The Lord is my Label – Jehovah Nissi | Matt Destry

Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”Exodus 4:1-5What’s in your hand?The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.”15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, “Because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” Exodus 17:8-16Context – what has just happened?The Amalekites at RephedimJoshuaRaising hands, relying on GodSupportive leadership, working togetherJehovah Nissi17:15. altar: “Lord my banner.” The altar Moses builds is one of commemoration of the victory. The name given it, “Yahweh is my standard,” reflects the theology of Yahweh as the leader of the armies of Israel.The staff:1/ The staff was carried everywhere – God is with you2/ The staff was used by travellers – God is moving you forward3/ The staff was used by shepherds – God cares for you4/ The staff was a symbol of authority – God will lead you5/ The staff was ordinary yet miraculous – God will use you