Exodus 17, 18: God, the Judge, Banner, and Help

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 the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: [3] 16 For he said, Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.  Exodus 17:14-16

⇒ A banner is something that identifies and unifies a particular group of people. For example, a military flag or standard is sometimes called a banner. The Israelites’ saying, “The Lord is my Banner,” was a way of identifying themselves as the unified followers of the Lord God. A banner also functions as a rallying point for troops in a battle. The altar Moses built in Exodus 17 marked the place where God intervened on behalf of His people and promised to utterly defeat His enemies. [Source:  Gotquestions.org]

Psalm 20:5 says, “May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.” In verses 6–8 we read, “Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.” God’s people continue to say, “The Lord is my Banner,” because it is in His power that the enemies are vanquished (see also Psalm 60:4–5). The Lord is our Banner in that He is the One under whom we unite. He is our Savior. We are rescued by Him and identified in Him.

In this sense, He is the banner of me, a person — defines my identity.  My life is about the Lord and that is my identity.

Jethro (Moses’ Father-in-law)

Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. Exodus 18:19 NKJV

Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.   KJV

Eliezer (Moses’ 2nd son):  means My God is an help

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