YAHWEH-NISSI - The Lord My Banner
Daily Old Testament Reading: Exodus 16-18
Daily Focus Passage: Exodus 17
Is the Lord your banner? In Exodus 17, God's people came under the threat of the Amalekites, who desired to destroy the people and gain victory over them. The army of the Amalekites held a decisive advantage and, in the world's rationale, should easily claim victory. Yet, the Lord remained faithful to his covenant and promise with the people and worked in a mighty and powerful manner to bring victory. In celebrating the victory, Moses honored the Lord by building an altar and worshiping. He named the altar "The Lord is My Banner." Like Moses, could you declare that the Lord is Your Banner?
YAHWEH-NISSI – A BANNER THAT IDENTIFIES
A Moses identified the Lord as Yahweh-Nissi; he indicated that his identity belonged to the Lord. When a banner flies, the image of the banner identifies what one believes and how one identifies. At the Olympics, the medalist stand on the platform as their nation's flag is raised to play their national anthem. This moment identifies their life as a citizen of a particular nation. Moses built this altar, and declaring this name was a moment of identification as God's child.
Where do you find your identity? Where do you claim your genuine citizenship? There are many banners that we may attempt to identify under. Each of these banners will eventually lay in ruins except for one. When we identify under the Banner of the Lord, we declare that we hold citizenship in his eternal kingdom and find our belonging and purpose in him. We must find our identity in Yahweh-Nissi.
YAHWEH-NISSI – A BANNER THAT UNIFIES
When Moses declared Lord His Banner, he marked the rally point for the people. He knew that people held differing backgrounds and that various forms of differences could cause fragmentation in the unity of the people. Thus, Moses states that the Lord is the unifying source of the people. In the Lord, the differences become united, and the people can rally around one vision, the leading of the Lord.
What do you allow to unify you with other believers? Do you unify with church membership or groups life small group bible studies? Do you gather in a manner that overcomes the differences because of the unity of Christ? Paul declared in Colossians 1:17 that all things are held together by Christ. Thus, like Moses, the apostle Paul notes that under the banner of the Lord, we must be unified and allow the Lord to be the bond. What areas in life do you need to enable the Lord to become the unifying bond? Where do you need him to reconcile and rejoin?
YAHWEH-NISSI – A BANNER THAT GLORIFIES
The raising of the banner signifies the moment of victory. Like mentioned earlier, when an athlete wins at the Olympic games, the banner of their nation is raised in victory. When we allow the Lord to fight our battles and bring victory, we must glorify him and acknowledge his victory. When Moses declared Yahweh-Nissi, he exclaimed that the Lord was victorious and worthy of all honor and praise.
Do you lift the banner of the Lord to declare the Lord and glorify his name? When we lift high the Lord as My Banner, we declare to the world the power, holiness, and presence of the Lord. We acknowledge him before humanity so that they can see and hear the ability to gain citizenship and identity under the Banner of the Lord and how they can be unified with others. We announce the work and goodness of the Lord and demonstrate the unifying nature of the Lord and the new identity found in the Lord. Thus, we must ask ourselves, “Is the Lord My Banner?”
