Jehova Nissi
I am the God who defends you
Text: 2 Chron 20:1-21
20:1 It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.
2 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat, saying, "A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria; and they are in Hazazon Tamar" (which is En Gedi).
3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.
4 So Judah gathered together to ask help from the LORD; and from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.
1). Jehoshaphat Feared – This was a terror to this man of God. He knew the reputation of these Moabites and Ammonites. ‘It was a great multidude’, the enemy was set to destroy utterly. They seemed to come from all sides, and sometimes we might feel this way, in the midst of Fear, it hitting me all at once.
Thoughts about Fear – The enemy controls lives through fear, 1 John says that Fear has torment. Many lives are tormented with inner fears and insecurities. Fear warps your true character and destroys your personality.
2). Set Himself – What do we do in the midst of Fear? How do we respond in the midst of Fear? Do try to take matters in our own hands, do we respond desperately? Notice Jehoshaphat HE SET HIMSELF to seek the Lord.
What does that Mean? – It is a term of putting yourself in a position of Force, it was not logical to respond this way, it was not logical to even put up a fight, and with all this logic against him, He has to force himself in a position to seek the Lord.
We are to do that, when things become overbearing we need to grab ourselves from the back of the neck and seek the Lord. Set ourselves to seek the Lord. Our craftiness does not deliver us, but by our Faith We overcome the world.
Note: the Name of Jehoshaphat means – May the eternal God Govern.
3). Ask help from the Lord – Judah came together to ask help, unity is important in Prayer, Here they approached JEHOVA – NISSI – “I am the GOD who defends you” Also it has the implication of a BANNER over our lives that is found in the Hebrew NACE – or NISSI.
Zech 9:16
16 The LORD their God will save them in that day, As the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, Lifted like a banner over His land-- NKJV
Ps 60:4
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah. KJV
This form of a Banner was like a ENSIGN, that when they entered into battle, they knew that they did not represent themselves, but they were represented by the banner of God.
The example of the Ark of God. One the people of God entered into battle as the enemy awaited and when they heard them shout and rejoice, they acknowledge that the ARK OF GOD was among them and they realize that they are fighting against GOD.
When we enter into overwhelming situations and we go to JEHOVA NISSI He places a banner over our lives, He represents us in the midst of the battle. It’s like a flag. In wars of the past was to take the flag from your opponent declaring your victory. The enemy desires for you to forfeit your Flag, your banner of representation of the defense of God. And in that we will be destroyed.
BANNER OF LOVE –
Song 2:4
He brought me to the banqueting house, And his banner over me was love. NKJV
David spoke about this…
Ps 23:4-5
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. NKJV
5 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,
POINT - In order to experience this GOD – JEHOVA NISSI we must STAND
God will not defend us if we quit, He will not retreat with us, We must stand and SEE the salvation of the Lord.
What does the Banner represent? -
6 and said: "O LORD God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?
7 Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
8 And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying,
9'If disaster comes upon us--sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine--we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'
1). You are God in Heaven
Ps 115:3
But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases. NKJV
2). You RULE over all
Ps 47:2-3
2 For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. NKJV
The King of Babylon experienced this, as he had him living in the woods.
3). In Your hand is there not power and might
Ps 62:11
God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God. NKJV
The declaration of God is continuant, Let there be light, light, light… everyday we experence continuance.
4). NO ONE is able to Withstand –
The Gates of hell will not be able to withstand the expansion of God Kingdom, and when you choose to get under HIS banner you choose to expand HIS kingdom.
HIS BANNER over us represents this, authority and power over all our difficulties.
10 "And now, here are the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir--whom You would not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and did not destroy them—
Proclaim the Promises under HIS BANNER –
11 here they are, rewarding us by coming to throw us out of Your possession which You have given us to inherit.
Note: When you walk under the banner of the Lord, you walk in agreement of his covenant and promises, when you walk away you walk away from your inheritance.
Keep your FOCUS under the BANNER
Note: V.12 “But our eyes are upon you” In the midst of fear who and what are you looking at? Are you magnifiying God or magnifying the situation?
12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
13 Now all Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the LORD.
The results….The little ones, their wives STOOD before the Lord. Those you fear for, under the banner will STAND on their own.
Personal POWER under the BANNER
14 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.
When we get under the banner of the Lord, and stand against the enemy we experience PERSONAL POWER, the SPIRIT of the LORD came upon JAHAZIAL. He got stirred up under the banner.
The name – JAHAZIAL – BEHELD BY GOD – When you are under the banner of the Lord, you are beheld by GOD.
1 John 5:18-19
18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.
NOTICE THE EFFECTS
15 And he said, "Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.
It’s not YOUR BATTLE, STAY UNDER HIS banner and SEE GOD FIGHT.
16 Tomorrow go down against them. They will surely come up by the Ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the brook before the Wilderness of Jeruel.
17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!' Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you."
So HOW DO we know, or what do we do under the banner, How do we stay under it?
18 And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem bowed before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.
Submission and humility under His Control and Worship HIM.
19 Then the Levites of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with voices loud and high.
20 So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper."
21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:
"Praise the LORD,
For His mercy endures forever."
22 Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.
23 For the people of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir to utterly kill and destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they helped to destroy one another.
NKJV
We all have problems. Sometimes we use creative ways to solve them. The best way to solve problems is to include God in the process, just as Jehoshaphat did.
INTRODUCTION - Vss. 1-4 - The problem is described.
PRAYER - Vss. 5-13 - Philippians 4:6-7
PROMISE - Vss 14-17 - We have the promises of God to rely on in His Word.
PRAISE - Vss. 18-21 - This reflects trust.
POWER - Vss. 22-25 - The power was all God's.
1 John 2:14
And you have overcome the wicked one.
NKJV
