Post 8: Thankful for the Many Names of God!
Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of Hosts at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord.
1 Samuel 1:3
Yahweh-Sabaoth [yah-way-sah-bah-ohth], also Jehovah-Sabaoth, means “The Lord of Hosts” with hosts including both angels and men1. First used in 1 Samuel 1:3, it is used over 285 times in the Bible2.
Some highlights include:
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45
God to Samuel: “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord of hosts says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel.”
2 Samuel 7:8
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.”
Isaiah 6:5
“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.”
Isaiah 37:16
The prophets Samuel and Isaiah recognized God’s sovereignty over every being, spiritual and flesh-and-bone. Even as a boy, David, later to be king, knew that when he stood with God, He stood with the full army of God; truly God was all he needed on his side to defeat the giant Goliath. Hannah, grieved by her barrenness, called out to the Lord of hosts for a child knowing He alone was over all creation, He alone could give her a child (1 Samuel 1:11).
What does this mean for us?
Sweet friends, our God is the Lord of Hosts, the one and only ruler over every being on earth, in heaven, and in hell. The prince of darkness may have a lot of power on earth right now, but God has the ultimate army, the preeminent sovereignty and He has already secured the victory over darkness and death!
This life is going to have its giants, its share of uncleanliness that gets on us, its share of barrenness for us. BUT God – how I love those words together – BUT GOD, the Lord of Hosts, is all we need to knock down giants. The Lord of Hosts has provided all we need to be washed clean. He has sovereign over all things and will fill our barrenness with the joy of His presence, with His abundant provision in His perfect timing.
When you trust in the Lord of Hosts, you are equipped for every battle, physical and spiritual.
Dear heart, I hope the study of God’s names is helping you realize the fullness of His character, the depth of His ability to be trusted with all your things. He is the Creator, the All-Sufficient One, the Most High God, the Everlasting God, Our Banner, Our Peace, and the Lord of Hosts. He has all we need. He IS all we need.
Mighty Lord of Hosts, sovereign over all that is seen and unseen, beyond time, author of peace and provision, creator of all that is and was and will be, we are in awe of Your greatness and depth. Thank You God for expressing to us Your fullness through Your many names that we may come to know You better! We praise You as the Lord of Hosts, ruler over all, victorious in all! Forgive us when our eyes focus on what we believe we do not have, when our hearts fail to realize ALL that we do have in You. Amen.
References:
- Got Questions Ministries. 2022. What are the different names of God, and what do they mean? https://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-God.html
- Blue Letter Bible. 2022. Topical index: The names of God in the old testament. https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/name_god.cfm
The Fruitful Educator 
Leave a reply to Andrea Lemon Cancel reply