Be Careful About Your Banners
First things first, I need help. No, I am not in any particular trouble that I know of or is any different from the daily battles any leader has as they go about their jobs. But good leaders know that they actually can’t do much without help, support, and a lot of people not just willing to stand behind them but also who will go with them as they take on the challenges of their jobs and various assignments.
All through my life I have been blessed to have people, sometimes many people, who prayed for me, encouraged me, corrected me, helped me, and cheered me on. Some of these people have been praying for me for 40 or 50 years. And in various seasons there were those who God directed to help me in particular moments of life.
In ancient times, a banner was something a military leader, king, or some official might make out of cloth and attach to a pole. The banner might have pictures, symbols, or words that indicated which tribe or nation you were associated with. Reading through the wilderness journey of God’s people who Moses led out of Egypt, we learn of the banners associated with the various tribes.
Exodus 17 describes a big battle that Amalek fought with Israel. In this case, it was Joshua who took charge of the battlefield while Moses held the staff of God in his hand. Whenever Moses held up his staff, Israel would surge, but when he lowered the staff of God, Amalek prevailed. Aaron and Hur stayed with Moses, and when Moses grew tired, they would hold up his hands for him. By sundown, Joshua had overwhelmed and defeated Amalek. At the end of this battle, Moses built an altar and called it “The Lord is my banner,” “Yahweh-Nissi.”
Moses, Aaron, Hur, and Joshua knew well that it was the Lord who brought their victory. They were simply his instruments, and their obedience and their dependence on God brought the victory!
You and I may or may not have such dramatic stories as the one we read in Exodus 17, but any believer who has walked with the Lord for very long has learned that it was and is always God who brings the victory. This is why it is so important to have those around you who will pray for and encourage you as you do the work God has called you to do. In some ways this is the easier part of the journey.
I am concerned that sometimes when things go well for us and when we have success, we default to thinking that somehow we were the brilliant ones and therefore the ones who deserve some credit.
I am also concerned that in current culture we risk making two very dangerous mistakes. First, we often raise other banners above “Yahweh-Nissi.” The banners that we seem to be the proudest of are our favorite sports team, celebrity, and our political party. Our fervor for these cultural icons often is much more visible that our passion for the Lord. And last time I checked no cultural icons or their accomplishments come anywhere near what the Lord has done for us.
The second concern is that we sometimes place more trust in our political leaders than we do in the Lord himself. But remember, our political leaders are not and cannot ever do for us what the Lord has done, can do, and will do as we seek him with our whole hearts. While we may have great confidence in our systems of government and in our elected leaders, there are striking differences between our leaders and our Lord.
We are called to pray for our leaders. When we pray, we certainly want to pray that they would follow the wisdom of God and not their own. Psalm 2 has a sobering reminder of leaders that follow their own ways and those who follow God.
“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”
When we see governments act with rage, the psalmist says it is because they are talking and planning without the Lord’s guidance. When they do that, they are actually working against God. There is a warning for kings, presidents, and all in authority in verses 10-12:
“O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” What follows is that our leaders should pay homage to Jesus who is the royal Son of God and the one known in scripture as the King of kings. Paul tells us that the day is coming when everyone will bow down before Jesus.
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-10
So as we pray for our president, our congress, our senate, and government, business, and military leaders throughout the world, let’s pray that they will bow down before Jesus and serve him through humility. Then, and only then, will we see heaven and earth come together and things on earth actually be done as they are in heaven.
Father, we lift up all our leaders. We pray that you would reveal yourself to them and they would turn to you, not only for their salvation but for the wisdom you will provide through you Holy Spirit as they seek you. Help us to remember that no matter how much we may look up to our leaders, they are not our banner. You and you alone are our banner. We lift your name high and wait for Jesus to return and restore all that is broken in his creation. Come lord Jesus! Amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Exodus 17:8-16; Philippians 2:9-11 ESV
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