Lift Up The Standard

(How) are you flying the flag?

flag = banner, standard, ensign

Ps. 60:4 Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth.

-one purpose of the flag is to displayed for truths' sake

John 3:14 And asMoses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

-Christ is our banner and we lift Him up for the world to see.

Each of the 12 tribes of Israel had a distinct flag to fly and orders to display it in a specific way. (Numbers 2,3)

"lift up my standard" "set up a standard" = repeating terms in Isaiah and Jeremiah.

The banner was used for:

1. designating the realm of a certain group of people

2. leading the charge in battle

Song of Solomon 6:4 Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners.

3. A sign of victory and joy

Ps. 20:5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.

4. giving directions to well defended and fortified places of refuge

Jer. 4:6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction

5. To announce the news

Jer. 50:2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces.

NO SURRENDER.

Don't be changing the flag of holiness for a white flag. Our number may be few and scattered, but we are not giving up. The promise is that a remnant will be saved.

Jer. 15:11 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

NO HALF MAST FLAGS HERE.

A flag flying at half mast is a sign of sorrow, a signal of a great loss.

How often we are so quick to lower our flag to half mast, when we should be lifting it up higher and pressing onward.

Isa. 62:10 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 for the people.

Isa 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

THE FLAG IS NOT FOR DEFACING.

Let us respect this way of holiness. Don't make light of it. It is not to be tread upon. It is not for more mere commercial purposes.

THE FLAG SHOULD BE SEEN CONTINUALLY.

Some would conveniently pull out their flag at their pleasure and then hide it when it would appear to more of a burden.

Mr 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

BE DEVOTED TO ONE FLAG.

So many want to enjoy both the world and the Lord.

A child born in another country receives dual nationality status if his parents are from a different country. As the child becomes an adult, he needs to decide as to which country he will give his allegiance.

Mt 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Job 20:5 That the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?