, "Write this down on a scroll as a
reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely
blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven." And
Moses built an altar and named it, "The Lord Is My
Banner." He said, "Indeed, [my] hand is [lifted up]
toward the Lord's throne. The Lord will be at war
with Amalek from generation to generation."
In this passage Moses held God’s staff in his hand
and as long as his hands and God’s staff were
raised, Joshua and the Israelites won the war with
the Amalekites. What I want us to pay particular
attention to is that this battle was all about God.
Joshua, Moses, Aaron, Hur, and the Israelite armies
were simply vessels God used, but the battle itself
was orchestrated by God. Moses knew this and wanted
to make certain the Israelites knew it and
remembered it. Nothing that he or they did in the
physical realm brought about victory. God’s presence
and power took them into the battle and assured the
victory when the battle was done.
What battles are you fighting today?
Is the battle you are in one that the Lord has
chosen for you? Strange question, isn’t it?
Scripture is very clear in this particular passage
that the Lord, in fact, chooses certain battles for
us to fight. Does He lead the way as Jehovah Nissi
in your current battles?
Perhaps the battle you are in is a battle that you
have chosen, one that is outside the will of God?
Are you fighting in your own strength? Are you
struggling to be victorious in the battle? If
Jehovah Nissi is leading the way in your struggle,
then you are assured success, but if you are
fighting your battle in your own strength, your
defeat is imminent.
Where in your life do need God to show Himself
strong as Jehovah Nissi – the Lord my Banner – and
go before you so that you may know victory?
Jehovah Nissi: The Lord is My Banner
By Leah Adams
Guest Writer
About The Author
Leah describes herself as the “prodigal son’s
sister.” Although she grew up in church and accepted
Jesus at the age of 15, she wandered away from the
Lord in her mid-20s. After many years of living only
to please herself, Leah felt the Lord wooing her
back, and over time He birthed in her a deep and
burning desire to study and teach His Word. Leah’s
speaking and writing ministry is called
The Point
Ministries. Leah lives in Blairsville, Georgia with
her husband, Greg.
Leah holds a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree from Mercer
University School of Pharmacy. She is a CLASS
certified speaker. |
