![]() Numbers 15:37-40 suggests such an aid: "You are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. God often directed the people of Israel to make visual aids to remind them of what was really important. In Micah 6:5, God gives such a reminder: "My people, remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD." We too need to remember what God has done for us and for people throughout history. We, like the people of the Old Testament, need reminding. Banners Keep the Truth Before UsĪ primary function of Christian banners is to keep the truth before us. And since according to Romans 8:37 "we are more than conquerors through him who loved us," we can hoist our banners in celebration of the victory Christ has already won. Psalm 20:5 says, "We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God." Throughout history, it has been the custom of armies to hoist flags of victory after conquering a town or territory in battle. ![]() Especially important in our visual culture today, banners can serve as visual statements that speak and stay with God's people even longer than the spoken word. Perhaps the banners in our sanctuaries can encourage us to follow our captain in the battle against our enemy, Satan. Jeremiah 4:6 is an example of such direction: "Raise a banner to go to Zion! Flee for safety without delay."Īs Christians we are daily engaged in a spiritual battle. Throughout history banners have been used during battle to direct soldiers where to go, where to stand, and when to march. God's people rallied for battle with the raising of banners: "Lift a banner in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations for battle against her" (Jer. Banners Guide Us in Our Spiritual Battles And banners that incorporate biblical symbols and /or texts in creative designs can help us proclaim God's truth. Hung outside or in entryways, banners call us to gather. 'See, your Savior comes!'"īanners can serve a similar purpose in worship today. The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth. He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles in Israel." In Jeremiah 50:2 a banner is lifted to announce the downfall of Babylon and in Isaiah 62:10-12 a banner is raised "for the nations. In Isaiah 11:10-12 we read, "The Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the people the nations will rally to him. ![]() A raised banner served to announce that something significant was about to happen. The Scriptures tell us in several places that banners were raised to gather or assemble the people. Banners Call Us to Gather and Proclaim the Truth Scholars who have studied Jewish tradition suggest that the colors of the tribal banners may have corresponded to the colors of the tribal stones represented in the priest's ephod (Ex. The earliest biblical mention of banners occurs in Numbers 1 and 2, where God tells the children of Israel to camp in tribal groups around the tabernacle and to erect banners or standards to identify their clans. A closer look at how God's Old and New Testament people used banners can help us understand how we can make them a meaningful part of our gathering and worshiping today. Many people are surprised to discover that banners are not a twentieth-century invention in fact, they are mentioned repeatedly in Scripture. ![]() Do banners add to worship, inspiring worshipers to reflect on who they are as children of God and what kind of God we are called to serve? Or are they merely decorations to brighten up a dull or plain space? But often they haven't really thought through the purpose and meaning of those banners. As a result, many congregations have decided to add a banner or two to their sanctuary. During the last couple of decades, interest in banners has enjoyed a revival.
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