Truly these are times that we must look to the Lord God of Hosts for our help and strength and to know that we know that God is real, He has a plan, He is in control and He loves us! God does not give us all the details of His Creation of Heaven and Earth, but we do know that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit participated in the creation of the earth and mankind in Genesis. We also know from passages throughout the Bible and especially Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 that angels were created in eternity past since Lucifer was the anointed cherub angel over the Throne of God before mankind was created. The Lord God of Hosts, also known as Jehovah Sabaoth, is a significant name for God in the Bible, appearing 284 times in the Old Testament alone. This name emphasizes God’s power and authority, often translated as “Lord of Armies” or “Lord Almighty.” It highlights God’s role as the leader of heaven’s armies and His authority over all creation. The term “hosts” can refer to armies, angels, or even the stars, indicating God’s control over all celestial and earthly forces. God is the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the Lord Almighty which is a picture of the military God that is all-powerful! He is the God that provides, and He is also the God who protects, and He is watching over us! Psalms 91: 11-12 puts it all into perspective “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” This means if you aligned all the powers of the earth, and add in all of Satan’s power, they are still no match for the Lord of All, the one who is Lord Almighty and Lord of Hosts.
God’s role as the Lord God of Hosts is significant in understanding His character and His relationship with all those who are His own and His sovereign control over every power, dominion, force, and realm. He is depicted as a warrior who fights on behalf of His people and as a conductor of the universe, ensuring that every atom and molecule obeys His commands. The word “hosts” is a translation of the Hebrew word Sabaoth, meaning “armies”—a reference to any army, spiritual or earthly. The Bible describes the host of angels as a vast, nearly innumerable number of angels. In Revelation 5, John hears the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand, or myriads of myriads. Some interpretations suggest that the number of angels could be more than 100 million but whatever it highlights the omnipotence and glory of God as well as the presence of angels serving and worshipping God. In scripture we also read about God raising up His earthly hosts as warriors to bring victory on earth against the enemy’s assaults
The name Lord God of Hosts first appeared in Hannah’s prayer for a son in I Samuel 1: 11 “Lord God of Hosts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid, but grant Your handmaid a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life and no razor will ever touch his head.” Later in 1 Samuel 17: 26 and 45, David voices his confidence in the Lord God of Hosts to the Philistine giant Goliath. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?” and “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.” Confidence in the Lord God of Hosts brought favor to both Hannah and David.
God brought this account of the famous story of David and Goliath to my attention several times this week, so I believe that He is drawing us to these principles in scripture at such a time as this for His purposes as it seems like we are facing impossible odds like David. David didn’t see Goliath as merely the enemy of Israel, he saw him as God’s enemy—and David knew that God could take Goliath out of the picture with no problem. So, he acted on his faith in the Lord God of Hosts. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Israelite soldiers had greater training to do battle with Goliath than David. But they responded to the giant’s threats with paralyzing fear, stress, and anxious frustration. David, on the other hand, didn’t seem upset at all. Why? Because he knew it was God’s battle, not his. Apart from the Lord, he knew he didn’t stand a chance. But with the help of the Lord, he knew everything would turn out all right. Neither David nor the soldiers of Israel had the natural ability to defeat the giant. But while one party focused on its inability—and therefore panicked—the other party focused on God’s provision—and therefore remained confident. The only difference was faith and focus. David did exactly what he knew how to do, while trusting God to do the rest. That is what living by faith boils down to: living in the confidence that God is supremely faithful to keep His word. David gathered five smooth stones, walked down into the valley, and carried on a short but direct exchange with Goliath. He then loaded his sling and fired the one shot that changed his life and the course of Israel’s future. Once that stone left David’s sling, God stepped in to do what only He could do—direct the stone to carry out the fatal blow to defeat Goliath. I read a very interesting article from Israel Today about why David chose 5 smooth stones. David knew according to Joshual 13: 3 that Goliath had four giant brothers called “Lords of the Philistines” and he knew that in order to achieve full victory, Israel had to cast out all the giants from the land. Indeed, the other four Philistine giants eventually do show up in II Samuel 21:22 only to be defeated by David and his men! The Palestinians are the modern-day name for the Philistines—still enemies of Israel. We face many giants in our world today, and they are enemies of God. Let us stand in God’s strength and do not lean on the flesh, but stand in the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to prepare for battle every day by putting on the full armor of God and praying without ceasing. He is available to hear the prayers of His people. “O Lord God of Hosts, restore us; Cause Your face to shine upon us, and we will be saved.” (Psalm 80:19)
As we step into the New Testament, God is still the Lord God of Hosts because He never changes. The good news is that God still fights for us. Romans 8:31 confirms it “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” We have the same assurance that the Israelites did. It does not matter what situation in life we find ourselves in, God is for us. Since God is for us and He is the Lord God of Hosts, there is no one who can ever overcome us if God is on our side. The sovereign Lord of hosts has the grace to always be there for the one who comes to Him through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The King of glory, who commands the armies of heaven and who will eventually defeat every enemy arrayed against Him, is none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus in the Lord of Hosts in Revelation 19:11-20.
God gives us entry into all that He has for us in Christ Jesus our Lord. While it is true God is for us, if we harbor sin in our life God may withhold His protection and covering until we come to a place of repentance. As we walk with God, we must remember this simple truth: obedience is the place of invincibility; disobedience is the place of vulnerability. By obedience we stay in tune with God and are given all the power of God. By obedience we put ourselves in the middle of His love and there we see His glory. (John 14: 21) Here are some specific results of obedience:
Obedience brings us into the will of God. The more we do what God tells us to do the more we get to know Him as a friend. And the more we grow as His friend the more He reveals Himself and His will to us. We will find that His will is good, acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2) As we stay in His Word and aim to obey Him day by day, He will show us who He is and will fill us in on many of the wonderful plans. Let us pray with David from Psalms 24:4 “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths.” Obedience empowers us with the Lord God of Hosts that frees us from sin and its bondage. As we fully surrender to Him we will be set free from sin and become slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6: 16-18) We experience the freedom Christ came to give—abundant life. Obedience results in our prayers being answered. R.A. Torrey had this to say about our prayers being answered: “If we would have power in prayer, we must be earnest students of His Word to find out what His will regarding us is and then having found it do it. One unconfessed act of disobedience on our part will shut the ear of God against many petitions.” The Bible says, “Whatsoever we ask we receive because we keep His commands and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” (1 Jn. 3: 22) E.M. Bounds has said, “An obedient life helps prayer. It speeds prayer to the Throne…Our Lord Jesus Christ, ‘holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,’ had full liberty of approach and ready access to God in prayer. And He had this free and full access because of His unquestioning obedience to His Father.” In our obedience the Father is glorified in the Son. In John 15: 7-8 Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” By abiding and obeying our prayers are answered and we bear much fruit! Fruit is important to Him because it is evidence to the world that we have the nature of Christ in us and that we are His disciples. (Jn. 15:8) The Lord God of Hosts will be magnified to the world and drawn to Him through us and He is pleased and glorified! The name Lord God of Hosts is a good name for God because it gives us more understanding of who He is. It reminds us that God is our defender, and we don’t have to defend ourselves. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes this statement: “My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand, My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10: 27-30) The truth found in these verses in John is possible because of the Lord God of Hosts. He is able to fight for us, keep and protect us, and when Satan tries to snatch us out of His hand, it is impossible. Remember, God will fight for us, and when the enemy comes, God will not allow him to overtake us!
If God is for us, who can be against us? As the Lord God of Hosts, God is watching over us! Not by our power or might but by the Spirit of the Lord God of Hosts! Let us never forget—trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what He sees. David knew the Lord would be victorious and because of it he proceeded with confidence. Let us arise in the confidence of the Lord God of Hosts as David did and watch Him rally His heavenly host and His earthly host to be victorious over the enemy and accomplish His will, purpose and plan at such a time as this! May His light and power blaze through each of us so that those around us may behold the One who shaped us from the dust and ignited our soul with His very breath—His Spirit to accomplish His purpose and plan for His glory!