Lord Of The Armies

"For this is what the Lord said to me: 'As a lion or young lion growls over its prey when a band of shepherds is called out against it, and is not terrified by their shouting or subdued by their noise, so the Lord of Armies will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Like hovering birds, so the Lord of Armies will protect Jerusalem- by protecting it, He will rescue it, by sparing it, He will deliver it.'"
                                                       Isaiah 31:4-5




There are many different names of God used throughout the Bible so as to give us a better understanding of the different aspects of God's nature and character. Jehovah Sabaoth is one of those names. It literally means the Lord of Hosts or the God of the armies of heaven and is used 251 times in the Old Testament. This name of God gives us a picture of the magnitude of power that God has and the willingness He has to use that power on our behalf.

Sometimes we can lose sight of this fact when we look around and see that evil is rising up around us and sometimes seems to go unchecked. However, there will come a day when God will once and for all conquer the enemy and all its effects in our lives and world (Revelation 19:20). This ultimate victory of God will result in the pinnacle of humanity and it will be epic!

In the interim, it is so important that we remember that God is not only sovereign over all things and beings, but that He is also the ruler of all of heaven's armies which can defeat any and all foes. The first time Jehovah Sabaoth is used in the Bible is when Hannah prayed to God and asked Him to give her a son (1 Samuel 1:3). Hannah did not appeal to God's gentler, kinder nature when she sought His help. Instead, she appealed to the God who commands all the troops in heaven and has a strategy and plan for certain victory. Hannah entreated the ultimate Commander to fight on hero behalf, and God was pleased and honored her request.

This name of God not only reveals His power and victory, but it also speaks of His authority over all things and His purpose in all things. God commands His angels, has power over all demons, and has authority over all things that are both temporal and eternal. Even when we cannot visualize the battle plan or even understand things that are happening behind the scenes, there is so much that God is organizing and commanding that one day when we get to see it all we will be utterly amazed!

In the verses in Isaiah above, God is telling His people not to be afraid of their enemies. He goes on to say that if He is not afraid, then why should we be? Just as lions do not fear a flock of sheep and their shepherds, and eagles do not fear predators when they guard the nest, neither does the Lord of Armies. In one fell swoop, God will rise up and take care of them all, so there is absolutely no reason to fear. We can trust in God and rest in the fact that He will fight our battles and that He already has a plan and a strategy to do so.

The temptation that God's people had yielded to in these verses is that they had trusted in the Egyptians to help them instead of trusting in God. After all, is it not sometimes so much easier to trust in what we can see rather than in the One in whom we cannot see? This is exactly what the Israelites did, and God rebuked them for their lack of faith. We save ourselves much angst and heartache if we first search our own hearts and turn to God in faith. When we obey and surrender to His will alone, He will protect us and fight on our behalf. Not sometimes, but always.

Most people in our culture today don't ever think of things in military terms. While I personally have never served in the military, we have a son and daughter-in-law who both served in the Marine Corps. What I learned through Austin's journey through training and boot camp is that nothing happens in the military by chance. It is organized, structured, disciplined, regimented, and difficult. There is a purpose and plan involved in every aspect of the military. And, to ever become Colonel or a General, much experience and expertise is required.

People in the Old Testament understood these facts. They lived in times and cultures that were inundated by war so military terminology was commonplace to them. During the days of Isaiah, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was defeated and the Southern Kingdom was almost completely destroyed by Assyria. During Jeremiah's time, the Southern Kingdom was destroyed by Babylon. And during Malachi's time, Judah did not even have an army, which left them completely vulnerable and reliant on God's protection.

Is it surprising, then, that Malachi actually uses the name of Jehovah Sabaoth the most frequently? During the times in our lives when we realize that we are without might or resources, the most important thing that we can do is to rely on all the strength and might of the Lord of Armies. It is important to even visualize God as the General in charge over all that is both supernatural and natural and that He is leading the charge. There is a plan in play and we will see victory when we persevere.

We are comforted when we understand that the Lord of the Armies is at work and He is working on our behalf. When opposition mounts and our enemies seem to have the loudest voices, our Commander is still in charge of it all. He has power and authority over it all, and His plans are always good.

Perhaps this is the very comfort that Jesus sought in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew 26:53). Oh, God definitely could have rescued Jesus from the cruelty and pain of the cross, but it would have been to every person's detriment and destruction, so He chose not to. Oh, that we could have peace with the times that God chooses not to interfere for a greater purpose and know that He still is The Lord of all the Armies of heaven!


Dear Heavenly Father,

Today I pray that Your will be done in my life- completely, and with total trust and confidence that You are Jehovah Sabaoth. Please help me to surrender fully and obey You in the things that You have placed before me. Please give me peace and assurance that You have it all under control and that You also have legions of angels to do Your bidding and carry this to completion. Your plans are good, and so are You, so I do not have to fear what man can say or do.

Thank you for Your love, Your care, Your protection, and plans for my life. How blessed am I to be called Your child and to be able to walk in the path that You have set before me. Remind me today and always that You are the Lord of all the armies of heaven and there is nothing that ever catches You off-guard or takes You by surprise.

In Jesus' Precious Name, I pray.