Song of Songs 2:4 say, “He invites me to the banquet hall, His banner over me is Love.” Moses built and altar and named it the “Lord is my banner.” Isaiah says that “the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious”. In another place Isaiah says “He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! “
Banners obviously meant something to the Bible writers and our churches are full of banners. What is on your banner?
Helmut Thielicke talks about banners and the Sermon in the Mount. Leaders will always try and produce happiness. or at least the greatest amount of good for the greatest number. We see that so much of what we do is trying to make people happy or at least less miserable.
“And because this is man’s deepest desire, everybody who covets power and craves to be idolized and loved by men is eager to emblazon happiness on his banner. They know very well that they will soon be cast into the discard if they fail to promise and produce happiness. People are not satisfied with mere ideas and good intentions; these do not appease this strongest of all urges, this secret yearning for happiness. So the politicians, not by any means only the cold, calculating Machiavellians, but also the most idealistic of statesmen (if they had to begin their careers in tunes that were dark and hopeless, having only demands to make and nothing to give), have always promised happiness at least for the future. One need only look at the world, running its unswerving course on these age-old tracks, beating its traditional path to happiness, to judge how completely new and totally different are the rules of life to which Jesus subjects us.”
