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"Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of
the Land of Egypt: How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, when
thou wast faint and weary, and he feared not God. Therefore it shall be, when the Lord
thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the
remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it" (Deut. 25: 17-19).
The name Jehovah-nissi is the third Jehovah title revealed in Scripture. The first is
concerned with the offering of Isaac, the great type of Christ and His redemption,
Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide". A friend, whose judgment we hold in high
esteem, says that Jehovah-jireh means "Jehovah appeared" (Gen. 22: 14). The second
is connected with the overthrow of the Egyptians (type of the world), Jehovah-ropheka,
"the Lord that healeth thee" (Exod. 15: 26). The third title is connected with the
destruction of Amalek (type of the flesh), Jehovah-nissi, "the Lord my banner"
(Exod. 17: 15). The third title is the first of three that suggests the believer's active
appropriation:--
"The Lord my banner" (Exod. 17: 15).
"The Lord my shepherd" (Psa. 23: 1).
"The Lord our righteousness" (Jer. 23: 6).
The word "banner" (Hebrew nes) is the word used for the "pole" upon which the
brazen serpent was lifted (Num. 21: 8, 9). If we turn to the occasion we shall find that it
is a repetition of Rephidim. The people speak against God and against Moses because of
the lack of water. Jehovah-nissi is this time set forth in symbol, and this symbol Christ
takes to Himself in John 3: 14:--
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even son must the Son of man be
lifted up."
The "banner" under which we must fight our "Amalek" is the cross of Christ, the
serpent on the pole, suggesting in type the deep doctrine of Rom. 6: 6 and Gal. 5: 24.
It is the cross of Christ, seen not as the means of our redemption, but of our victory over
the flesh. This is the burden of Rom. 6:, 7:, 8: and Gal. 5: In the margin of the
A.V. of Exod. 17: 16 we read:--
"Heb. the hand upon the throne of the Lord."
The translation both of the A.V. and the R.V. shows that those responsible believed
"the hand" to be the Lord's hand, and therefore translated the passage "the Lord hath
sworn".
The Companion Bible note reads:--
"Surely the hand (lifted up) upon the banner of Jah (is to swear):" &100:
The substitution of "banner" for "throne" is explained by Rotherham in his
Emphasized Version as:--