Jehovah Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts

Then David said to the Philistine, “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.”

1 Samuel 17:45 (NASB)

As we continue with our look at the names of God, we come to one that appears 270 times in the Old Testament; the Lord of Hosts – Jehovah Sabaoth. Jehovah, as we know, is a name of Almighty God; Sabaoth refers to a multitude or, as we see here, a host. In every mention of this name, the primary focus should be on the Lord and not on the hosts – the position of God is pre-eminent in this. This is seen in the first mention of Jehovah Sabaoth in 1 Samuel 1:3 as the object of worship in Shiloh, and particularly by Elkanah the husband of Hannah. A few verses later, we find Hannah praying to the Lord of Hosts regarding her childlessness. The story of Hannah in appealing to Jehovah Sabaoth illustrates an important fact; that despite Almighty God’s command of huge armies, He has time to hear and answer the prayers of the most humble individuals.

The hosts referred to in Jehovah Sabaoth may be more than one type; today’s verse refers to a physical army of Israel, of whom God is their Lord Commander. Sabaoth can also refer to His Heavenly armies of angels, which reminds me of Elisha and his servant surrounded by the King of Aram’s army. The young lad went out in the morning and saw the army surrounding the town. Naturally, he was afraid and came to Elisha bewailing their apparently hopeless situation. Elisha was not afraid and asked the Lord to open the lad’s eyes, and then he saw the huge Angelic army that outnumbered the other army – it was a mighty host! (2 Kings 6:8-18). Sabaoth can also refer to the stars of the Heavens too, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host.” (Psalm 33:6).

Dear Reader, the Lord of Hosts is alive and active today in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. If we do claim Him as our Redeemer, we have direct access to all His Heavenly resources. He is the Lord of Hosts today and tomorrow. Let us not be fearful of any worldly army, for in Christ, we are under the protection of an Angelic host!