Praise the Lord, Grace & Peace great people of our “Great God”…JESUS!

As I meditate, I realize that there were striking typologies, foreshadows, and shadows concerning Israel’s first physical confrontation in war with its enemy. Which also reflects in what we have to deal with today. It was upon Israel’s victory that they referred to Lord as Jehovahnissi (the Lord my banner) signifying that our VICTORY only comes through Jesus Christ. In this week’s Weekly Meditation I would like to provoke you with the thought concerning “We Have The VICTORY Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt.” My premise scriptures to support further gospel provocation are as follows:

Exo 17:9-13 “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.“ Exo. 17:15  And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi.“

Gal. 5:17 “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye should not do the things that ye would.”

1 Cor. 15:57 “Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Cor. 9:26-27 “We do not, therefore, fight uncertainly or as those that beat the air, while we seek to keep under the body and bring it into subjection.”

Rom. 8:37 “We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us”

It is imperative that I establish that AMALEK is a type of flesh and the sin the dwells within. But, through our learning we know that we have died to sin, and hence it has no claim over us. For Rom. 6:6 expresses “He that has died is justified from sin.” “Knowing this, that our old man has been crucified together, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”  “

Notice what it says, And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.” It was nothing but VICTORY; and Jehovah’s banner floated over the triumphant host, bearing the sweet and heart-sustaining inscription, “Jehovahnissi” (the Lord my banner). Saints our assurance of victory should be as complete as the sense of forgiveness, seeing both alike are founded upon the great fact that Jesus died and rose again. It is in the power of this that the Saint enjoys a purged conscience and has the victory over indwelling sin. The death of Christ having answered all the claims of God in reference to our sins, and His resurrection becomes the spring of power in all the details of our conflict since then.  He died for us, and now we must know perpetually that He lives in us. The former gives us peace, the latter gives us power. Thank you Jesus! For did not Apostle state in Rom. 5:1-5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

It is edifying to see the contrast between Moses on the hill and Christ on the throne. The hands of our great Intercessor can never hang down. Jesus’ intercession never fluctuates, for Heb 7 expresses  “He ever liveth to make intercession for us.” His intercession is never-ceasing and all-prevailing. Jesus having taken His place on high, in the power of divine righteousness, acts for us, according to what He is, and according to the infinite perfection of what He has done. His hands can never hang down, nor does He need any one to hold them up. His perfect advocacy is founded upon His perfect sacrifice. He presents us before God, clothed in His own perfections, so that we may ever have to submit our faces in obeisance to Him, because the Holy Spirit can only testify to us of what Jesus is before God concerning us, and what we are in Him. For Romans 8 expresses “We are not in the flesh but in the Spirit.”  My brothers and sisters please note that we are in the body, as to the fact of our condition; but we are not in the flesh (the oldnature), as it pertains to the principle of our standing in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the old man is in us, and because we are dead to it; we are not in the flesh, because we have been made alive in Jesus Christ.

Saints please notice that Moses had the rod of God with him on the hill …the rod with which he had smitten the rock. This rod was the expression or symbol of the power of God, which is seen alike in atonement and intercession. When the work of atonement was accomplished, Christ took His seat of authority in heaven, and sent down the Holy Spirit to take up His abode in the Church; so that there is an inseparable connection between the work of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit. Assuring us that there is the application of the power of God in both works.

Please note my brothers and sisters that this is the first time that Israel is seen in conflict with an external foe. Up to this point, the Lord had fought for them, when we read Exodus. 14 “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” But now the word is, “choose us out men.” True, God must now fight in Israel, just as before, He had fought for them. But this marks a stark difference, as to a typology; and as to the anti-type.  We know that there is an immense difference between Christ’s battles for us, and the Holy Ghost’s battles in us. The former, glory be to God, are all over, the victory is gained, and a glorious and an everlasting peace secured. The latter, on the contrary, are still going on in us today against the flesh! GOLDEN NUGGET!

Pharaoh and Amalek represented two different powers or influences; Pharaoh represented the hindrance to Israel’s deliverance from Egypt; Amalek represented the hindrance to their walk with God through the wilderness. Pharaoh used the things of Egypt to keep Israel from serving the Lord; he, therefore, prefigures Satan, who uses “this present evil world” against the people of God. Amalek, on the other hand, stands before us as the type of the flesh. He was the grandson of Esau, if you all remember, who preferred a perceived gourmet pottage over his birthright as noted in Gen. 36:12.

Amalek was the first who opposed Israel, after their baptism “in the cloud and in the sea.” These facts serve to fix his character with great distinctness; and, in addition to this, we know that King Saul was rejected as King over Israel, in consequence to his failing effort to destroy Amalek as noted in 1 Sam. 15. We also find in the book of Esther that Haman, who is the last of the Amalekites; who conspired to destroy the Jews was hanged on a gallows, in consequence of his wicked attempt against the seed of Israel. No Amalekite could obtain entrance into the congregation of the Lord. It is here in the 17th chapter of Exodus that  we see the Lord declare perpetual war with Amalek.

All these circumstances may be regarded as furnishing conclusive evidence of the fact that Amalek is a type of the flesh. The connection between his conflict with Israel and the water flowing out of the rock is very distinctive by validating the Saint’s conflict with the natural man (Adam), which is in perpetual conflict with the New Man upon receiving the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Israel’s conflict began when they stood in the full power of redemption, and had tasted…For Paul eloquently expounds upon this experience in 1Co 10:1-5“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.“

It was not until they met Amalek, they had nothing to do. They did not cope with Pharaoh. They did not break the power of Egypt nor snap asunder the chains of its enslavement. They did not divide the sea or submerge Pharaoh’s hosts beneath its waves. They did not bring down bread from heaven, or draw forth water out of the flinty rock. They  did not do, nor could they do, any of these things; but now they are called to fight with Amalek. All the previous conflict had been between Jehovah (JESUS) and the enemy. Prior to this time all they had to do was to “stand still” and gaze upon the mighty triumphs of Gods outstretched arm and enjoy the fruits of victory. The Lord had fought for them; but now He fights in or by them. GOLDEN NUGGET!

Hence my brothers and sisters it is also with the Church of God. The victories on which her eternal peace and blessedness are found, were gained single-handily by Christ for us. He was alone on the cross, alone in the tomb. The Church had to stand aside, for how could she be there? How could she vanquish Satan, endure the wrath of God, or rob death of its sting? Impossible. These things lye far beyond the reach of sinners, but not beyond the reach of Him who came to save them. He alone was able to bear upon His shoulder the overbearing weight of all our sins, and rolled the burden away forever. It is by His infinite sacrifice that the Holy Spirit that proceeded from the Father in virtue of the perfect atonement of JESUS, and He now takes up His abode administratively in the Church collectively, and in each member individually.  GOLDEN NUGGET!

Now it is when the Holy Spirit took up His abode in us is when our conflict began. Christ has fought for us; the Holy Ghost fights in us. The very fact that we are enjoying the rich spoils of victory now, puts us into direct conflict with our flesh, and Satan’s kingdom. But Saints there is comfort in knowing that we are victors even prior to entering into the battlefields of conflict. We can approach our battles singing, as noted in the following scriptures: 1 Cor. 15:7 “Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 9:26-27 “We do not, therefore, fight uncertainly or as those that beat the air, while we seek to keep under the body and bring it into subjection. Rom. 8:37 “We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

Again I must emphasize my premise scriptures…Exo. 17:9-13 “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said unto him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”

Again I see two more distinct things in this, namely, Conflict and Intercession. Christ is on high for us, while the Holy Spirit carries on the mighty struggle in us. These two things go together and can never be mutually exclusive, but only inclusive! Please know that as we enter in by faith into the prevalence of Christ’s intercession on our behalf, we have victory against our evil nature.

Some choose to overlook the fact that a child of God is in perpetual conflict with the flesh. Many take the position that being regenerated brings a total change or renewal of the old nature. If you or I were to adopt this principle, it would suggest that we as believers do not have anything to struggle with. If my old nature is renewed, what have I to contend with? Nothing. Meaning that there is nothing within my old nature because it is made new; and that would mean nothing can affect me. The world has no charms for one whose flesh is entirely changed; and Satan would have nothing by which to act. To all who maintain such a position, it may be said that they seem to forget the place where Amalek occupies in the history of the people of God.  Saints please note that if Israel had conceived this idea when Pharaoh’s hosts were gone, and that their conflicts  were over, they would have been devastated when the Amalekites came and fought against them, for the word of God expresses in 1 Cor 10:11 “all these things happened unto Israel for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition,” So we see that there could be no “type,” no “ensample,” no “admonition” in “these things,” for one whose old nature was brand new.

We are distinctly taught in the Word that the Saint has been given the answers to Amalek, that is, “the flesh” …”the old man” … “the carnal mind.” noted in the following: Rom. 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Rom. 8:7  “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.“  Gal. 5:17  “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.“

Now, if we being children of God see and feel the old man stirring up, and become discouraged because he is still there, and began to doubt the victory that Jesus has given us over our flesh, as we perpetually yield to Him. We will not be able to experience the full exuberant joy the Lord has for us. Please let us not deprive ourselves of the advantages we have over our flesh and Satan. For it is apparent that we will have to deal with these two foes until we rest in the Lord through natural death, or are Raptured alive, as we look toward to His glorious appearing. But, until that time we shall stand on the scripture in  Romans 6 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies.” Such a precept suggest that, yes it dwells but it does not have to reign!  It is because of the  faith we have in Christ that we thank God we have power over it. “Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” The grace which, by the blood of the cross, has put away sin, insuring us the victory, through the indwelling  presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Hence we can be assured we have victory because Jesus is our “JEHOVAHNISSI” (the Lord my banner) Therefore “We Have The VICTORY Beyond a Shadow of a Doubt.” Stay encouraged Saints,  because Jesus has already given it to US! Have a “JESUS DAY!“