Last week, we studied Yahweh Ropheka, the Lord our Healer. This is a self-proclaimed name of God. God is the healer of land, air, body, mind, and spirit.
In what way have you seen Yahweh Ropheka heal this week?
I saw him working on a relationship where a sin tore it apart, but things seem to be moving in the direction of reconciliation. A relationship that I once thought was broken beyond repair—I heard of conversations being had, time spent together, and softening of hearts that are moving to repair. God’s healing is sometimes gradual, but it’s still healing.
In the book of Exodus 15, the children of Israel often complained before they cried out. Do you find yourself complaining before you go to God?
I know it is definitely something I struggle with. I am better than I used to be but definitely a work in progress.
As I studied this week about healing, I had a lot of emotional moments realizing how God has worked in my life and how he is working now with his healing power. We all know my big one is Braxton’s healing. But as I shared on Thursday, God worked to heal the emotional damage of my past. Wounds that I thought I would always suffer from, I am now realizing, have started to heal. Yahweh Ropheka didn’t just restore my circumstances; he has restored me.
Can anyone share how you have seen Yahweh Ropheka work to heal in the past or past hurts? Maybe it wasn’t instant but gradual healing?
This week, we are going to be spending time getting to know Yahweh Nissi/Jehovah Nissi, which is the name I have always used. Yahweh Nissi means “The Lord My Banner.”
This name is used once in scripture in our key verse in Exodus 17:15-16.
To set the scene, the Israelites have been brought out of Egypt; they witnessed the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, they have wandered on rocky barren ground, they are tired and weary, they have whined and complained and witnessed the bitter water turning sweet, they have been given manna and quail from heaven for food, they have whined and complained some more, and they saw water come out of rock. And now here they are, about to face their first military battle as a nation as they approach the Amalekites.
The story where this name is given is one of my favorite examples of friendship and support of the community. The Israelites are facing off against the Amalekites. Moses told Joshua to take some men of his choosing and to fight the Amalekites. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went on top of a hill, and as long as Moses held up the staff of Elohim, the Israelites would win; as soon as he put his arms down, they would start to lose.
This isn’t an hour-long battle. This is an all-day affair. Moses’ arms were trembling as he lost blood flow from them being elevated above his head. He was probably growing weary as he stood. Sun beating down, sweat dripping, arms going numb. His desire to keep the staff raised was waning due to his human ability and gravity.
Here’s the part that I love. Aaron and Hur didn’t just stand by and plead with Moses to keep his arms up. No, they took initiative and acted to support him physically. They brought over a big rock for Moses to sit on, and then they held his arms up so that the Israelites would win the battle.
Two things I see here. One is that it is crucially important that when you are facing a battle, you have friendships that will hold you up despite what is thrown at you. We all want to take things on and show how strong we are, or maybe we are too afraid to ask for help because we don’t want to be a burden to others. You need Aarons and Hurs in your life. You need people to recognize when you are weary, to see when you need support and step up to help you, not just cheer from the sidelines, but who actively step in and help. Community is not optional; it is actually God’s design. I am so humbled and honored to say that I am surrounded by a fine example of Aaron and Hur right here in this room.
The other thing I see is that when you are faced with a battle, posture matters. Moses’ arms weren’t magical. It’s the alignment with God that matters. Even if you have to sit down for a bit, keep your arms raised in prayer and praise, lifting God up. I have found that if I focus up, then the heavy stuff can’t bring me that far down. Praise shifts perspective, and prayer steadies the nerves.
Nissi means banner, sail, flagpole, standard, or sign. It typically means something that is lifted high, is visible, and is used as a directive. It is used as a rallying point, a sign of warning, a sign of protection, or a sign of victory. A banner could be made of wood, cloth, or bronze, as we saw last week with the bronze snake.
After the battle, Moses made an altar and named it Yahweh Nissi—The Lord is My Banner.
He didn’t say the staff is my banner, Joshua is my banner, or I am the banner because I held my hands up. No, he said, “The Lord is My Banner.”
Moses could not, humanly speaking, influence the battle. It was more likely that he held up the rod as a sign to the people that God was with them. Moses raised the staff of Elohim to win the victory. The same staff was used to show God’s power by turning into a snake, to part the waters of the Red Sea, and to strike the rock to bring forth water. It was a constant reminder that the victory belongs to the LORD. They fought under the direction of God; they got their strength from the LORD.
Psalm 60:4
“Yet, you have raised a flag for those who fear you so that they can rally to it when attacked by bows and arrows.”
This banner marks a rallying point between human weakness and God’s divine power and strength. We run to the banner or standard for safety. When we fear God and keep his commandments, we can come to him for protection from the attacks of the evil one.
As we saw last week in Numbers 21, the banner or standard was the bronze snake. The banner, or pole lifted high with a bronze snake, was a sign of healing and also a foreshadowing of Christ, as it was mentioned in John 3:14-15. As Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.
The trend here is something or someone that is lifted up, a visible sign, a meeting place between the divine and human weakness.
Isaiah 11:10-12
“At that time the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people to gather around. The nations will come to him. His resting place will be glorious. At that time Adonay will use his power again to recover what remains of his people in Assyria, Upper and Lower Egypt, Sudan, Elam, Babylonia, Hamath, and the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations to gather around. He will gather outcasts of Israel and bring together the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
The banner is raised, the scattered come home, and outcasts are reclaimed. God is the banner that we run to, where we find our identity.
Isaiah 62:10-11
“Go through! Go through the gates!
Prepare a way for the people!
Build up! Build up the highway!
Clear away the stones!
Raise a flag for the people!
Yahweh has announced to the ends of the earth;
“Tell my people, Zion, your Savior is coming. His reward is with him, and the people he has won arrive ahead of him.”
Here, our banner/flag is a sign of hope.
Numbers 2:2 tells us that each sect or family of Israelites would camp under their standard or banner to keep order as they moved and traveled.
When we call on Yahweh Nissi, we are declaring:
He is our hope.
He is our identity.
He is our gathering place.
He is our source of healing.
He is our warning system.
He is our sign of victory.
When God is our banner, and he goes before us.
I have called on him to go before me in the courtroom when the outcome was uncertain. I have called on him on the way to the doctor’s office when the diagnosis was scary and weighty. I called on him in the hospital room when fear was about to take over. I called on him in this classroom for wisdom and steadiness of nerves. I call on him to prepare the way when I can’t see the way.
Moses built the altar after the battle. God had already won the battle. Moses just named it.
If you are in a battle right now, praise God. If you are struggling to stand, lift your arms and heart in praise. If you can’t, let us know so that we can come beside you and hold you up and pray and praise with you. There is no greater feeling than having your faith family come alongside you in prayer and petition to usher you into the throne room of God.
Yahweh Nissi isn’t just a flag waving in the wind; he is a sign of victory, of strength, of refuge, and of identity. And every time, the victory belongs to the Lord.
Have a great day with Jesus!
