This week we examine Jehovah Nissi – The Lord our Banner. Nes (nês), from which Nissi is derived, means “banner” in Hebrew. In Exodus 17:15, Moses, recognizing that the Lord was Israel’s banner under which they defeated the Amalekites, builds an altar named Jehovah Nissi (the Lord our Banner).
Nes is sometimes translated as a pole with an insignia attached. In battle, opposing nations would fly their flag on a pole at each of their respective front lines. This was to give their soldiers a feeling of hope and a focal point. This is what God is to us: a banner of encouragement to provide us with hope and a focal point.