Ah, September! It’s the time of year when rabid fans come crawling out of the woodwork.
College football manages to elicit incredible passion from a lot of people. Fans wear their favorite team gear and display their team banners on their property.
You can usually identify a household’s allegiance by the flag flying somewhere on the house or in the yard.
Banners were important in the Bible, too. One example is found in Exodus 17:8–16.
The Story
While wandering through the wilderness, the Israelites came to a place near Mount Sinai called Rephidim. There they complained about having no water, and God miraculously supplied it from a rock.
While they were camped at Rephidim, another nomadic group, the Amalekites, attacked them.
The father of the Amalekites, Amalek, was the grandson of Esau. The wandering Israelites were the descendants of Jacob. Centuries before, Jacob had deceived his brother Esau and cheated him out of both the family birthright and their father’s blessing. Years of family turmoil and hostility were about to boil over.
A fierce battle ensued.
Moses stood atop a nearby hill and raised his staff over the battle. As long as he held the staff high, the Israelites prevailed. But when his arms grew weak and he could no longer hold up the staff, the Amalekites prevailed.
So Moses’ two assistants, Aaron and Hur, sat him on a rock and held up his arms. After an all-day battle, the Israelites prevailed.
To commemorate God’s miraculous help, Moses built an altar and named it in Hebrew Yahweh-Nissi—“The LORD Is My Banner.”
What Is a Banner?
When we think of a banner, we probably picture a flag or a piece of cloth flapping in the breeze. But in Old Testament times, a banner was more like a tall standard, elevated so that people could see it from a distance.
During troop movements and especially during battle, the banner served several important purposes.
First, it identified the army.
A soldier identified with the army whose banner he followed. To line up under a banner was to declare one’s allegiance to what—or whom—the banner represented.
Second, it oriented the army.
Things could get hectic on the battlefield. It would be easy for someone to lose his bearings and no longer know where he was. The banner was elevated high enough to be seen from a distance, allowing soldiers to regain their bearings in relation to it.
Third, it directed the army.
Wherever the banner went, the people followed. If you got ahead of it or fell too far behind, you became vulnerable.
How Is Yahweh Our Banner?
Those ancient purposes of a banner provide a helpful picture of what it means for the Lord to be our Banner.
First, our identity and allegiance belong ultimately to Jesus Christ.
Regardless of our other identities, who we are in Christ matters most.
On the cross, Jesus made it possible for us to belong to Him. Our identity in Him matters more than our ethnic or historical heritage. It matters more than our social or economic station in life. It gives us greater significance than our jobs, education, or accomplishments.
He is far more glorious than any other identity we could claim.
Second, Jesus and His Kingdom orient our lives.
Jesus provides the true perspective from which we can view and live life. He taught us to seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness and to trust our Father to provide what we need (Matthew 6:25–34).
When life gets confusing and we lose our bearings, we look again to our Banner.
Finally, Jesus directs our lives.
We follow Him as His Word directs us. Jesus said that those who hear His words and put them into practice are like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The storms came, but the house stood (Matthew 7:24–27).
Our Banner doesn’t merely identify us. He leads us.
How to Live Under His Banner
So what does living under the Lord’s banner look like in everyday life?
1. Trust God’s purposeful work in your life.
Trust that God’s intentional and purposeful power is at work in and around you. Look for His activity in your daily circumstances (Romans 8:28–29).
2. Read, study, and follow God’s Word daily.
God uses His Word to feed, shape, and direct your life. There are no shortcuts or secret hacks. Make a plan to read and study the Bible systematically (Psalm 119:105).
3. Depend on the Holy Spirit.
Ask the Holy Spirit each day to do the work in you that only He can do. Ask Him to bear His fruit through you.
You cannot produce His fruit simply by trying harder. Surrender to Him and depend on His help (Galatians 5:22–23).
One last word.
Living with Yahweh as your Banner is a daily adventure. Some days you will find yourself more closely aligned with Him than others.
But Jesus has purchased everything you need to live the life He intends you to live. He has made it possible.
Keep your eyes on the Banner.
March on!