THE LORD IS MY BANNER OF VICTORY: Banners are identifying flags or streamers attached to the end of a standard. Throughout history they have served three main purposes: to identify a group, to claim possession of a space or territory and to lend festivity to a celebration. The Bible contains fewer than a dozen direct references to banners, and the context is almost entirely military. More often than not the banner of victory is ascribed to God. The earliest example is Exodus 17:15, where Moses celebrates the victory of the Amalekites by building an altar, calling the name of it “the Lord is my banner”. In the Psalms too it is God who sets up a banner for his people (Ps 60:4), who for their part ascribe their triumph to God by setting up banners “in the name of our God” (Ps 20:5). Jeremiah’s prediction of Babylon’s destruction is prefaced by the statement, “Declare among the nations and proclaim, set up a banner and proclaim, conceal it not” (Jer 50:2 RSV), along the lines of a warrior boldly planting a banner as a sign of taking possession. The Lord is my banner and I am taking possession of all that belong to me. May the Lord be your banner tonight.
Posted on: Fri, 15 Nov 2013 17:15:17 +0000
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