Hallowed Be Your Name, A Study of the Names of God - Part 12: Jehovah Nissi

As we started out learning in this series, Jesus evidently thought the Names of God were important because He taught His disciples to pray by first “hallowing” God’s Names.
 
We learned that this means to honor and make holy His Names in our sight as we approach Him in prayer. Evidently, this is key for our prayers being effective, but why? It’s because by first hallowing His Name, we will go into our prayer times full of faith, confidence, and persuasion knowing who we are directing our prayers towards. No, there will not be that unbelief that questions if God is hearing us or if He will grant us our requests. We will know who He is and will have the full assurance of faith that gets the best results in prayer.
 
And let me remind you that knowing who He is, is much more important to Him than knowing the technicalities of His various Names, like being able to rattle them off or how to pronounce them. I would much rather you know me as the person I truly am than just knowing what my name is.
 
You see, there’s a lot of people out there who know who I am and know what I do (meaning, they know my name and that I’m the pastor of this church). But guess what? Most of these people don’t really know me. They don’t know what I’m into, what makes me tick, what I like to do for fun, etc. Even a lot of people that have come to church here for years don’t really know me. Sure, they know what I do and how I do it. But it’s like the children of Israel – the Scriptures teach us that they knew His acts, but Moses actually knew His ways. And why did Moses know His ways? It was because He took the time to get to know the LORD and He revealed Himself to Moses.
 
That’s what we need to do, saints! We don’t need to go about this the way the majority of the church has. No, we need to pursue the knowledge of God, desiring to see Him for who He is in truth, and let Him reveal His true self to us through His Names.
 
So we have covered most of His Names over the past several months, and last week we looked at what is probably one of the most well-known Names He has – Jehovah Shalom.
 
We learned that while the word shalom is generally defined as “peace,” it means so much more: It describes safety & welfare like in the areas of health or prosperity, and at its root, this word describes “completeness, soundness, welfare, safety, and quietness. So we learned that the word shalom seems to best be described as “wholeness.”
 
Essentially, we learned that this word which describes being whole, complete, or sound is similar to what we see in the New Testament Greek word for “saved” – the word sozo.
 
You see, while “saved” is that general one-word definition for sozo, that word doesn’t totally describe what it means. Sozo describes being made whole, being healed, delivered, set free, etc. So I see shalom as the Old Testament counterpart to our New Testament word for salvation because both of these terms have one-word definitions that most people use that do not fully encapsulate their meanings. Not to mention, their meanings are extremely similar because they both describe being made whole, complete, and safe & sound.
 
I like one definition I’ve heard that describes shalom: It’s this – Shalom is nothing missing and nothing broken. In other words, because it describes being complete, whole, and sound, there’s no room for anything to be missing, incomplete, or broken. Glory!
 
So we learned that if the LORD’s Name is Jehovah Shalom, then this making things whole, complete, and sound, with nothing missing and nothing broken is a part of His nature! “Shalom” is who He is – the One who causes completeness, wholeness, safety. He is the God of peace – peace from war, peace from turmoil, and peace from strife, etc. Yes, He is the Prince of peace, peace being the fruit of who He is.
 
So with the presence of the God of peace comes the presence of the peace of God – peace both on the inside and on the outside. Therefore, Jehovah Shalom obviously desires for us to have nothing missing and nothing broken in every area of our lives including our souls. And that’s exactly where this peace begins – in our heart, soul, and mind. Once we experience peace in there, finding peace on the outside becomes a lot easier.
 
But it’s important to understand that this is His heart and who He is, church! He is shalom. He wants us whole. He wants us at rest. He wants us complete, sound, and entire – both on the inside and on the outside. He is our God of Peace, Jehovah Shalom!      
 
VICTORY OVER THE AMALEKITES
 
Now the next Name of God that I want us to look at this week is technically the last covenant keeping, Jehovah Name – Jehovah Nissi. I will have one other very special Name that we will cover next week, but this is the last Jehovah Name of God on our list to cover.
 
Jehovah Nissi surfaces in Exodus chapter 17 in a powerful story that Pastor Robert referred to last week at the beginning of our service. Let’s look at it …
 
Exodus chapter 17 picks up the story of the Israelites shortly after they left their Egyptian bondage and were traveling to the land of Canaan under the leadership of Moses. While they were camped at a place called Rephidim, they were attacked by the Amalekites.
 
Now it is important to understand that when Israel faced the Amalekites in battle here, that it wasn’t with an experienced & trained army. No, it was as a tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and travelling uncertainly to a promised land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years. They travelled with women, children, and herds, not with horses, chariots, and an abundance of weapons. So they were basically trespassers travelling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples.
 
But they were traveling with something else, something else that no other nation on earth had – the very presence of God. So Israel did not fight its battles alone. No matter how inexperienced or overmatched they were, they were never the underdogs. No matter how desperate they felt, they were never at a loss. Amen!
 
So Moses put Joshua in charge of leading the Israelite army, charging him to choose some men to go and fight Amalek and his people. Moses said, “I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” That was the battle-plan.
 
Now the rod that Moses was referring to was the rod that he had used at God’s direction to work miracles—including parting the Red Sea so the Israelites could escape the Egyptians, and also bringing water from a rock to quench their thirst in the wilderness, a miracle that had just happened before this situation in Rephidim. It was called the Rod of God.
 
When the armies met in battle, Moses, along with his helpers, Aaron and Hur, was standing on a nearby hill holding high the rod of God in his hand. And the Bible tells us that as long as he held the rod up, Israel prevailed. However, as the day wore on, Moses got tired, and understandably so. You see, he was not a spring chicken anymore and as the battle continued to wear on, his arms dropped to his side. When this happened, the Amalekites rallied and began to prevail over the Israelites.
 
So when Aaron and Hur realized what was happening, they came to Moses’s side, dragging a small boulder close for him to sit on and each took an arm and raised them again over the battle. As they did this, the Israelites started winning the battle again. All day long Aaron and Hur stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands with the rod held high, and God gave Israel the victory over their enemies.
 
Yes, the people of Israel prevailed in battle that day. It was a day to remember, for it was the day God first showed them as a nation that He fought for them, that He led them into battle, that He protected and conquered on their behalf, and that He was their banner.
 
 
 
 
WHAT IS A BANNER?
 
So at the close of the battle, Exodus 17:14 says that the LORD told Moses to “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.” So “Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner” (Exodus 17:15).
 
So when Moses names the altar, “Jehovah Nissi – The LORD is my banner,” what was He saying?
 
By building this altar and calling it “Jehovah Nissi,” Moses was showing that he recognized the Lord as the source of their victory. By building an altar, Moses was also creating a place of remembrance and celebrating what God had done. It was an expression of gratitude for God’s victory over the enemy.
 
Yes, I believe He was referring to what wrought the victory they experienced that day – Moses arms lifting up the rod of God. Yes, during the battle, the miracle-working rod of God was like a banner flying over their army, identifying them as God’s people who were depending on Him for victory. It represented God’s power working on their behalf as it being lifted up caused them to prevail. So Moses’ staff served as a banner of sorts.
 
I like the Spirit Filled Life Bible’s explanation of this in its note for Exodus 17:15 – “A banner is the pole like standard beneath which armies or communities rallied. When lifted up, it called the people together for battle, for meeting, or for instruction. This phrase also could have been a battle cry. Erecting an altar was Moses recognition of the presence of God. At this altar, he was honoring God as the giver of victory over the Amalekites.”
 
You see, the first point in this commentary is technically what a banner is. Here, we see it described as a “pole like standard.” The Hebrew word itself describes something lifted up like a standard, signal, signal pole, or a sign. So we might say a banner could be a flag, a sail, or a sign. In this case, it was Moses’ staff.
 
Now if we consider how banners are used, I believe it will begin to reveal some of what this title means.
 
You see, we use banners for several reasons. These reasons are, but are not limited to:

1. To celebrate and honor

 
Sometimes we hang banners from the rafters of arenas honoring champions. They are also raised to honor soldiers returning from war. They adorn public places to celebrate occasions or people who deserve honor.

1. To remember and commemorate

 
Towns all over America raise banners on certain holidays every year to commemorate something dear to them – maybe it’s a patron, a hero, a tradition, or a special day.

1. To label or identify

 
Banners announce names and images which people can recognize from a great distance. Sometimes, they show the location and identity of a business or event so people can navigate to it.

1. To announce or declare

 
Banners are also used to announce important events or to simply make people aware of a product.
 
So no matter what the purpose is of the banner, they are meant to be visible. In other words, they are meant to be seen, unmistakable, and unignorable. Yes, they are attention grabbers.
 
This reminds me of what the LORD ministered to me one time about the Truth itself. He told me that the truth is “that which is not hidden, which makes God known.” And when He said that to me, He began revealing to me how Jesus, who is most certainly the Truth, fits this description. He also showed me how the Word, which is also called the Truth, fits this bill. And also how the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, has an assignment to do the same thing.
 
So all of the things we call the Truth are not meant to hide anything about the truth. Yes, they all make God known like “banners” make things visible and known.
 
Now banners are also not just for those who see them; they are also for those who raise them. In other words, they are to draw people to whatever they are advertising. They are an invitation to that person’s gathering place.
 
So when Moses built the altar and called it, “The LORD is my banner,” he was creating a place of remembrance and an advertisement & celebration of the LORD’s victory over the Amalekites. It was a declaration not just of who God is and what He has done, but of who they were as His people.
 
ANY MORE BANNERS?
 
God is called Jehovah Nissi – “God Is My Banner” – only in Exodus 17:15, but elsewhere in the Bible His “banner” is an illustration of His protection and salvation.
 
Let’s look at a few Scriptures that refer to this:
 
Psalm 20:5 says, “We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!”
 
Psalm 60:4-5 says, “You have given a banner to those who fear You, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. That Your beloved may be delivered, save with Your right hand, and hear me.”
 
So I want you to notice that the Psalmists were tying together salvation & deliverance with their banners.
 
Speaking of the Messiah who was to come, Isaiah prophesied, “And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people … He will set up a banner for the nations” (Isaiah 11:10, 12).
 
So Jesus Himself is prophesied to be our Banner – which we have beautifully illustrated through the Cross.
 
Do you remember how Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (See John 12:32)? Well, we know that He is referring to being lifted up from the earth on a wooden Cross, right? When He was lifted up, He became God’s banner of salvation!
 
In fact, the first time the Hebrew word nissi itself is used is in Numbers chapter 21 in the story of the bronze serpent set on the pole that was used to save the people who were bit by the snakes. Well, in verses 8 & 9 the word that is used for “pole” there is where we get nissi from.
 
Now we know that this bronze serpent was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ because in John 3:14-15 He said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
 
So the Lord was telling us here that just as Moses raised up that pole and put the bronze serpent on it, He was going to be lifted up on that Cross. Therefore, the same way the children of Israel were told to set their eyes on that snake on the pole in order to live, we too must set our eyes on what Jesus did for us on the Cross in order to have eternal life.
 
So, Jesus is ultimately our banner of salvation & deliverance! So this is how He is Jehovah Nissi to us today – by the victory we’ve received in Christ Jesus.
 
WHO ARE OUR AMALEKITES?
 
So yes, Moses built an altar and named it Jehovah Nissi, but did you know that the Bible tells us exactly why he did this? We know it is for remembrance, but verse 16 tells us the exact reason.
 
Exodus 17:16 says, “for he said, ‘Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.’”
 
It’s important to know what it was about these various “ites” that the LORD had such a problem with.
 
The New Testament teaches us how all of these things that were written beforehand are for our instruction and were types & shadows of the spiritual realities that you and I walk in today. Therefore, all of these various “ites” represented the same enemies that you and I face today.
 
So what about the Amalekites? Who were they and what did they represent? Well, Amalek was a descendent of Ham. You remember him, right? He was one of the three sons of Noah – the one who dishonored his father’s nakedness. If you ever have a hard time remembering which one of Shem, Ham, and Japheth was the dishonorable son, just remember which one was the “ham” of the bunch.
 
Not only that, but Amalek was the grandson of Esau, who went on to live in Canaan and obviously where the Canaanites (another bad group of “ites”) came from. And I don’t think I need to tell you that Esau too was a “ham” himself. But in honor of Thanksgiving being this week, let’s call him “the turkey.”
 
So Amalek hailed from a bunch of “Hams & Turkeys,” amen?
 
Now why do I make this point? It’s to show you that the Amalekites hail from a line of those who, while being birthed by godly characters like Noah & Isaac, deviated from righteousness and godliness and chose the sinful route.
 
Where do you suppose they got that from? From the original sinner, of course – that is, Lucifer.
 
You see, Lucifer was the devil’s name before he became Satan. So I see the Amalekites as being a good description of the “devilites” and the “demonites.” Yes, the Amalekites were those who turned from the ways of God and became a cursed people like the devil did himself. 
 
And this is very important for our story because it shows us what this story means for us: While we don’t have a threat of going to war with the Amalekites today, we are at war with the one they represent – the kingdom of darkness.
 
This is why the LORD said this warfare with the Amalekites would be from one generation to another. It’s because it didn’t end with this one victory. No, the ones that the Amalekites represented would be a thorn on this earth for many generations to come – that is, the devil.
 
And the Gospel is this – that through our Banner of Victory, the Lord Jesus Christ, God has granted us this victory over our Amalekites. Amen!
 
So let’s look at some New Testament “Banners” that show us how the LORD has promised us victory over our “Amalekites,” the kingdom of darkness.
 
OUR BANNERS OF TRIUMPH
 
In Colossians 2:15, Paul says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”
 
Now this verse describes what Jesus did when He was resurrected on the third day. When He was made alive after spending three days and three nights in the pit of hell, Jesus plundered the enemy’s camp – totally defeating him. Amen!
 
What did this look like, you ask? Well, let’s look at the words the apostle Paul used in this verse…
 
Notice the first two words in this awesome verse – “Having disarmed”.
 
Now this isn’t something Jesus is going to do; this is something He has already done- “having disarmed!” Amen! You see, one major mentality that we need to have regarding this is we are not fighting to get victory; we are fighting from a place of victory. Amen?
 
The word “disarmed” describes “stripping the garments and/or armor off.” This word was used to depict the stripping of the enemy’s weaponry and artillery and leaving him without any weapons with which to retaliate with. One scholar even noted that this word describes “stripping to the point of complete nakedness.” The King James Version translates this word as “spoiled” which would describe Jesus as taking the possessions of the principalities and powers.
 
Therefore, all of this means that when Jesus was resurrected, He totally whipped and stripped the enemy and left them with nothing. He took all of their armor away from them! This gives new meaning to the Old Testament verse that says, “No weapon formed against you will prosper,” doesn’t it (See Isaiah 54:16-17)? So since under the New Covenant, Satan has been stripped of his weapons that he used to keep us in bondage before Jesus came, now no weapon can even be formed against us because he doesn’t have any weapons anymore! Amen! 
 
So how could he ever defeat us if he doesn’t even have any weapons left? The only way he can, is if he can convince us that he’s got an effective weapon against us. The only way he can win is if he can get us to give up, thinking he’s won. No, saints, the only effective weapon that he can form against us now is the illusion that he even has an effective weapon! In other words, his only effective weapon now is deception!
 
It is like someone who robs a bank with his pointed finger in his pocket. If that robber convinces the bank employees that what he is pointing at them is a real gun, then he can cause them to give him all the money. But if they know that he does not really have a weapon, then they will not give him squat! Amen? 
 
Now there are two other beloved Scriptures of mine that further verify this victory Christ has won for us …
 
In Second Corinthians 2:14 the apostle Paul said, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ…” 
 
So we see here that the Holy Spirit promised us that God always leads us in triumph. No, not sometimes, not when God wills to, not when we’ve been good. No, God always leads us in triumph. So the next time the devil comes to your front porch and tells you, “Not this time!” you just respond with one simple word- “Always!” Amen! He always leads me in triumph!
 
Now the word “triumph” that is used here and also in Colossians 2:15 in an interesting word: It describes a victory parade for a conquering army and its leader.
 
Let’s look at the rest of Colossians 2:15 …
 
The words “public spectacle” come from two different Greek words: The first is deigmatidzo and it means “to display, to exhibit; to expose to public disgrace.” This word was used to denote “the display of captives, weaponry, and trophies that were seized during war on foreign soil.”
 
You see, in those times, when the war was over and the battle was won, the victorious king would return home and “display” the treasures, trophies, weaponry, and even the captives that he had seized during his conquest.
 
So after Jesus stripped the enemy of all their garments and weapons, leaving them totally naked, He exposed their pitiful condition for all the hosts of heaven to see. He forever has “exhibited” them and “put them to an open shame.” Amen!
 
This is why God prophesied that there would come a time when we would “look upon, gaze at and consider” satan and say, “Is this the one who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world a wilderness and destroyed its cities?” It’s going to be amazing to us when we will be able to see him for who he really is. We will be so awestruck that we will gaze upon him and ponder how in the world that he ever “shook kingdoms, destroyed cities, made the earth tremble, and made the world a wilderness.” It will not only be amazing, but it will also be very disappointing to realize that he did all of this by lies – which are his only weapon!
 
The second word used for “public spectacle” is parresia which describes “boldness, confidence, openness.”
 
So by adding this word, Paul was showing us that this grand celebration was no quiet affair either! On the contrary, Jesus “boldly, confidently, and loudly” exposed His disarmed and defeated foe. He completely humiliated the enemy when He exhibited him as defeated for all the world to see. Jesus rubbed his nose in it in a not-so quiet way! Amen!  
 
And that is where the word “triumphing” comes in that we already briefly defined in Second Corinthians 2:14 … 
 
The word “triumphing” comes from the Greek word triambeuo and referred to a “Roman triumph” which was basically “a glorious triumphal parade.” This was the triumphal procession (or parade) that the conquering leader would lead back into his kingdom after defeating his enemy. Do you reckon there were any banners being used during this celebration of victory?  
 
But notice that Paul said here, “Thanks be unto God who always leads us in triumph.”
 
So now we can see that those principalities and powers that Jesus whipped and stripped were not the only ones that He led in that triumphant parade of victory; Paul was illustrating to us here that we were also being lead in this victory parade! Glory to God!
 
No, Paul was not saying that we were in the same boat as the kingdom of darkness; he was saying that we are the soldiers that accompany Jesus after He spoiled the principalities and powers and led them in this parade that was humiliating for them but joyous for us. Amen! Again, we partake in His victory without ever having to fight in the battle! We just get to be a part of the festivities!
 
But I want to show you one more Banner Scripture that illustrates to us the glorious victory that Jesus Christ has won for us …
 
In First Corinthians 15:57, the apostle Paul says, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
So, again, we always triumph in Christ. Why? Because He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Saints, we already have the victory in every trial and tribulation that comes our way through the works of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!
 
So in light of all of these exceedingly great and precious promises, what is our responsibility? If Jesus has already won the battle for us, what part do we play in experiencing this victory?
 
Well, first of all, look at what verse 58 says here in this passage of Scripture. Paul goes on to say, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable …”
 
So what he was saying was, “Therefore (in light of this victory Jesus gave us) be sturdy and immovable”. The devil will always turn up the pressure on us but all we are to do is stand and resist his pressure to give up. The only way the devil can defeat us is if he can make us stop standing our ground and quit.
 
That’s why in the early church “patience” was the most the most desired virtue. The word translated “patience” meant “staying under power”. In other words, it was the power to stay under Satan’s pressure without moving. The early church had an extreme amount of pressure on them to deny Jesus, but they knew if they had “the queen of all virtues” (what they called “patience”) they would win one way or the other.
 
But through First Corinthians 15:57 and Second Corinthians 2:14, what do we see that our response should be in light of this victory and triumph that we have? What do both of these verses start with? They both start with “thanks be to God.”
 
So our response to trials and tribulations that come our way should be what? “Thanks be to God who always leads me in triumph and who always gives me victory!” In other words, our job is to thank God for the banner of victory that He has already provided. Amen!
 
Keeping our focus on all that we have to be thankful for will keep that spirit of discontentment and discouragement under our feet where it belongs. Thanksgiving always precedes victory (kind of like Thanksgiving precedes Christmas)!     
 
CONCLUSION
 
So God is our banner because of the saving power that He has shown in our lives. He is the One who always causes us to triumph and gives us the victory! Yes, in Him, we are more than conquerors like the Israelites were in that day!
 
Therefore, because of this salvation & deliverance, we diffuse the fragrance of His knowledge in every place we go. Yes, our lives are like a banner that both celebrates and honors Him. Through our testimony, we remember & commemorate what He has done for us. The LORD our banner testifies of the goodness, faithfulness, and mercy that He has graced us with.
 
Likewise, we are to be like His flags that represent & identify Him to others. Yes, He gives us a new identity, and our signet is “His children and His kings & priests.” But the ultimate privilege we have is to “announce” Him and His salvation to this dark & perverse generation.
 
So we make Him visible and show the beauty of His transforming work. Church, God is our banner because all of this is an invitation, a summons, and a drawing to any who would believe and become a part of His victory! Amen!