Exodus 17:1-16: "1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, 'Give us water, that we may drink.' And Moses said to them, 'Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?' 3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, 'Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?' 4 So Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, 'What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!' 5 And the LORD said to Moses, 'Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.' And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, 'Is the LORD among us or not?' 8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, 'Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.' 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.' 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, 'The-LORD-Is-My-Banner;' 16 for he said, 'Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'"
The-LORD-Is-My-Banner in Hebrew is Jehovahnissi, which in the King James Version is left untranslated. This altar that Moses built would stand as a memorial to the people of what happened there that day. And it would serve as a marker of knowledge for all those who would pass by this memorial. In our society, we are quite familiar with memorials. They are all over the place. As one drives down the road, one often sees a sign that states, "historical marker ___ miles." This historical marker probably contains a sign or plaque that states what took place on that spot of historical significance. Sometimes one sees crosses, or flowers, or other markers along the road as memorials to some event taking place on that spot. There are even memorials that are sponsored by civil government to mark important things happening. Therefore, the concept of a memorial is not uncommon to us.
This memorial however, is different, for it states something about Who the Lord God is, and who His people are. This altar would proclaim that Jehovah was the God of the people of Israel, and they were His people whom He fights for, and anybody that messed with them, would be messing with their God. Hence the name, Jehovahnissi, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner. This brings us to a discussion on banners.
In most parishes there are banners that hang in the nave, or other parts of the church, and they either have symbolic pictures or words from Scripture, or both. These banners add color to the church, and provide some instruction. But these banners, although pictures and figures of the true banners of God, are not the type of banner that is being spoken about here. For a banner is an instrument of war. It would serve as a rallying point for the army if the battle became to fierce. The troops would be able to rally back to the banner, or ensign, and they would find strength to continue on in the battle. In the Greek language of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Old Testament and Apocrypha, the word for banner is "katarefuge." In that Greek word we can see our English word "refuge." A refuge is a place where we go to "recharge our batteries" so to speak. It is a place where we retreat from the troubles of this life, to find some relaxation, and respite.
For the Istraelites, this is where they were shown by God that He fights for them, and protects them, and will be their God. For us, our refuge is the Word of God. And the enemy that we fight, is not Amalek, who was destroyed by the Israelite army, but it is sin, death, and the devil. Our banner, our rallying point is the Word of God, wherein we hear over and over again, that our Lord Jesus fought and won the battle for us, and now gives us forgiveness, and through that promise of forgiveness we have hope and comfort in eternal life and salvation. Our Lord Jesus, even as He fought the war for us, and won the victory, just like for the Israelites against Amalek, and gave them an altar as a memorial for all generations, has also given us a memorial of His victory over sin and death in the Sacrament of the Altar.
In this Sacrament of the Altar, our Lord Jesus gives us His very Body and Blood as a memorial of His victory in bread and wine. And this meal is not just a memorial, that is, we don't just remember the cross and what our Lord did for us, but it actually grants forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and salvation, through the working of the Holy Ghost in this meal.
So, here we have again, another reminder of our sin, and our Lord's cross in the Book of Moses, commonly called Exodus. And these reminders are leading us into the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday coming just next Wednesday. This coming Sunday, Quinquagesima, is sometimes called, the Sunday before Lent. Therefore, this penitential season fast approaches (pun intended). Therefore in this Lectionary we can see how our eyes are slowly being directed from the Incarnation and Revelation of our Lord Jesus in the flesh, to His purpose and work, that is, His cross for our forgiveness.
Let us give thanks this day, that our Lord has fought the battle with sin, death, and the devil, and has given us the victory, so that we need not fear these enemies of God. And let us give thanks for the grace that He bestows upon us every day.
May God be with you!
Deacon Dulas
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