I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America and to the republic for which
it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. This is something we all learned
at an early age and we repeated many times. For over 225 years,
the American flag has been the symbol of our nation's strength
and unity. Thirteen red stripes, red and
white stripes, and 50 stars represent the 13 original colonies and
the 50 United States of America. Our flag is a symbol of and the
standard by which Americans unite together. Simply stated, that
standard is this, we hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator
with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness. America is the champion for human
rights in the world today. Before the Flag Act of the Continental
Congress of 1776, America had no standard around which to rally
her people. But since then, our flag has
been at the forefront in human rights around the world. It is
loved by those who cherish freedom and liberty It is feared by those
who would assail basic human rights, and it is recognized
around the world as the star-spangled banner of those values held dear
by freedom-loving people. Americans have lived under, fought
for, and many have died to preserve the liberties under this banner.
It is the banner under which millions of aliens, both legal
and illegal, seek citizenship every year, and is proudly flown
as a symbol of fifty, though diverse, yet united states. Well, there's another banner
of far greater significance and importance than our flag. This banner is known around the
world by men of every kindred, every tongue, tribe, and nation. And it has flown for ages and
had its influence on a multitude of centers, which no man can
number, out of Adam's fallen race. We who know God in his
redemptive character as a just God and a Savior have been privileged
to serve under this banner and uphold and live by those principles
it represents. God identifies this banner for
us in Exodus chapter 17 and verse 15 that I just read. So let's
look at it. Exodus chapter 17 and verse 15. And Moses built an altar and
called the name of it Jehovah Nissi. God identifies this banner here
as Jehovah Nissi. And that's what I've entitled
my lesson this morning, this sermon, Jehovah Nissi. What does
this mean? Well, Jehovah in the Hebrew is
the word Lord. And the word Nissi is my banner. So the scripture says here in
verse 15 that Moses built an altar there and Israel worshipped
or sacrificed to the Lord, our banner. What is a banner? A banner is a communication medium. It's a means to communicate a
specific message to an intended audience. Banners are of various
shapes and sizes and constructed of different materials or fabrics,
and they're secured to a staff or a pole or a rod of some kind,
and they're stamped with letters, with numbers or symbols, or a
combination of all, declaring some standard. They are flown
in public for all to see what is the standard of the one doing
the bearing of that banner or the one he represents. Monarchs
parade their banners before campaigns of war. Kings fly them in victory
parades. Nations include them in their
festivals and their celebrations. They are ever present where the
citizens are gathered together for national events that are
displayed as the standard and principle. by which a nation
conducts itself. This word banner is only found
three times in the scripture in the Old Testament. It is the
Hebrew word nase, N-A-C-E, and it comes from the root word nisi,
which is banner. And it means a standard or a
rallying point. So the verse should read like
this, the Lord is my standard and rallying point. Isaiah wrote
of this banner in Isaiah chapter 11 and verse 10. Listen to what
he said. And in that day there shall be
a root of Jesse, Jesse being the father of King David, which
shall stand for an ensign. That word ensign is nace or banner. It shall be for a banner of the
people. To it shall the Gentiles see, and his rest shall be glorious. Whose rest? This banner. Our
banner's rest shall be glorious. We're going to see that shortly.
So in Exodus 17, in these verses that I just read, we see the
Lord our banner as a standard, first of all, to which God's
people rally. Secondly, by which God's promise
is recalled. And thirdly, in which God's people
rest. So let's look for a few moments
this morning at these eight verses of Scripture. The Lord our banner
as a standard to which God's people rally. Look at verses
8 through 13 again. We'll be looking at these. Verses
8 through 13. The experience of Israel in these
verses that we're going to look at is steeped in shadows and
types and pictures, as is most of the Old Testament. Failure
to see this will result in nothing more than a history lesson, and
we'll miss the importance spiritual truth revealed in these verses,
and I hope we don't do that. This is an actual experience
by national Israel with a spiritual application to what the writer
of Galatians chapter 6 said, the Israel of God, our spiritual
Israel. It's an actual experience by
national Israel with spiritual implications for those of us
who are of the Israel of God. In Exodus, chapter 16, turn back
a page in your Bible to Exodus, chapter 16, verse 1, and let's
do a little background study here. Exodus, chapter 16, verse
1 says this, And they took their journey from Elam, this is the
children of Israel, after the exodus from Egypt. They took
their journey from Elam, and the congregation of the children
of Israel came into the wilderness of sin, which is between Elam
and Sinai on the 15th day of the second month after their
departing from the land of Egypt. The setting for this experience
in Israel is 45 days into their wilderness experience from Egypt. As you recall, Israel had just
been delivered by the hand of God from bondage to the Egyptians
and was camped in the wilderness. God had through a series of miracles
called the plagues of Egypt had delivered Israel from the bondage
to which the Egyptians had held them for over 400 years. From
a life of misery in the brickyards of Egypt, God had delivered them
to freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. This was accomplished
by the sprinkling of the blood of a lamb without blemish on
the doorposts and the lentils of every Hebrew household. We
can read about this in Exodus chapter 12 and verse 13 if you
turn there. Exodus chapter 12 and verse 13
says this, And the blood shall be for you a token or a standard
upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will
pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon
you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. By this one
act of God, the Hebrew nation was delivered from physical bondage
to slavery. And this is a picture and a type
of the deliverance from spiritual bondage to sin rendered by God
the Son when he died on the cross. Hebrews chapter 9 speaks of this
shedding of his blood where it says, And almost all things are
by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood
is no remission. In other words, without the shedding
of blood there is no salvation. There is no forgiveness. And
since, according to Hebrews chapter 10 verse 4, it is not possible
that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sin, this typifies
the doing and the dying of the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sins of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember John
the Baptist when he came preaching in the wilderness, repent for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he said, behold the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sins of the world. By one fell swoop
Christ put away the sins of his people by his death on Calvary.
The writer of Hebrews said it this way in Hebrews 10, 14, for
by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. So Israel is 45 days into their
freedom from bondage, but they're 40 years from the rest of the
promised land in Canaan. And this is the setting for our
lesson this morning in Exodus chapter 17. The cross upon which the Son
of God humbled himself and became obedient unto death accomplished
the salvation, the redemption, and the justification of God's
elect. All the demands of God's holy
law and justice against His elect were satisfied, and righteousness
was established for them. They were, by that one act, translated
into the kingdom of his dear Son, and given an unchangeable
standing of justification before God. Now, as our pastor said
this morning, no one can lay anything to the charge of God's
elect. Why? Because God justifies it. Why? Because Christ died for it. Yea,
rather He is risen again, who is even at the right hand of
the Father. So no one can lay anything to the charge of God's
elect. They march under the banner of their Savior. the Lord Jesus
Christ. But not all Israel escaped the
bondage of Egypt. Romans 9, verse 6 says, They
are not all Israel who are of Israel. In other words, not everyone
who calls himself Christian are Christians. Well, who then? Who then is saved? They are those
who serve under Jehovah, the Lord, by It's to this standard
God's people rally. Are we the people of God? Does
God recognize us as his people? Are we marching under the banner
of Christ? Is his standard our standard?
These are questions every serious religious person should consider. Well, there are only two standards
or two banners under which sinners serve. There is the banner of
works and the banner of grace. We're either one or the other.
We're serving under the banner of grace or the banner of works.
All of us, even God's elect, before regeneration and conversion,
rallied to the banner of works. We're guilty of this, all of
us. No matter how vehemently we might
deny this truth, God's testimony is this, that every one of us,
who were ignorant of or not submitted to the righteousness of Christ
for all our salvation were under the banner of worse. We were
serving an idol. We wouldn't have said that. We would have
denied it, but it's the truth. God declares that to be the truth.
To all who are ignorant of or not submitted to Christ's righteousness,
for all of salvation to be serving under the worse banner and lost. So the question is, which is
my banner? Is it works or grace? Well let's look. Let's compare
the two banners. The banner works first of all.
Look at verse 8 again. Of Exodus 17. Then came Amalek
and fought with Israel in Rephidim. Here is recorded Israel's first
encounter with their archenemy Amalek. Amalek was an ungodly
leader and he had a mighty army well trained and ready for war.
The Israelites according to Deuteronomy chapter 7 and verse 7, were the
least of people. God chose them, He said, not
because you were mighty, but because you were the least. So
they are up against a mighty army, well trained and ready
for war. Israel was a ragtag nation with
no army and little armor to defend themselves. Remember, just 45
days earlier, they left Egypt with nothing more than the clothes
on their They were ill-equipped and untrained to do battle, and
yet they engaged in battle with Amalek. So who is this Amalek?
He's the enemy of Israel. He was the grandson to and a
descendant of Esau. We remember Esau. He's the eldest
son of Isaac. Isaac had two sons, Jacob and
Esau. Esau was the eldest. Esau is
that one who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a morsel
of meat. The birthright was that blessing
from God bestowed on the firstborn son of every family. The owner
of the birthright was the recipient of his father's blessing, which
included a double portion of his father's good, the spiritual headship of the
family at his father's death, and according to Ephesians chapter
1 and verse 3, all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. But Esau gave this up, all of
it. By selling the birthright to
Jacob for a morsel, Esau showed his contempt for and utter rejection
of God's salvation in Christ alone. Rejecting that birthright,
Esau opted for salvation by his own words. Christ's righteousness
is our birthright. Rejecting that birthright, Esau
opted for salvation by his words. Jacob sought and received that
birthright at all costs. We remember the story of how
he tricked his father to literally steal the birthright. But he
would have it. He saw the importance of it. Esau opted for salvation by words.
Jacob sought it and received the birthright at all costs. And God's testimony in Malachi
chapter 1 of both is this. Jacob have I loved, and Esau
have I hated. In this type, Esau despised the
birthright, and Jacob would have it by hook or crook. Such is the case with sinners
today. We are either righteous like Jacob, based on the righteousness
of Christ imputed to us, or we are a profane fornicator as the
scripture describes Esau in Hebrews chapter 12. We either own the
birthright by virtue of our union with Christ or we are bored of
a righteousness that answers every demand of God's law and
justice against us and deserving of the wrath of God. What does
God require of a sinner to find acceptance and favor with him?
Is it not righteousness? Look at Matthew chapter 5 in
verse 20. Jesus said unto them, I say unto you that except your
righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes
and the Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom
of God. Is it not perfection? Matthew
chapter 5 and verse 48 says this, Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your Father in heaven is perfect. What does it mean to be perfect?
It means to be unchargeable at the bar of God's justice. Can
I measure up to this standard in my character and conduct?
No, I can't. You can't either. But that doesn't
relieve us of our responsibilities to do so. My inability does not
negate my responsibilities. So how can I stand unchargeable
before a holy God? Well, it's only in the Lord,
my banner. The one John the Apostle called in 1 John 2, 1, Jesus
Christ, the righteous. He is the standard to which God's
people rally. It is by this standard, Acts
17 says, that we will all be judged, because he hath appointed
a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by
that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance
unto all men, and that he raised him from the dead. The banner
justified sinners serve under is that banner which declares
Christ's righteousness imputed to be all the sinner's salvation.
Those of the faith of Esau and Amalek fly another banner, a
banner of works. Look back at verse 8. Then came
Amalek, and fought with Israel, and referred him. Amalek was
the enemy of Israel. Who is the enemy of spiritual
Israel? If we would fight the enemy today, don't we need to
know who the enemy is? We sure do. But herein lies the
problem. By nature, spiritual Israel does
not know who is his enemy. He doesn't know that he himself,
by nature, is alienated and enemies in his mind by wicked work from
the true and living God. He doesn't know that he's taken
sides with the enemies against God in open opposition to God. And this is true even of God's
elect. Those justified freely by his righteousness imputed
alone. We all before regeneration and conversion rallied to Satan
against God. We are all guilty of that. And
that's idolatry. And that's what God saves his
people from. Notice what he says here. He
fought with Israel. He didn't fight against Israel.
He fought with Israel. Israel is a type of the Church
here, and we all by nature, in ignorance of the true and living
God, stood against God and many times each other. Those who are ignorant of God's
standard of judgment judge themselves and others saved by the wrong
standard, which is character and conduct. This allows us to
accept or reject others based on our standard and not what
God says we should judge by. We, in our zeal to please God
in false religion, we revealed our enmity against God. In Hebrews
chapter 3, in verse 19, is the testimony from God that most
of those in religion today and those who left Egypt in the Exodus
perished because they were not true Israelites. Listen to what
he says. In Hebrews 3.19, But with whom was he grieved forty
years? Was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcasses fell
in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they
should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
If you remember, there was about 600,000 fighting men, men of
age, that left with Israel in the Exodus. These all perished
in the wilderness. because of unbelief, but for
two men, Joshua and Caleb. They could not enter in because
of unbelief. So just because we participate
in a church that preaches the gospel, that doesn't necessarily
mean that we are of the faith. We need to examine ourselves.
The scripture admonishes us to examine ourselves to see whether
we be in the faith. Because we by nature were Israelites
in names only. At that time, we were not as
those in Philippians chapter 3 who worshiped God in the spirit,
rejoiced in Christ Jesus, and had no confidence in the flesh.
We worshiped and served a God of our imagination, an idol. In other words, we rallied to
the banner of words. And in verse 8, he says here,
they fought and referred him. This word referred him in the
Hebrew means resting place. More than a specific location,
Refferdims were wayside rest that the children of Israel stopped
along their 40-year pilgrimage in the desert. And Amalek caught
Israel off guard here. They were resting when Amalek
attacked them. They were ignorant of the presence
of danger around them. And that's the way we were. The
scripture says in Amos chapter 6 in verse 1 that we were at
ease in Zion. That means that we were unaware
of the danger that we were in. But you see God doesn't leave
His people there. He reveals to us the truth and brings us
out of that bondage that we're in. But such is the state of
all of us by nature, even God's elect, wandering in the desert
of sin. ill-equipped personally to engage
our enemy, the devil. 1 Peter 5 warns us about this
devil. Be sober, be vigilant, he said,
because your adversary, the devil, has a roaring lion, walketh about
seeking whom he may devour. Sinners by nature have no resources
to overcome Satan's power over us. Nothing done in us, done
by us or through us can remove sin's guilt and condemning power.
By nature, we don't even know we are under the influence and
power of Satan. We are, as was Israel in the
wilderness, rallying to the manner of works. In other words, we
thought something other than Christ's righteousness imputed
could recommend us to God, such as those who serve under a manner
of works. So, we see how subtle the manner
of works is. It looks good, it sounds good,
but it's deadly. Now let's look at the banner
of grace, the opposite of the banner of words. We know this,
that God's elect will be delivered. None shall perish. They shall
enter God's rest. For wandering in the wilderness
of sin and unaware of their redemption by the blood of Christ, they
cannot remain in ignorance and unbelief, because God has engaged
his ensign, his standard, his Joshua, to deliver us. Look at verse 9 of Exodus chapter
17. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose
us out men, and go fight with Amalek tomorrow. I will stand
on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand. God called Joshua through Moses,
a type himself. Moses was a type of mediator
to assemble his army and confront this man Amalek. The Hebrew word
for Joshua is Jehovah, his salvation. Joshua here is a type of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And God commanded Joshua to go
in the power of God and fight Amalek. And that's what he did
with Christ on our behalf. He sent Christ to fight and win
the victory for us. And he did. Well, how did Joshua
overcome Amalek? Look at verse 13. and Joshua discomfited Amalek
and his people with the edge of the sword. The word discomfited
is found several times in the Old Testament with several different
meanings. It means to crush to pieces or
destroy. It means to frighten or cause
to tremble. In another, it means to confuse. Here it means to weaken, to disable,
to prostrate, to subdue. It means to render Amalek helpless
to stand against Israel. Short of total annihilation,
Israel was unable to prevail against Amalek. We'll see that
in just a moment. The spiritual application here
is this, though. Those whom God justified by the
blood of Christ, his elect, must and shall be made to see and
receive his salvation by faith. Though redeemed by his blood,
they are all by nature ignorant of this salvation. just as you
and I were before God brought the truth to us. And it is Satan's
business to keep us in darkness and in ignorance and unbelief.
Look at Hebrews chapter 2 in verse 14 and 15. The writer here says, For as
much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood,
Christ also himself likewise took part in the same flesh and
blood, that through death He might destroy him that had the
power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver them who through
fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
God will not lose one for whom Christ died. They shall be made
to see in time what God purposed before time, what Christ accomplished
in time at the cross for them. They shall be made to see how
holy God, can be just to justify the ungodly, based on the righteousness
of his son imputed and received by faith. This is why Joshua
prevailed. He couldn't fail. And why Christ
cannot fail for his people. There was a remnant in Israel
under Joshua's leadership that he fought and won the battle
for. There is today a remnant, according to the election of
grace, that Christ will have. They shall be made to enter into
his rest, as did those whom Joshua entered into the promised land.
God's justice demands it. And we'll see that in the type
typified by the rod that Moses upheld. Look at verse 9. We'll read this again. So Joshua
did as Moses had said unto him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses
and Aaron went up unto the hill, and it came to pass, when Moses
held up his hand, he had that rod in his hand, both hands,
and as he held it up, Israel prevailed. But when his arms
grew tired, and he let it down, Amalek prevailed. So the story
is here that they set a stone down and set him on it, and Aaron
held one hand, Her held the other until the going down of the sun.
And that's how Joshua prevailed. This rod that
Moses held up is a rod of judgment and of justice. It typifies God's
judgment, the holy character of a holy God. It is the standard
by which a holy God judges the guilty and justifies the ungodly
at the same time. This is the same rod whereby
Moses wrought miracles and wonders in the land of Egypt among the
Egyptians in the Exodus. You remember all the plagues
that he wrought through this blood. To the ungodly Egyptians,
this rod wrought judgment. To the Israelites, it wrought
deliverance. Under the blood of the Lamb is
wrought salvation by spiritual Israel. Look with me, if you
would, at Isaiah chapter 11. This rod is speaking of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and he talks about it here in Isaiah 11. Let's read
these first few verses. And there shall come forth a
rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of
his roots. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, and shall
make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And
he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove
after the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness shall
he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meat of the
earth. And he shall smite the earth
with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall
he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the
girdle of his loins and faithful. faithfulness the girdle of his
reins. This rod is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Joshua overcame Israel's adversary
with the edge of the sword. Our Joshua overcame Satan by
the word of his mouth. Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12
says the sword that Joshua used is the word of God. And the word
of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged
sword. piercing even through the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and as a discerner
of the thoughts and intent of the heart. It's the Word of God. Three times in the wilderness
of Testa, you remember, before the Lord began His earthly ministry,
He went forty days into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan. And three
times He said, Satan, it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord
thy God. In Luke chapter 4, Jesus told Satan, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word of God. God's elect and
only they who were enemies by nature in their minds are overcome
by the word of God preached in the power of the Holy Spirit.
That's how God enlightens us to the truth. Romans chapter
1, verses 16 and 17 declares the gospel. to be the power of
God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth to the Jew first
and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. This gospel declares God to be
both just and justifier. He's just to punish the wicked,
and He's just to save the ungodly. According to 2 Corinthians 2.16,
this rod, this standard, this gospel is a saver of life unto
life. to them that believe, and it's
a savor of death unto death to them who do not believe. When Christ is lifted up in the
preaching of the gospel, as Moses lifted up this rod, he will,
as he promised in John chapter 12, draw all men unto me. So we see the Lord our banner
is the standard to which God's people rally. It's either a banner
of works or a banner of grace. So the Lord, our banner, is the
standard to which God's people rally. Secondly, He's the standard
to which God's promise is recalled. Look at verses 14 and 15 again. Exodus 17, verse 14, And the
Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and
rehearse it in the ears of Joshua. For I will utterly put out of
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven, and Moses built an altar
and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi. Based on the successful
campaign of Joshua against Amalek, God instructs Moses to record
in a book the events that have taken place here. This was to
be a memorial, a reminder of Joshua's victory over Amalek,
and God promised to remove the remembrance of Amalek from the
face of the earth. And what does Amalek represent?
Those who rally to the banner of works. Those who reject the
birthright of Christ. The firstborn over his household
and his righteousness is the whole of salvation. This is the
enemy we fight daily. This is the enemy who stands
daily to accuse us. This is the sin that does so
easily beset us that the writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 12,
1 and 2. But God's elect are made to remember. Even today,
as we are rehearsing these things in the ears, or the hearing of
Joshua, when we preach the promise of salvation conditioned on Christ
alone. We preach it because we believe
our Joshua has got the victory over Satan. The scripture says
here that Joshua fought. It doesn't say Israel fought.
It says Joshua fought. Christ fought our battle. He's
won the victory. We fight because the victory
is already ours. But Joshua did the fighting.
And we believe it to be the sinner's only hope. The Lord, our banner,
is the standard, the banner of grace, of which the Lord, our
banner, the people of God are called. We gather together each
Sunday to worship our God by holding forth Christ, our banner,
as a reminder that he overcame. and that he's coming for his
church, those who look for that blessed hope and the glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So the
Lord our banner is the standard to which God's people rally.
He's the standard to which God's promise is recalled. And thirdly,
he's the standard to which God's people rest. Look at verse 16,
Exodus chapter 17. For he said, because the Lord
has sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation
to generation. In each successive generation,
God will, through the preaching of the gospel, call out his elect
from every kindred, tongue, tribe, and nation. He shall not fail
to bring one for whom Christ died, for whom Joshua overcame
by the blood of his cross, to a saving knowledge of his finished
work for them. They shall enter God's rest.
They shall take up the banner, the standard to which God's people
rally. So the Lord our banner is the
standard to which God's people rally. He is the banner by which
God's people promises recall, and he is the banner in which
God's people rest. I pledge allegiance to Jehovah
Nissi, the Lord our banner, and to his church, the Blood Bought
Bride. One head, one body, under God,
indivisible, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Do you fly
his banner? Will you hold high his standard? Is Jehovah Nissi your altar? We hold these truths.