Hebrew Names for God

Sabaoth -The LORD of Hosts (Sabaoth) 

We find this descriptive name for God - Sabaoth on the lips of young David when facing the Philistine enemies, "You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin. But I am coming against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel's armies, whom you have defied!” (1 Samuel 17:45)

Later we find the grown David and all the men who were with him, traveled to Baalah in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts, who sits enthroned between the cherubim that are on it. (2 Samuel 6:2)

This name also finds its way into the New Testament  when James writes, “Look, the pay you have held back from the workers who mowed your fields cries out against you, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.” 

Perhaps the Old Testament verse most quoted in worship is “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.” - Psalm 46:7

As Christians, most of us likely know and understand that God is always with us. It is even possible that for many this truth has become so familiar that we have lost the awe and wonder it deserves. In Psalm 46:7 the psalmist describes the God that is always with him as, “The LORD of hosts.” By referring to God by this name, Jehovah Sabaoth (LORD of hosts in Hebrew), the psalmist is ascribing glory, power and majesty to God. 

In his hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Martin Luther uses the Greek word for “the Lord of hosts” when he writes, “Christ Jesus, it is He; Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same, And He must win the battle.” Lord Sabaoth is the Lord of hosts, the commander of angel armies.

The Lord of Hosts is a title that emphasises God's rule over every other power in the material and spiritual universe. When Scripture speaks of "the host of heaven," it is usually speaking of celestial bodies, though the phrase can also refer to angelic beings. The word "host" can also refer to human beings and to nature itself. When we pray to Yahweh Sabaoth, we are praying to a God so magnificent that all creation serves his purposes.

Prayer

Jehovah Sabaoth, thank You that the battle is Yours. Let conflicts fold in your mighty presence. Make troubles melt in Your glory. Cause giants to fall at the power of Your name. Be magnified and show Your strength on our behalf! Grant me strategic wisdom to know how to position myself as You manifest the victory. Amen