Exodus 17:14-16
- 16, VA’YI’VEYN MOSHE MIZ’BEY’ACH
VA’YIK’RA SHE’MO
YHVH NISI
VA’YOMER
CI-YAD AL-CEYS YAH
MILCHAMAH LA’YHVH BA’AMALEK
MI’DOR DOR
And Moses built an altar
And he called its name
JEHOVAH NISI
And he said,
(WITH) A HAND UPON THE THRONE* OF YAH,
War with Amalek will Yahweh have^
from generation to generation
________
[* “throne”, or “banner”—the Hebrew word “cee’sey” means “seat, throne” and here can mean “banner” or “sign” (as in a military signal) or even “miracle”: STONE commentary makes the point that it is as if GOD swears by his throne that he will eternally war with Amalek, the wicked foe of Israel in the Wilderness at the outset of their journey toward Sinai;
^ “War…generation”—Owens translation]
With this altar, Moses commemorated Joshua’s subjugation of Amalek in the wilderness. This was the battle in which Moses was placed upon a stone seat high above the fray and his hands were held up by Aaron and Hur all day so that his prayer could sustain Joshua and the Israelites as they battled with this treacherous fleshly foe. When Moses’ hands were held high toward God in prayer the Israelites prevailed; when Moses’ hands became heavy and fell, the Amalekites prevailed. When Aaron and Hur sustained Moses’ hands upward in prayer, the battle became so decisive that the scripture says, “Joshua weakened (also, ‘wasted, discomfited, overthrew’) Amalek WITH THE SWORD.”
In the New Covenant this is equivalent to the perpetual war each generation of believers has with the Flesh and with Sin and with the Satanic realm.
(1 John 2:16; Ephesians 6:8-17)
We win this war only through continuous prayer—prayer without ceasing.
(Mark 9:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 with context; Exodus 17:14-16, per above; 2 Timothy 2:19-26)
The entire life of a Christian disciple is involved in putting the works of the flesh to death (with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God) by continuous communion with God in the authority of the Name of Jesus and through the Holy Spirit so that the charismata of the Spirit operate to guide us along the way in order to separate from us the husks of the carnal nature and to bring forth within us the life-giving fruit of the Spirit.
[cf. Galatians 5, flesh versus spirit, with Romans 6-8; Ephesians 6:8-17, spiritual warfare; Acts 20:16-38, the perpetual striving of the flesh for mastery in the Messianic community (with Revelation 2-3); 1 Corinthians 12-13, the charismata of the Body of Messiah and its ultimate expression in spiritual fruitfulness; Luke 15, the Prodigal Son, when a son sinks into carnality; James 4-5, keys of deliverance; Isaiah 58, God’s acceptable fast; Matthew 5-7, the Law of Christ, et al]
In the midst of all the conflict of life YHWY NISI is declaring FROM HIS THRONE that HE will war with the FLESH on our behalf! THE DELIVERANCE WILL BE MIRACULOUS—AN ACT OF GOD FOR US! IT WILL COME IN THE FORM OF ANSWERS TO PRAYER! (John 14:13-14; 15:7; 16:5, 23)
We have been seated with Christ Jesus in his eternal throne! (Ephesians 2:6) Therefore, let us take courage and never relent in our battle with the dark forces of this life! Let us strive in the spirit against the flesh, for SURELY THROUGH HIM WE SHALL OVERCOME! (Revelation 2-3; 12:11; Matthew 10:39)
Amen.
