EquippedMama

In the next few blog posts we will be exploring the name of God “Jehovah-Nissi” To begin exploring this concept, please take a minute to consider how you typically introduce yourself.

Since this is a blog geared primarily at mamas, my guess is that many of you introduce yourself as someone’s mother. I often do that too, introducing myself as the children’s mother, or as my husband’s wife. At HEB I am the lady always asking for a carry-out with a seriously over-packed cart. Yep. Every. Week.

 But what would my introduction be if I didn’t have my family, my work, or my place in society? Who would I be if my identifying factors were suddenly taken from me? Who would you be? This concept of identity relates to our discussion today of the name of God- Jehovah-nissi.

This name of God is mentioned in Exodus 17:15-16- let’s turn to it together and read it-

¹⁵ And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:

¹⁶ For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

Exodus 17:15-16, KJV

Because some of the language in the King James Version of the Bible is a bit antiquated, let’s also explore the same verse from another version:

¹⁵ Moses built an altar, and he called it “The Lord is my Banner,”¹⁶ for he said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the Lord—that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Exodus 17:15-16, NET Bible ® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.).

This term banner is something we best start by defining- Merriam Webster’s Dictionary describes this word as: 1a: a piece of cloth attached by one edge to a staff and used by a leader (such as a monarch or feudal lord) as a standard (1). This term reminds me of something my family discovered this past fall when we moved to a small town in Texas. As homecoming drew close, most every light post and storefront was decorated in some form of orange and black garb. Streamers and shoe-polish signs decked out the entire town with enthusiastic school pride. As is the case in many small Texas towns, Friday night lights is a source of community pride, and the town wanted the football team to know that they supported them. The whole town carried the banner of the high school football team.

In Exodus 17 the Lord gave His people a different sort of a banner. It was not etched in shoe polish or decorated with pom-poms and streamers. This memorial was written in a book  and commemorated by an altar of stones which Moses named “Jehovahnissi” or “God is my banner” This banner was crucial because it commemorated God keeping his promise to the people of Israel.

This passage is nestled almost directly in the middle of Exodus and chronicles the events of the nation of Israel’s release from captivity. Exodus 1-12 outlines the Lord’s attack on the nation of Egypt which resulted in the liberation of the nation of Israel from slavery. Systematically, the Lord unleashed 10 plagues in response to Pharaoh’s defiant rejection to release His chosen people.  Through His chosen deliverer, Moses and Moses’ brother Aaron, the Lord struck the nation of Egypt with plague and destruction, devastating the water supply, littering the ground with frogs, the air with gnats and flies, the livestock with disease, the people with boils, the crops with hail and locusts, the land with darkness, and the home with death. By the time Pharaoh relinquished his stubborn refusal to release the people, the resources of this great nation were crippled and the people were broken with personal loss and tragedy.

The nation of Israel, though enslaved to Egypt for 430 years, left the nation with silver and gold and clothing- because of the favor of the Lord the people plundered Egypt (Ex. 12:36) and then began their journey to the promised land. The Lord was continuing to uphold His covenant promise to this people, that they were to be His special possession (Genesis 12,17).

Exodus 13-17 explores the celebrations and challenges faced by this newly freed nation. The Lord called them to remember His faithfulness to them, and established Passover to be a perpetual ordinance for the people to remember. When the Pharaoh chased the people and attempted to double-cross his release, the Lord miraculously divided the Red Sea, providing safety for His people, while drowning the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:28). He provided food and water for this transient people, suppling their needs. However, the people of Israel had little time for rest to bask in God’s provision. Exodus 17 depicts how the Amalekites, a nomadic people group living in the Negev area came and attacked the nation of Israel. How disheartening this must have been! Scarcely had they been freed from over four centuries of slavery when suddenly they were faced with violent attack.

But God was ready to deliver His people even from this threat. God was showing His people over and over that He could provide for the, He was showing Himself to be their banner.

Notes:

1. “Banner” Merriam-Webster Dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/banner Accessed 2/11/2022.

Photo by Stu00e9phane Tendon on Pexels.com