The battle with the Amalekites might seem like one of those usual things that would happen when God’s people place their dependency on Him. This record of how they won this battle serves as a timely reminder to us concerning the need for prayer and dependency on the Lord in our spiritual journey. Needless to say, there probably are many of such instances of success in our own lives whenever we brought our struggles to the Lord. Victory is always a potential experience for one who dares to believe God and brings his or her prayer and supplication to Him. Moses who stood at the Hilltop to intercede and support Joshua and the fighting men in prayer saw how needful prayer was to experience victory. He would probably never forget how God answered his prayer that day. But it cannot be said of the people. So unflatteringly, Exodus 17:14 tells us that the Lord instructed Moses to “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”
We may be wondering why the Lord told Moses so precisely to have this captured in a record and to recite it to Joshua that He would blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven? Numbers 13 help us to understand why. In that passage, we are told that the spies returned from their spying mission of Canaan and reported that the Amalekites were in the land. And instead of praying and trusting the Lord for victory, the people of Israel on hearing that became afraid and did not have the courage to go into the promised land. As a result, they were made to wander in the wilderness for the next 38 years. The record of the victory over the Amalekites was also important because God wanted them to remember what He had done for them so that when they faced any future enemy, they would know that God was fighting for them. Certainly, in their journey toward the promised land, there would be many enemy forces that they had to encounter. This record would remind them that they have God with them and victory can be experienced if they dare to trust Him.
Hence, in this we can see the good reason why it is a good habit to record God’s answers to our prayers. In revisiting the victorious experiences that we have captured in our journal, we can recall the goodness and magnanimity of God toward us. It will help us to trust God and to be grateful to Him for all that He has done. In remembering our past successes, we will certainly be encouraged to trust God to see us through life. Moses then built an altar and called it: The Lord is My Banner. This altar that Moses built was not an altar for sacrifice but one built in thanksgiving to God. It was God who brought them the victory and the only appropriate thing to do was to respond with thanksgiving and praise. Like Paul who exhorted the Thessalonians, we should give thanks to God in everything. We must thank Him for the great things He had done to give us our salvation. But we must also thank and praise Him for the victories we experience over our temptations along the way.
In verse 16, we are introduced to another covenant of God – The Lord my Banner or Jehovah-Nissi. A banner is a long strip of cloth bearing a slogan or design, carried in a procession by the army. The banner bearing the insignia would be raised on a pole to rally the people and give them courage in the battlefield. As long as it is up there, the soldiers would know that they have not lost the battle. Our banner in life is, of course, the cross of Jesus Christ. The Lord Himself had promised that when He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself. The cross of Christ is our victory. By looking up to Him, we have no battle in life that we need to be afraid. Let us allow the banner of Christ to be hoisted in our life. And we shall always enjoy the victory He has already secured for us. Praise the Lord!
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