Lesson 9
 Yahweh-Nissi – The Lord my Banner (2 Corinthians 2:14) – part 2
“Trust God to Arm You with Strength for Spiritual Battles” (Psalm 18:2)
Read 2 Samuel 5:6-10, 17-25, 1 Chronicles 11:4-9, 14:8-17, Psalm 18 www.bible.com/bible/59/2sa.5.esv

David and his men set out for Jerusalem to defeat the Jebusites, who lived there, and capture the capital city of Israel. The Jebusites taunted David and his men: “Even the blind and lame could keep you out of Jerusalem; you might as well go back home!” But Yahweh- Nissi, the Lord my Banner, was leading David and his army. David captured the fortress of Zion without shedding blood and made it his home, naming it the City of David. The God of Angel Armies was fighting for and with the new King of Israel! David fortified the city of Jerusalem and the gates were rebuilt.

 The Philistines heard David had been made king over all Israel and came to hunt him. David found out and moved to the stronghold. David asked Yahweh-Nissi, the Lord his Banner, if he should go up and fight the Philistines, and if God would enable them to win the battle. God answered, “Go up; I’ll enable you to win.” The Lord, fighting along with David’s army, exploded on the Philistines like gushing water. As the Philistines ran in hasty retreat, they threw their idols down, which David and his soldiers then destroyed.
 The Philistines came up again, and David again prayed to Yahweh- Nissi. God told him not to attack head-on this time, but to circle around behind them and mount a surprise attack from the sacred trees. The Lord told David, “When you hear the leaves rustling in the trees, that is your sign to move out from the grove and attack.” David obeyed the Lord his Banner exactly and sent the Philistines on a hasty retreat.
 There were mighty men in David’s army who were unusually brave. One time when the army was hiding in a cave during a battle against the Philistines, David was very thirsty. A few of his soldiers heard him sigh, “I long for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem!” Three of his unusually brave men crept silently into the Philistine camp, got water from the Bethlehem well, and brought it back to David. When David realized his men had risked their lives to bring him this special water, he refused to drink it. Instead, he poured it out on the ground as an offering to his Yahweh- Nissi.

 Apply God’s Word to your life:
*Did the Jebusites’ mocking discourage David from capturing Jerusalem? Do you get discouraged when others are negative or when you feel you can’t do something God wants you to do? What should you remember and do when you become discouraged? Do you know any Bible verses which could help you during these times?
*How does David describe Yahweh-Nissi in Psalm 18:1-2? Choose one of these attributes of God and ask him to be that for you this coming week.
*God gave David specific strategies for defeating the enemy. What strategies has Yahweh-Nissi given us to defeat our enemy, Satan? How does the Lord our Banner arm us with strength for spiritual battles?