David’s triumph over Goliath is one of the best-known stories of the Bible.
An inexperienced, yet agile lad with a few smooth stones, steps out in his own weaknesses, defeats a giant, armored warrior decked out with heavy weapons.
It’s an inspiring and empowering story of contrasts and ironies: tall versus short, strength versus weakness, arrogance versus humility, glorious victory versus humiliating defeat.
From deep within, our hearts, souls and spirits are mightily stirred up.
From within our weaknesses, we raise up, savor the triumph of the underdog.
But this very impressive story is not mainly about David and Goliath. The core conflict is really between the false gods of the Philistines and the God of Israel, Yahweh Sabaoth, “the LORD of Hosts” or “the LORD Almighty.”
Yahweh Sabaoth is one of the most widely used names for God in the Old Testament, occurring 270 times.
The name Sabaoth comes from the Hebrew word for “that which goes forth” and for “armies” or “hosts.”
The name Yahweh Sabaoth declares God’s reign over heaven and earth and over all armies, earthly and spiritual.
The shepherd boy David, understanding the real conflict, declares that “the battle is the LORD’s.”
And through him, Yahweh Sabaoth, “the LORD of Hosts,” defeats the mighty Philistine and his gods.
A hymn of the church sings, “Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same”—and today we can utterly rely on his strength in our daily battles.
1 Samuel 17:45-50Authorized (King James) Version
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.
“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.
The prophet Amos wrote,
“For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the LORD of hosts is His name (Amos 4:13).”
Isaiah also used this name saying,
“Thus says Jehovah, the King of Israel and His Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last and there is no God besides Me’” (Isaiah 44:6).
The name LORD of Hosts appears more than 270 times in the Old Testament, making it the most frequently used compound name for God.
Most of these uses occur in the books of the prophets.
It is clear that God wants to communicate His supernatural and ever-present power to His people, especially during desperate circumstances.
The time of the prophets in the Old Testament was when Israel was crumbling.
The Nation was divided and then conquered by Babylon and Assyria.
The children of Israel were captured and exiled.
And it was during these years of chaos, suffering and heartache that God repeatedly reminded His children of His name.
When all hope was lost and defeat seemed inevitable Israel’s Warrior God, the LORD of hosts, reminded them that the battle was His…and it still is.
AW Tozer said,
“To regain her lost power the Church must see heaven opened and have a transforming vision of God.”
This name for God will change how we relate to Him.
God is so much more than “the man upstairs.”
I. What Does Jehovah-Sabaoth Rule Over?
“In general, ‘Host’ can describe (1) a multitude of men (army), (2) angels (good and bad) or (3) physical stars.
The important truth is that Jehovah is LORD over ALL HOSTS, whether they are the armies on the earth, the stars or the angels (good or bad).”
We must seek to know God in His majesty. He is God Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, and the only wise God. If He is for us, who can be against us?
When we are at the end of our ropes, we can call on the LORD of hosts.
He commands an army of angels and rules over all the heavenly hosts.
When we are powerless, He will fight for us.
When there is no other help, there is always God.
As the psalmist wrote,
“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”
Jehovah-Sabaoth rules over the battles we face.
Zechariah 4:1-7 Authorized King James Version
And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 and said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4 So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What are these, my lord? 5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord.
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. 7 Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it.
Our focus should never be on “conquering our mountains” with our own might, or our own power, by how big our problem is, it should be on how huge God is.
Ephesians 3:20-21 Authorized King James Version
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
YAHWEH, Sabaoth, The Lord of Hosts, always and forever protects His own
When the odds continually, continuously seem against us, when “Christian” life appears overwhelming, that is when we need to look at Jehovah-Sabaoth.
This is what David did when he faced Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:45-47 Authorized King James Version
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:37-39 Names of God Version
37 The one who loves us gives us an overwhelming victory in all these difficulties. 38 I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love which Christ Yeshua our Lord shows us. [a] We can’t be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything in the future, by forces 39 or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57J.B. Phillips New Testament
The dead and the living will be fitted for immortality
51-53 Listen, and I will tell you a secret. We shall not all die, but suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, every one of us will be changed as the trumpet sounds! The trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised beyond the reach of corruption, and we who are still alive shall suddenly be utterly changed. For this perishable nature of ours must be wrapped in imperishability, these bodies which are mortal must be wrapped in immortality.
54 So when the perishable is lost in the imperishable, the mortal lost in the immortal, this saying will come true: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’ ‘O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’
55-57 It is sin which gives death its power, and it is the Law which gives sin its strength. All thanks to God, then, who gives us the victory over these things through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Sometimes during trials, we focus so intently on our own personal experiences that we will forget to focus on our “God with us and within us” experiences too.
When we are exactly in the middle of uncertain trials, everyone will have their own opinions or suggestions, remedies about how to “get through them alive.”
And if they are from people, you innately, implicitly trust, you should consider them, you should seriously ponder them for a time and a season and move on.
However, after all is said and done, and you have exhausted your resources, your trusted confidants’ resources, there is only one place and person to go.
YAHWEH! Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts – The Battle Belongs to Him ALONE!
In the name of YAHWEH, the Father, YAHWEH the Son, YAHWEH the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord of Hosts, help us to rely on your strength to wage the battles we face each day against our own trials and temptation’s. We ask this in Jesus’ precious name. Amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 