0219. BANNER.

BANNER.

Introduction.

1. Banners were very common in olden times.

2. They then had a significance they seem to have lost in these more prosaic days.

3. "There’s a royal banner given for display to the soldiers of the King. As an ensign fair we lift it up to-day, while as ransomed ones we sing."

4. Let us look at some of the banners mentioned in the Scriptures.

I. Open Witness of Salvation. "We will rejoice in Thy salvation, and in the Name of our God we will set up our banners" (Psa_20:5).

1. Saved. God’s salvation received.

2. Then rejoicing, of course, "in Thy salvation."

3. Setting up the banner here surely means open witness for God.

4. Let us bare a bold witness for God.

II. Open Testimony Concerning Love: Communion. Bride speaks: "He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love" (Son_2:4).

1. Bride. The true believer speaks here.

2. Here we have communion.

3. In India those to be honoured are garlanded with flowers, in Palestine there were banners.

III. Open Result of Goodness: Holiness. Bridegroom speaks: "Thou art beautiful, comely, terrible as an army with banners" (Son_6:4).

1. Don’t you think the conjunction of beauty, comely, and terrible, strange?

2. A sanctified and holy people are both an attraction and a terror.

3. Mere pretenders cannot tolerate the Holy.

IV. Warfare. "Lift ye up a banner" (Isa_13:2).

1. Warfare. Life is a fight.

2. Judgment of Lord upon Babylon.

3. Warfare on sin.

4. Not ashamed of our faith. Open declaration, by our banner, or by following the banner.

Autor: James Smith