“According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, a banner was an ensign or standard ‘carried at the head of a military band  or body, to indicate the line of march, or the rallying point'” (p.105).  Today we examine the name of God, Jehovah-nissi: The Lord is My Banner, from Exodus 17.  In this chapter of Exodus, the name Jehovah-nissi is introduced by Moses to describe how God rallied the Israelites in the battle against the Amalekites.   Whenever Moses held his hands high above his head and held the staff of God toward heaven, the Israelites prevailed, and in the end this is how the battle was won.  The Amalekites were the first enemy to accost Israel as they exited Egypt and would continue to trouble them in the Promised Land.  The people of Amalek were descendants of Esau, twin brother of Jacob, from whom the Israelites were descended.  Kay Arthur (KA) reveals the significance of the lineage of these two groups, saying: Esau was the firstborn of the twins and should have been the rightful heir to Isaac [the father of the twins].  However, Esau despised his birthright, selling it for a bowl of pottage (stew) because of the hunger of his flesh (Gen 25:27-34; Heb 12:16-17). In other words, Esau’s craving was so great that he sold what had eternal value in order to gain temporal satisfaction. (p. 106).  Here KA introduces the concept of how Amalek, Israel’s first and constant enemy, symbolizes the Flesh, our first and constant enemy (p. 107).  And in both cases, how is the enemy defeated?  By allowing Jehovah-nissi to to be the banner, the rallying point, the standard that is followed, and by constantly keeping eyes fixed on Him so as to know the right way to go; in this way, Amalek (the Flesh) is defeated.  

Later, King Saul had the opportunity to wipe out the Amalekites, as commanded by the Lord to do, but disobeyed God by sparing the king and some of the livestock, “all that was good” (1 Sam 15:15).  This disobedience showed lenience toward the Amalekites, which symbolizes a lenience toward the Flesh.  Giving into the Flesh is always disobedience to God.  In Saul’s case, he chose his own way over God’s and the consequence was that he was no longer favored by God as “The Lord’s Anointed” – that blessing was given instead to David.  In today’s lesson, we see that we must constantly battle the Flesh; and whenever we give preference to our Flesh, to our own will over God’s, we will remove ourselves from His blessing too.  Because God is our Banner, He goes before us in our battle.  As long as we keep our hands raised to Him and our eyes fixed on His Will, He will defeat the Flesh and we will remain in Him.  Of course, just as Esau lost sight of the eternal, we can sometimes lose sight of what is most important to God.  Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:15-17).  The good news is that when we stray, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9).  

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