Treasures New and Old

Calling on the Name of the Lord: Jehovah Sabbaoth

God’s name is very important. His name is holy, pure, and represents His character and love towards us. Yet I often hear prayers end in “amen” without mentioning even the phrase “in His name I pray,” or “in name of Jesus I pray”, or something similar. The Scripture is full of examples of men calling on the name of God in their prayers. Here are a few examples:

Abraham called on the name of the Lord (Genesis 12:8; 13:4).
The Lord proclaimed His own name before Moses (Exodus 33:19; 34:5).
Israel was warned against profaning the name of the Lord (Leviticus 18:21; 22:2, 32).
The name of the Lord was not to be taken in vain (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11).
The priests of Israel were to minister in the name of the Lord (Deuteronomy 18:5; 21:5).
The name of God is called “wonderful” in Isaiah 9:6.
To call on the name of the Lord was to worship Him as God (Genesis 21:33; 26:25).

So – what is His Name?

In this series of articles, I want to explore the various names of the Lord. When we pray and call upon His name, it is good to know on whom we are calling. Does that mean that there are many gods? NO! It does mean that He has many names, and that each has been given to us so that we can pray more specifically and use one of the many characteristics that is embodied in our God. Let’s examine our tenth name this month:

Yahweh (or Jehovah) Sabbaoth: “The Lord of Hosts”

The closes transliteration of the word host as used in 1 Samuel 1:3, is sebaot (Gilbrant, The Complete Biblical Library Interlinear Bible). It is hard for us to pronounce, so the easier way for us to pronounce (and also to spell), and closer to the way the Hebrew word sounds to us is sabbaoth. When sabbaoth is used, it is generally not just a large group of people. It is an army. A large army. Several places in Scripture the word host, translated from sabbaoth, appears no less than 294 times in the Old Testament (and is not found in the New Testament). There are five other locations in the Old Testament that are translated as “hosts” but use a different Hebrew word. When we see the phrase “The Lord of hosts” or the phrase “The Lord God of hosts” it is speaking to the fact that God commands a large, heavenly (and sometimes earthly) and mighty army. Yahweh Sabbaoth (The Lord of Hosts) and Yahweh Elohim Sabbaoth (The Lord God of Hosts) makes it clear to us that God is the ruler of the angels (and some day in the end times the ruler of the returning believers): in point of fact – the armies of heaven. We see this name used throughout the Scripture. One notable deviation is in Joshua 5:14 when God identifies Himself as “Captain of the Hosts” (sar sebaot (Gilbrant)). A slight change of name but He is still in charge!

Many great men of God recognize that God indeed is the Lord and Captain of a vast host of warrior angels: Samuel, King David, and the sons of Korah to name a few. The Korahites said in Psalm 46:7: “The LORD of hosts is with us; God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

The name or title “Lord of Hosts” signifies God as our warrior Lord and one who fights for and protects us. Remember when Elisha is protected by an army of angels that were surrounding the city where he was (2 Kings 6:16-17). In more modern times there are numerous stories where angels have intervened in people’s lives. There are similar accounts of different missionaries who one night are besieged by hostile natives. They usually yelled and threatened horribly, but they never attacked. Much later, usually after the chief and many other members of the tribe accepted Christ, the chief asked the missionary where he got all those fierce warriors dressed in white that kept them from attacking his family that night. The missionaries never knew who they were talking about. So the missionary’s family had God’s Host surround them in protection all night. We can be certain that God is providing protection for us with His host of angels. They are spirits sent to serve those of us who will one day inherit salvation and eternal life (Hebrews 1:14). The Psalmist said this about angels: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11). Also, regarding the warrior nature of God, He has said: “. . . Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me” (Isaiah 45:11). In another place, Isaiah tells us: “The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” (Isaiah 52:10).

We are told in Matthew 18:10 as Jesus is speaking to his disciples: “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” Our God guards us with His angels. God, the “Lord of Hosts”, is always protecting His saints. The angels of the Lord of Hosts are always watching the Master, ready to obey His command as would any good and loyal warrior. When called upon by God, they immediately respond to any injustice or offense against His little ones (and His big ones too!).

Back for a moment to the title Lord God of Hosts – Yahweh Elohim Sabbaoth. In 2 Samuel 5:10 we see that David grew great, and that the Lord God of Hosts was with him. Elohim, remember, means mighty god or supreme god. One could say that this title means, “The Mighty and Supreme Master of the Hosts of Heaven.” Don’t you want Him in your corner? I do. When you are facing spiritual battle conditions, or facing hostile crowds or people, call upon the Lord of Hosts to do battle for you and to send a portion of His hosts to surround and protect you.

Of course, only true believers of Christ can claim Him as their warrior protector. If you are not a follower of Christ, you can become one by repenting of your sins and trusting in Him. The Bible says:

Romans 10:9-11: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”

Our Lord Jesus, who is the second person of the Godhead, and therefore, also the Lord God of Hosts, is our provider, our protector, our guide, and our Lord. He is sovereign over all there is in the universe and in heaven which includes the warrior angels that He commands, and ourselves, and all else – He is in control. As we all learn to “call on the name of the Lord”, let us remember that we serve a Master who loves us, provides for us, and reveals truth to us. He is all powerful, in total control, and He is our Lord and He is “The Lord God of Hosts”!!!

Until He returns:

May God bless you all!

Bro. Joe

References

Gilbrant, T. The Complete Biblical Library Interlinear Bible. World Library Press. (2019). Wordsearch Bible. [computer software] . Nashville, TN: Lifeway Christian Resources. (Original work published 1990)

Article Archives

Privacy Policy