Adonay Yahweh
We have in previous studies considered the significance of the word Adonay – it is a plural word and signifies ‘rulers.’ (See Bible Student Vol.3, page 57.) Adonay Yahweh is the usual form of this name-title combination and in the Authorised Version this is rendered Lord GOD. Occasionally the combination is Yahweh Adonay, e.g. Psalm 68:20. This name relates to the purpose of God to manifest Himself in the members of Adam’s race (this we have repeatedly seen to be the significance of the name Yahweh) in a particular way. It speaks of Yahweh in multitudinous manifestation as the RULER of the earth in the age to come. This form of the Divine name is very common, for the idea of the Kingdom – Yahweh ruling in the earth, is the centre of His purpose.
The Significance of Adonay Yahweh
It is interesting to note the way in which this form of the Name is used in the Second Book of Samuel. This passage forms one of the most conclusive proofs that these name-title combinations are significant,and is a striking demonstration of the meaning of this particular form of the Name. We find in II Samuel that the names ‘Yahweh of hosts’ and ‘Yahweh Elohim’ occur scattered throughout the book,but the name Adonay Yahweh occurs in only one chapter, where it is found no less than six times.
This is chapter 7, which records the giving of the Davidic Covenant in which Yahweh says,
“And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men ” (verses 12-14).
Here is the purpose of God in which He expresses His intention to establish a kingdom and manifest Himself in a son and in a royal house. After receiving this covenant David addresses God in verse 18 for the first time as Adonay Yahweh. Who am I, O Adonay Yahweh? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?” Thus there is clearly seen the connection between this name Adonay Yahweh and God’s intention to manifest Himself in members of the human race as rulers in His future kingdom, and David throughout the rest of this chapter addresses God repeatedly using this form of the Name (see verses 19, 20, 28, 29).
The use of this form of the Name is consistent throughout Scripture. Consider Jeremiah ch. 4 where we have a prophecy of the impending Babylonian invasion of Israel – “The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate, and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant…and it shall come to pass in that day, saith Yahweh, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder” (verses 7 and 9). In response to this Jeremiah exclaims in verse 10,
“Ah, Adonay Yahweh! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.”
This is the only time that the name Adonay Yahweh occurs in this chapter. Why is this? Because the prophet has in mind the fulfilment of God’s purpose with Israel as expressed in the Davidic Covenant, when Jerusalem shall have peace and be a praise in the earth. Jeremiah therefore uses the name Adonay Yahweh, the name which speaks of God manifesting Himself in members of Adam’s race as the ruler of this earth when His kingdom is established in fulfilment of the Covenant that He made with David.
Ezekiel uses this form of the Name more than any of the prophets and the reason is not difficult to see. The first half of the book mainly concerns the sins of apostate Israel. God wanted to be their king and He wanted them for His people,but they rebelled. For this reason the judgments had to be sent upon them. Concerning these judgments we notice repeatedly statements such as this in Ezekiel 24:24,
“When this cometh, ye shall know that I am Adonay Yahweh.”
Here we have the reason for the judgments. Yahweh’s purpose with them would be fulfilled and His intention to reign over them would not be frustrated by their sin. HE WILL BE (Yahweh) THEIR RULERS (Adonay) and by process of judgment Israel was to be brought to this realisation, and so we read,
“Thus saith Adonay Yahweh (He will be rulers); I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went” (Ezekiel 36:22).
Events around us in the world indicate that we are standing on the very threshold of the kingdom, and ere long “Adonay Yahweh will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him” (Isaiah 40:10). We have already noticed the connection between this name and the Davidic Covenant.
Jesus of course is the seed promised to David through whom God will bring about the fulfillment of His Covenant. It is interesting to note that when Jesus was in the synagogue in Nazareth and was invited to read from the Scriptures he quoted from Isaiah chapter 61 concerning himself –
“The Spirit of Adonay Yahweh is upon me; because Yahweh hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh,that he might be glorified” (Isaiah 61:1-3).
This was the Spirit of Adonay Yahweh because it was speaking of Yahweh’s purpose to restore Israel in fulfilment of the Davidic Covenant and establish God’s kingdom in the earth. The ministry of Jesus was the beginning of this great work of God and the prophecy proceeds to speak of the time when that involved in God’s name Adonay Yahweh will be fulfilled:
“For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so Adonay Yahweh will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations” (verse 11).
Yahweh Nissi
This form of the Name is only found once in the Scriptures in Exodus 17:15. The context is that the Amalekites having attacked Israel at Rephidim (verse 8) were discomfited by Joshua –
“Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (verse 13). And in this context Yahweh makes a promise to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven” (verse 14).
Moses then as recorded in verse 15 proceeds to build an altar and he calls the name of the altar Yahweh-Nissi. Why did he call the altar Yahweh-Nissi? The reason is given in verse 16 of this chapter. Following the margin of the Authorised Version,
“Because the hand of Amalek is against the throne of Yahweh, therefore Yahweh will have war with Amalek from generation to generation” (verse 16).
Nissi signifies ‘My Banner’ and the name Yahweh-Nissi therefore means, “He will be my banner.” Here we have the purpose of God expressed that He would manifest Himself as a banner, an ensign, to Israel, and it is found in the context of the destruction of Amalek.
The Sin of Amalek
Amalek is presented as being the first nation to attack Israel on her way to the Land of Promise and Moses says of this that the hand of Amalek was against the throne of Yahweh. In Amalek then we have a representation of flesh in opposition to the throne of Yahweh, which is the Kingdom of God. The most notorious example of Amalek as the opponent of the throne of Yahweh is to be found in Haman the Agagite. Agag was king of the Amalekites (I Sam. 15:8)., and Haman was a descendant of his. In the book of Esther we have Haman’s policy of extermination of the Jewish race and a remarkable example of the way in which Yahweh’s war with Amalek was successfully prosecuted and Haman hanged upon his own gallows.
Amalek is noted for his opposition to the people of God. Yahweh through Balaam declares in Numbers 24:20,
“Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.”
Moses tells us in this name Yahweh-Nissi that in His battle with Amalek God would manifest Himself as Israel’s banner, the ensign, the rallying point of the true people of God. Amalek (opposition to the throne of God) would be defeated and God’s purpose fulfilled in the earth.
Amalek represents flesh in organised manifestation against God. Paul speaks of the conquest of Amalek in Romans 16:20, with obvious reference to Genesis chapter 3, when he says, “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” This work of conquering the adversary (opposition to the throne of God) began with the Lord Jesus himself. The God of peace will bruise Satan under our feet only because Jesus first destroyed sin in himself. He bruised Satan in the head and through death destroyed “him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”
John in his Gospel in chapter 3 speaks of this conquest of sin.
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (verses 14-15).
In Jesus on the cross we see the serpent destroyed, the adversary conquered. This passage in John chapter 3 is, of course,a reference back to Numbers 21 where we read,
“Yahweh said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived” (verses 8-9).
In this quotation the word “pole” is the Hebrew, “Nes” which means a banner and from which Nissi is derived. Thus Jesus seen as the serpent on the pole became the ensign, the rallying point, of the people of God in the war against Amalek. Here is the beginning of the fulfilment of that which is memorialised by Moses in the altar which he called Yahweh Nissi – He who will be My Banner.
War with Amalek— Stage 1
The war with Amalek has commenced and now ourselves are engaged in the battle,fighting first the opposition in our own flesh as Jesus did. How came we to be associated together in this work? The prophet has the answer –
“And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign (Hebrew, “nes”) of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10)
(Note how Paul quotes this passage with reference to the conversion of Gentiles in Romans 15:8-12.) We may call this stage one of the conflict with Amalek – it is in progress now. Because we are opposed to the flesh (our own and others’) we are known as “the sect everywhere spoken against,” but we can take great comfort in the fact that,
“God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence” (I Cor. 1:27-29).
War with Amalek— Stage 2
This confrontation with Amalek is to assume a more active form and take on more gigantic proportions when the time comes for the kingdom of God to be established as a political reality in the earth. This we might call stage two of the war against Amalek.
The 60th Psalm is interesting in this connection. The background of this Psalm is the conquest by David and Joab of the enemies of God’s kingdom as is seen from this Psalm title. In connection with our subject we note simply the following points:-
- The Psalm speaks of Israel (the people of the Kingdom of God) in a scattered state. “O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; …thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment” (verses 1-3).
- But in spite of these things we learn in verse 4, “Thou hast given a banner (Hebrew, “nes”) to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.” Well might the Psalmist add, “Selah” i.e. consider!
- The lifting up of the ensign or the banner is associated in verse 5 with the deliverance of the “Beloved.”
- In verses 6-8 the Psalmist declares that God’s war with Israel’s fleshly enemies will ultimately be successful.
- But who will do it? (verse 9). The answer comes in verses 10-12, “Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? And thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of men. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.” The One who provides the banner, delivers the beloved, will ultimately destroy the adversary and tread down (comp. Romans 16:20) the enemies of the Truth, is God – Yahweh Nissi indeed!
For this reason many of Isaiah’s prophecies which speak of this restoration of Israel and the conquest of her enemies and the establishment of God’s Kingdom speak also of the banner or the ensign whereby this will be accomplished. We have already noted Isaiah 11:10 which speaks of the ensign and our relationship to it, but the prophet goes on to speak in verse 11 of the regathering of the Jews.
“It shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea,” and it is in this context that he says in verse 12, “And he shall set up an ensign (Hebrew, “nes”) for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
Isaiah 18 speaks of the time of the blowing of the trumpet (no doubt the trumpet of jubilee) when Yahweh will take His rest in His dwelling place (which is Zion)and when the saints will be seen like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest, and in this context he speaks of an ensign lifted up:
“All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. For so Yahweh said unto me, I will take my rest…” (Isaiah 18:3-4).
Isaiah 31 speaks of the time when
“Yahweh of hosts [shall] come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof” and in this context he says, “Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a mean man, shall devour him: but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited. And he shall pass over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign (Hebrew, “nes”), saith Yahweh, whose fire is in Zion, and his furnace in Jerusalsm” (verses 8-9).
Thus the war with Amalek will be fought and won and those who oppose the throne of Yahweh will be destroyed.
The end is assured as the prophet Isaiah in his 62nd chapter declares,
“Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard (Hebrew, “nes”) for the people. Behold, Yahweh hath proclaimed unto the end of the world. Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of Yahweh; and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken” (Isaiah 62:10-12).
All this will be brought about by Yahweh manifest in Christ and the saints – all this is involved in the name Yahweh Nissi.
The Solution