Lift High the Lord, Our Banner!

Moses built an altar and called it Yahweh Nissi. He said, “Because a hand was lifted against Yah’s throne, Yahweh will be at war against the Amalekites from one generation to the next.” Exodus 17:15-16

This is the only mention of Yahweh Nissi in the Bible. What’s the context?

As you read Exodus, you see a them in the people’s attitude. “The people grumbled . . . The people quarreled . . . The people complained . . .” Every time the people faced a challenge, they complained. Bitterly. Not some anonymous complaint to HR or grumbling around the water fountain. They hurled accusations at Moses. Did you bring us out here to let us die? Why didn’t you just let us die in Egypt?

To be fair, they faced enormous hardships – Pharaoh’s army, hunger, thirst. But come on. Yahweh delivered them from slavery. He parted the Red Sea and then let it crash back down, leading them through the waters and killing Pharaoh’s army in one fell swoop. (Don’t you love how God multitasks?) He gave them manna. He brought water from a rock. At what point do you think it was reasonable for them to get a clue? Hey, things look bad, but I’m going to bet God’s going to come through for us.

In Exodus 17: 8-16, the challenge is the Amalekites. During the battle, Moses held his staff (the same one he’d used with Pharaoh) over his head. When his arms were raised, Israel did well, but when he lowered his hands, the Amalekites would start to win. Aaron and Joshua supported Moses’s arms, and the Israelites won.

Afterward, “Moses built an altar and called it Yahweh Nissi.” Don’t you love it when the Lord puts the cookies on the lower shelf? The Lord is our Banner. We lift him high, and he fights our battles.

May this song, a great Dennis Jernigan worship song from the ’80s, bless you!