Hallowed Be Your Name, A Study of the Names of God - Part 7: Jehovah Sabaoth

REVIEW
 
So we have been studying the Names of God for a couple of months now, and we are approaching this study with how knowing & understanding His Names has so much to do with how His people approach Him.
 
We have entitled this series “Hallowed Be Your Name” because this is how the Lord Jesus taught His disciples how to approach their Heavenly Father in prayer. So we learned that this is evidently one of the most important ways to come to know Him, through His Names.
 
And the reason for this is because, in Bible times, the names of people, places, and things taught you a lot about the one you were referring to. Likewise, with God, His Names reveal to us who He was, who He is, and who He forever more shall be. In other words, His Names reveal to us who He is at His core, what His nature is, and what we can count on Him always being.
 
So while we began with the more general term for “God” (the Hebrew word Elohim), we saw that it’s important that we allow the Lord to take us beyond just simply knowing Him as the Creator, the All-Powerful, Sovereign One that the general population knows Him as. So, we moved on to seeing His primary Name – Yahweh – and how this Name reveals Him as the Existing One and as more relational than most see Him. Through this Name, the LORD essentially says, “I AM” and we would say, “The LORD IS.” Yes, this Name basically invites us and even teases us to know Him better by leaving an open-ended sentence of who He is.
 
So then we saw how through this Name Yahweh (which is commonly transliterated Jehovah in our English-speaking Bibles)  He began to reveal Himself more specifically to His chosen people and answer that question – Who is He?
 
So the first “Jehovah” Name of God that we looked at was Jehovah Shammah, which means “The LORD is there” and thus denotes – Yahweh is present. So we saw that this Name of Yahweh reveals God’s nature to always be there and present with His people. We then looked at a lot of Scriptures that echo this part of His Person where we learned that God is our ever-present help in a time of need and that He has promised to never leave or forsake us. Yes, God is faithful – God the Father always being the same, Jesus always being true, and the Holy Spirit always being there.
Then we looked at another Name of Jehovah – the Name Jehovah Rapha – and we learned that this describes the LORD as the One who heals and wants His people healthy. We looked at a ton of Scriptures that reveal God’s heart to heal His people and be our Great Physician. So as I said, God’s in the healing business and He’s not planning on going out of business anytime soon! He was the children of Israel’s healer yesterday, He is the church’s healer today, and He will always be the One who heals His people tomorrow. 
 
Then last week, we looked at the Name of God – Jehovah M’Kaddesh – and we learned how this describes the LORD who sanctifies. This means that the LORD is the One who consecrates, dedicates, hallows (sound familiar?) or makes holy. In the simplest terms, it means to separate or set apart something to make it different and special.  
 
We looked at how God has “set apart” certain things like this such as

1. The Bible, calling it the Holy Bible in that it is a special Book that is unlike any other book.
2. The Sabbath, making it holy in that it is a special day set apart to God and unlike any other day of week.
3. The tithe, saying it is a special form of giving to the Lord because He said it is His.

 
I could go on and on with these examples, but the fact is, when God sets something apart, that makes it holy to Him and it is indeed special in His eyes. And we saw how that includes us because of the myriad of Scriptures in the New Testament that calls the church, a body of “saints.” So we looked at several verses that shows us how in Christ, we have been sanctified through the Holy Spirit, revealing to us that Jehovah M’Kaddesh is still all about making things holy.
 
JEHOVAH SABAOTH
 
Now the next “Jehovah” name of God that I want us to look at is probably one of the most often used ones – Jehovah Sabaoth (Saab-A-Oth)
 
This Name occurs more than 270 times in the Old Testament! Wow, that’s a lot of times for God to be called this, isn’t it? And you might be wondering – If this Name of His is used this many times in the Bible, how have I missed it? Well, that’s probably because what you’ve been seeing is the translation of it – Lord of hosts. Yes, when you see God referred to as the Lord of hosts, that is almost always a translation “Jehovah Sabaoth.”  
 
You see, the Hebrew word, sabaoth, literally describes a “host” or “multitude.” So when we put Yahweh together with Sabaoth, we get “The LORD is (In this case, the Lord of) hosts or a multitude.”
 
Various translations handle Jehovah Saboath in different ways: The NIV translates the name as “Lord Almighty.” The NLT has “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” The NASB has the broader translation of the “Lord of armies.” And the NET has the even broader “Lord who rules over all.” All of these translations reflect the truth that the host or multitudes that He is over is a part of His might, His army, and what He rules through.
 
So let’s get a little more specific with this word “sabaoth” and answer the question – Who is this “host” that He is Lord of?
 
Well, the first thing that’s important to understand about the word “sabaoth” is that it’s most often used as a military term. Now it is by far translated “hosts” the most in the original King James Version, but it is also translated as “war” (41x), army (29x), battle (5x), and also as warfare, soldiers, etc. So we can clearly see that the majority of the times it is used, it is describing an army of some kind.
 
Now sometimes it is used to refer to an army of men (See First Samuel 17:45; Isaiah 13:4) and other times it is used to describe an army of angels or other heavenly hosts (See Psalm 148:2; First Kings 22:19). But sometimes it is just used to refer to the innumerable stars in the night sky (See Psalm 33:6; 103:20, 21).
 
But the important thing to understand about this Name for God is that whether it is referring to armies of men, multitudes of angels, or a host of stars, Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, is the One who creates, calls, and commissions these people and things both on earth and in heaven. Yes, He is the Lord over these multitudes, both organizing and leading them.
 
Now the first time Jehovah Sabaoth appears in the Bible is in First Samuel 1:3 when we are told that Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, went up from his city annually to worship and sacrifice to the “Lord of hosts” in Shiloh. And then, verse 11 goes on to describe how childless Hannah, who wanted a son so badly and earnestly prayed that the Lord would grant her the desire of her heart. This verse says, “She made a vow and said, ‘O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life’.”
 
Now it is of great interest to me as to why these verses are the first time we see the phrase “the Lord of hosts” used: Perhaps its because this is how Samuel, the likely author of this Book of the Bible, saw the LORD. Maybe it’s because the Holy Spirit who inspired the author to call the LORD this was wanting us to see how the Lord’s kingdom operates.
 
I believe the latter is most likely: You see, the Books of First and Second Samuel are what chronicle a different season for Israel – the time where God began bringing more structure to His chosen people by giving them their heart’s desire for a king and establishing His kingdom, first through Saul, but mainly through David and his sons.
 
So the “Sabaoth,” the hosts or multitudes, that the LORD is Lord of could be a reference to His kingdom that He is establishing through his first couple of kings. Which teaches us something important …
 
Just as Samuel was given to the Lord by His mother, Hannah, in exchange for the blessing of giving her a son, the Lord of hosts looks for a people, whether that be a king or a priest, a prophet or just a regular man or woman, to be Lord over and who will do His will. We will get into this more momentarily.
 
Let’s now look at some of these other instances of “Lord of hosts” in the Scriptures to gain a clearer picture of those God is organizing or sending to fight for Him.
 
The first time we see the word sabaoth used by itself is in in the account of creation in Genesis 2:1. This verse says, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.”
 
So “host” here is not used to describe any particular people, but of all of the “things” God created. So we can see that host is not always referring to entities, but sometimes to other created things like stars, trees, animals, etc. 
 
In First Samuel 17:45, it is in this Name that the young David took up Goliath’s arrogant challenge: This verse says, “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with 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 defied.’”
 
Notice in this verse that David said he was coming at the giant in this specific name, Jehovah Sabaoth. And then he goes on to specifically describe who the Lord of hosts is – the God of the armies of Israel. So again we see the tie in of the word Sabaoth and armies, and we see that the army of Israel is the specific host David was referring to.   
 
Later on in David’s life, we see how Jehovah Sabaoth blessed Him and was backing him: “So David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him.” (First Chronicles 11:9). So because the LORD of hosts was backing Him, it increased David’s influence and the ground he was taking through God’s anointing.
 
Psalm 46:7 says something similar: It says, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” So because the Lord of hosts is with us, we don’t have to fear. We know we will be protected.
 
Psalm 103:20-21 shows us who these hosts are that are fighting for us: These verses say, “Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.” So in these verses, we certainly see the LORD of hosts as the Lord over the heavenly hosts who excel in strength, do His word, and minister on His behalf, doing His pleasure. Hebrews 1:14 describes this host of angels as “ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation.”
 
So the host of angels, His ministers who do His pleasure, are sent forth to minister for us who have inherited salvation! Yes, they are watching over us to fight for and defend the children of God. Amen!
 
Now this name of God, the LORD of hosts, occurs mostly in the Prophets, especially in those speaking about the failure of Israel. It appears nearly 80 times in Jeremiah, 14 times in the 2 short chapters of Haggai, nearly 50 times in Zechariah, and 25 times in Malachi.
 
One of my favorites is found in Zechariah 4:6 where the LORD told Zerubbabel – “ ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
 
What the Lord was telling this man who had a tall task ahead of him to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple was that it wasn’t going to be by his “might” (that is, his collective strength of man-power, etc.) or by his “power” (that is, his own individual strength of his intellect and personal abilities), but it was going to be by the Spirit of God. And then by adding, “says the Lord of hosts,” I hear the LORD telling Zerubbabel – “But by My might and by My power because I AM the LORD of hosts!”
 
Finally, Malachi 3:17 (a verse I quoted last week) says, “ ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels.’ ”
 
This verse is obviously prophesying our Day when Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection will make us children of God, His pearls of great price and hidden treasures. And I also believe that we today are part of the “hosts” that He is Lord of.
 
SEEING THE LORD OF HOSTS
 
So who are the hosts over whom the Lord has authority? We’ve seen that His hosts involve all of His creation like the multitudes of stars in the heavens, the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, etc. Yes, all of God’s creation is a part of His hosts and He will use them as necessary to see His kingdom come and will be done.
 
But it doesn’t stop there: We’ve seen that His hosts also include those in heaven like His angels and other spiritual beings surrounding His throne and inhabiting heaven. Therefore, Jehovah Sabaoth uses all of His spiritual hosts to accomplish His purposes as well. This is threaded throughout the Scriptures.    
 
But His hosts are not just spiritual entities. We’ve seen how His hosts are also described as His physical hosts such as the armies of Israel that He leads into battle and other armies of the nations He musters against His enemies.
 
I wonder how much our perspective would change if we saw this Name of God the way it is in truth. It would probably be like going from being Elijah’s servant in Second Kings chapter 6 who only saw the king’s horses and chariots surrounding the city to being Elijah who saw the horses and chariots of fire that the LORD of hosts had surrounding the mountain. His servant was freaking out because he could only see the “hosts” that were against them while Elijah was at peace because he saw the “hosts” who were more in numbers and strength and were there to protect them.
 
Yes, church, God’s people are always transformed when we recognize Jehovah-Sabaoth. It’s all a matter of perspective. It is a simple saying, yet there is a great deal of truth to it – small God, big problems: big God, small problems.
 
THE HOST ABOVE ALL HOSTS
 
Now I believe that there is some light we can gain about this Name of God by looking at how we primarily use the word “host” today.
 
So in our modern-day society, how do we primarily use the word “host”? It is used to describe “a person who receives or entertains guests socially, commercially, or officially” (Webster’s Dictionary). In layman’s terms, a host is someone who invites a person or people to maybe a party at their home, a meeting at their place of business, etc.
 
So the Lord is the Lord of Hosts – meaning, the Lord is all about Hosting. We see this throughout the Lord’s parables as He is described as a Man who threw a great dinner and invited many (See Luke 14:15-24), as the Father throwing a party in his house for His servants & sons (See Luke 15:22-27), etc. The LORD is the best host, and He sure knows how to throw a party!
 
But my point from these examples is that the LORD is obviously all about inviting others to be a part of what He is doing. Yes, He loves congregations! He delights in assemblies! He rejoices in family! Why? Because Love doesn’t like doing things alone. It loves to involve others – to bless them and let them be a part of something special.
 
Well, God, who is Love, is no different. The Lord of hosts obviously doesn’t just work alone. I think I’ve had this incorrect imagery of God – that since He doesn’t need anyone else to get things done, being the Almighty, All-Powerful Being that He is, that He doesn’t use anyone else. But how many of you know that’s not how the Lord of hosts operates? No, He uses others for His kingdom’s purposes.
 
For example, there are multiple verses that show us that when the Lord had enemies to defeat, that He would send angels to do His bidding. Oftentimes, He even used angels to deliver His Word to people. Did He have to do things this way? Couldn’t He simply move His pinky finger and defeat His enemies here on the earth? Couldn’t He just speak audibly to those He had a message for? Why use angels for these things? Well, I don’t believe it’s because He has to use angels. Rather, I believe it’s because He chooses to do things this way.
 
You see, there is a great misconception out there as to how the Lord operates: Consider the example of us as His creation and how He uses human beings. There is a very popular theology out there called the Sovereignty of God, and a big part of this doctrine teaches that God is in control and does whatever He wants to do. So if something happens to us, it was because God permitted it to happen for His purposes. This belief system goes as far as saying that everything – good or bad – that comes into our lives is a part of God’s sovereign plan.
 
Church, these things are simply not so. No, some things happen because the Lord has given man authority to do something about it and we didn’t. Yes, even evil is accomplished on this planet, not because God is allowing it, but because we yield ourselves to the flesh, sin, and satan. This is all part of God’s design when He created the heavens & the earth. He gave us dominion over His creation and told man to rule over this world that the Lord had given Him.
 
Psalm 115:16 says, “The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD’s; But the earth He has given to the children of men.”
 
So the earth is ours, not His – all because He chose to give it to us. Yes, ultimately, He is the owner of His creation, but He has essentially leased out this planet to mankind. Therefore, it is our responsibility to guard our garden, taking care of it both naturally and spiritually.
 
So I say all of this to say that God has chosen to not do it Himself, but to delegate His authority to us to handle. And this couldn’t be more true for the host that the Lord has redeemed, saved, and sanctified – the church of the Lord Jesus, the body of Christ. Yes, we are Christ’s representatives here on the earth, His delegated ambassadors called to occupy till He comes.
 
That certainly does not mean that He doesn’t use the hosts of heaven like angels to do things, but if you study the New Testament, you’ll find how the church is meant to work together with the armies of angels that God gives us to guard and protect us.
 
But one of the primary ways that God uses His “hosts” to get the job done is through unity. Yes, it’s through the body of Christ working together. Yes, it’s through His church being fitly joined together. This is what releases the power of heaven’s hosts to do the most damage to the kingdom of darkness.
 
Let me give you some examples from both the Old and New Testament to show how this works …
 
THE POWER OF UNITY
 
Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing-- Life forevermore.”
 
Friends, this psalm is prophetically declaring that there is a corporate anointing for the body of Christ, and when we dwell together in unity – forgetting our cultural differences, putting aside our doctrinal differences, and laying down our pride and insecurities – for one common purpose and one common goal, that it is a good and pleasant thing! When we join together as the body of Christ, that oil of the Holy Spirit can then flow from one part to the next, from the top of the head down the edge of the garments. This is what happens when our Host has an assembling of His hosts!
 
So it is no wonder why Satan fights unity so much, right? It is because He fears the corporate anointing and he is afraid of a body of believers who might join together with one common goal. This is why you see church splits. This is why you see division in the community. And this is why you see such an escalation of divorce. It is because his number one goal is to divide! For a house divided against itself cannot stand.
 
Do you remember when Jesus was accused of casting out demons by Beelzebub? What was His response? He said that Satan cannot cast out Satan, for a house divided against itself cannot stand. In other words, you even see order in Satan’s camp. It is not perfect chaos. He has systematic order in his kingdom because he knows the power of operating in this way. Ephesians 6:12 shows us how, in his kingdom, he has ranks of demons: First, there are the principalities. Under them, there are the powers (or, authorities). Then comes the rulers of the darkness of this age and then the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Friends, he has order and each demon in his kingdom works according to their assignment and their position. 
 
Let’s turn over to Genesis chapter 11 and see an example of how Satan inspired an event called the Tower of Babel…
 
In Genesis chapter 11, we see the story of man called Nimrod and this man had a plan. He and his people decided they wanted to make a name for themselves. So they planned to build a tower that would reach to the heavens lest they be scattered across the earth. Well, God saw what they purposed in their heart to do and came down and divided their language because He said in verse 6, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” That is a powerful statement! God basically said something similar that came out of the mouth of Jesus when He said that nothing shall be impossible for us. And why was there the prospect of this people accomplishing anything and nothing being impossible for them to do? It was because they were one! It was because all had one language! It was because they had tapped into a spiritual law that when a people become one and they pursue a common goal - with one mind, one mouth, and in one accord - nothing shall be impossible for them.
 
So if this is a true principle for Satan and the ungodly, how much more do you reckon this will work for the body of Christ!?! I guarantee you that if it works for them tenfold; it will work for us a hundredfold!
 
And, as a matter of fact, we’ve already seen it work in the Book of Acts! Turn over to chapter two…
 
Acts 2:1-3 says, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord and in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues (that’s the only thing you will ever find divided in God’s kingdom), and one sat upon each of them. And then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
 
Friends, this is Psalm 133 fulfilled! When they gathered together in that upper room in one accord, the Holy Spirit – the Anointing Himself – came upon each one of this royal priesthood and took ordinary men and women and made them extraordinary! That oil was poured out on them and was mixed with those tongues of fire, and they became the light of the world. Hallelujah! They became that golden lampstand filled with oil and with fire at the wick to burn bright in this dark and perverse generation. But how did it all start? As they were in one place and in one accord!
 
Yes, saints, this is when the church was truly empowered and commissioned. It’s when it became the Lord’s army, His hosts that were capable of turning the world right-side up! It was, is, and evermore shall be the heart of Jehovah Sabaoth, our Lord Jesus Christ – to have a unified body that is one even as He and the Father are One. 
 
Lord, may these lamps burn bright for your glory! May these churches be golden lampstands in this community! May we be the lights of Middle Georgia!