Editor’s note: The purpose of this series is to help our readers think through what the character of God is and it’s importance to the Christian faith.
- Dave opened our series by looking at the character of God and the inspiration of Scripture.
- Dave wrote on understanding the names of God.
- Dave wrote on El Roi, the God of Seeing.
- Mike wrote on the jealous of God.
- Today Dave writes on Jehovah Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts.
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Have you ever wished you could just call on someone who would not only fight your battles but calm your fearful and frazzled heart too? Have you ever wanted to just throw your hands up in the air, give up, and let someone else take care of things?
Well, you can! His name is Jehovah Sabaoth.
The name Jehovah Sabaoth may not be a name of God you are familiar with but as we look at this name of God today we will learn that the God we serve is so much greater than our finite minds can comprehend!
Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts) is mentioned over 270 times making it the most frequently used compound name of God in Scripture. This profound name means the Almighty, Sovereign, Self-Existent God over all the multitudes (whether an army, the sun, moon and stars, or creation itself).
First mentioned in 1 Samuel 1:3, we find Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, making annual trips to the temple to sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts. Just a few short verses later we find a barren and heartbroken Hannah making a covenant with the LORD of Hosts as she cried out for Him to hear her prayer and give her a child. (1 Samuel 1:11)
Hannah may have longed for her arms to be filled with a sweet little bundle of joy, but the previous verses (1 Samuel 1:6-7) give us a better idea of why she prayed such a desperate prayer. She not only wanted to experience the joy of being a mother but she also wanted to be able to silence the persistent mocking of Peninnah. So she called on the LORD of Hosts to win a war she could not win on her own.
In 1 Samuel 17:45, we find just prior to pegging Goliath with a pebble, David boldly proclaimed, “And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.”
And in 2 Samuel 5:10, we find – “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.”
- In Psalm 24:10, The LORD of Hosts is the King of glory and in Psalm 46:7 He is our Fortress.
- In Psalm 59:5, He is called upon to vindicate His people.
- In Isaiah 51:15 we see He controls the sea and the waves.
- In Isaiah 54:5 He is our husband and in Zechariah 4:6, He declares that He alone wins our battles when He tells Zerubbabel, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
- And in Isaiah’s life-altering, mouth-shutting vision of the Lord, he heard the Seraphim speaking to one another, crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)
Throughout Scripture we find this LORD of Hosts as our ever present defender, the Sovereign and Holy God over all the universe who sees us, loves us, and moves mountains on our behalf. He fights our battles, wins our wars, and is the refuge we can run to in time of need. He is Jehovah-Sabaoth!
There is nothing He cannot do, nothing He does not know, nothing He cannot control, no enemy He cannot defeat, no heart He can not heal, no mouth He can not shut, and no miracle He cannot perform. How beautiful it is to know He longs to work in our lives and on our behalf as the LORD of Hosts!
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
