By The Stripes of the Morning Star, We are Free

This week, Americans celebrate their liberty from one country and their nation becoming another one.

The Stars and Stripes Forever speaks of this country's banner.

For those of us in Christ, we have something greater than the banner of one country:

"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing." (Isaiah 40: 15)

Our Banner is one of victory, because of Jesus.

One type of Jesus our banner we find with Moses, when the Israelites defeated their enemies in one battle:'

"And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:" (Exodus 17: 15)

and also

"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." (Song of Solomon 2: 4)

So, we have a banner which rises above all others.

Not only that, but Jesus is our star, greater than any other field of stars:

"I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth." (Numbers 24: 17)

and

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" (2 Peter 1:19)

and thus

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." (Revelation 22: 16)

There are also stripes that are more powerful than the ones on the American flag, too:

"1Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

 

2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

 

3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 

4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 

5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53: 1-5)

 

Indeed, in the United States we celebrate the Stars and Stripes, the flag which represents our new nation, liberty from tyranny and the national independence which followed.

 

Let us also rejoice in the greater banner, Jesus, our Day Star, and how by His stripes we were set free from sin and healed from all disease and lack.