Friday, February 7, 2025

THE LORD WILL FIGHT YOUR BATTLES

Today, I am here to announce to you that “THE LORD WILL FIGHT YOUR BATTLES.” “And Moses built an altar and named it ‘THE LORD IS MY BANNER- Jehovah Nissi” (Ex. 17:15).

 

When Israel faced the Amalekites in battle at Rephidim it wasn’t with overwhelming force, an experienced army, or the best commanders. 

 

It was as a transient tribe of herdsmen escaping slavery in Egypt and travelling uncertainly to a Promised Land they hadn’t seen in over four hundred years. They were trespassers travelling through the lands of fierce fighting peoples. They travelled with women, children, herds, and all their possessions. The battle was for survival, for hope, for a future.

 

But they travelled with something else too, something else that no other nation on earth had – a pillar of fire, a cloud of smoke, the very presence of God. 

 

Israel did not fight her battles alone. No matter how desperate they felt, they were never at a loss. 

 

The great general, the perfect protector, the man of war, the LORD was with them.  The very name used in Scripture is Jehovah Nissi - "the Lord is my banner.” God showed the nation of Israel that He conquered on their behalf - "My BannerJehovah Nissi.

 

Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, Aaron and Hur supported Moses’s arms. They lifted him as he lifted the people before God. 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 does it mean for God to be our banner? Consider how banners are used, and it will begin to reveal some of what this title means.

 

1. Banners are raised to celebrate and honor. They hang from the rafters of arenas honoring champions. They are raised to honor soldiers returning from war. They adorn public places to celebrate occasions or people who deserve honor.

 

2. Banners are to remember and commemorate. Towns all over America raise banners on certain holidays every year to commemorate something dear to them – a patron, a product, a hero, a tradition, a holy day.

 

3. Banners are labels and signets. They announce names and images which people can recognize from a great distance. 

They show the location and identity of a business or event so people can navigate to it.

 

4. Banners are visible. The whole point of a banner is to be seen.

 

5. Banners are for those who raise them. They are an act of celebration, remembrance, or announcement.

 

6. Banners are for those who see them. Banners summon and call, inviting people to a place of gathering. They attract passersby.

 

As we consider all this, you may see how God is the banner - Jehovah Nissi - of all who believe, all who are His followers, all who trust Him with the same faith Moses, Aaron, Hur, and Joshua trusted Him.

 

Jesus Himself said, “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself” (Jn. 12:32; Jn. 3:14).

 

Just as Moses raised the rod in his hands as a sign of God’s saving protection for the armies of Israel, Jesus was lifted up on the cross for us. 

 

As long as we look to Him (Heb. 12:2) and what He did for us on the cross, Satan can never overcome us. 

 

What does this mean to Christians today? It means that God does not leave His children to fight their battles in their own strength. When Israel faced the Amalekites, they were not experienced soldiers. But God fought for them, and they were victorious. 

 

The Bible tells us, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . the rulers of darkness . . . against spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph. 6:12). 

 

We may feel inadequate, but we do not fight alone, and God promises us victory. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).

 

Examples of God fighting the battles of His people abound in the Scriptures:

 

1. Against the Amalekites. According to Exodus 17:13-16, Jehovah Nissi is the name given by Moses to the altar which he built to celebrate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim.

 

2. Against Pharaoh at the Red Sea (Ex. 14, 15).

 

3. Gideon defeated the Midianites with only 300 soldiers (Judges 6:11-14; Judges 7:3-7). 

 

4. David against Goliath (1 Sam. 17).

 

5. Daniel in the den of lions (Dan. 6).

 

6. The three Hebrew children (Dan. 3). 

 

That same God will fight for you today, IJN. The enemies that have come against you in one way will scatter in seven ways, IJN.

 

Watch out for the next edition of Good News from the Pulpit.

 

Your friend, I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor, HOG).           11. 02. 2025 @ HQs

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