Who is God? King: Lord of Hosts

Today we gain insight into God as the Lord of hosts.


The Law of First Mention
The Law of First Mention is a theological idea that the first meanings and connotations related to any term when first used in the Bible carries throughout the Bible to the subsequent uses of that term.

If we apply this concept, we can get an appreciation for a richer understanding of 'Lord of hosts'.
The term 'Lord of hosts' is not used specifically until 1 Samuel but we gain an important preview in Joshua 5:13-14:

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?"
So He siad, "No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come."
And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, What does my Lord say to His servant?"

This 'Man' was no ordinary one. He came with a drawn sword, ready for a battle, a warrior.
He said, '...as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come". The Hebrew for 'commander of the army of the Lord' is sar tsaba YHWH.

Sar (שר) = chief, ruler, prince (Strong concordance, blueletterbible.org).
Tsaba (צבא) = an army.
YHWH (יהוה) is God's name first revealed to Israel when He was about to deliver them from their lives of Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:2-3). This name of God speaks of covenant, commitment to His promises in that covenant, and relationship: "I will take you as My people, and I will be your God" (Exodus 6:7).

It is commonly accepted that this Commander was in fact Jesus Christ. He met Joshua at a crucial point in their campaign to possess the Promised Land: Jericho was the gateway to Canaan. Jesus, as the Commander was there to ensure God's wil be done by instructing Joshua to the way to victory -- He was there to guide the movement of a nation.

The first two times the actual term 'Lord of hosts' (YHWH Tsaba or, as commonly latinised Jehovah Saboath) is in 1 Samuel, where we are introduced to Elkanah and Hannah, and their son Samuel who became the last of the judges of Israel.

This man [Elkanah] went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in Shiloh... - 1 Sam 1:3a (emphasis mine) 

Then she [Hannah] 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, and no razor shall come upon his head." - 1 Sam 1:11 (emphasis mine)

Therefore, if we put Joshua and 1 Samuel chapter 1 together, Lord of hosts speaks of:

• the Lord as a warrior, fighting on our behalf for God's purposes to be fulfilled
• the sovereignty and rulership of God over nations and individual lives
• in a personal sense, YHWH Tsaba is our ever present help and refuge (see Psalm 64)
• the holiness and majesty of God
• the power and strength of God

Scripture Study
When we look into scripture, we will find that in many uses of the title 'Lord of hosts', the same sense of God's fighting spirit, majesty and power is being conveyed as our help, refuge, hope. Therefore, whenever God declares something with the words 'says the Lord of hosts', He is making a firm statement as a majestic, powerful Warrior King who has committed to keeping His promises towards us.

• Amos 4:13
  For behold, He who forms mountains, and creates the wind, who declares to man what his thought is, and makes the morning darkness, who treads the high places of the earth - the Lord God of hosts is His Name.
• Isaiah 31:4-5
  As a lion roars, and a young lion over his prey (when a multitude of shepherds is summoned against hin, he will not be afraid of their voice nor be disturbed by their noise), so the Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion and for its hill. Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending it, He will also deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it.
• Isaiah 44:6
  Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts; I am the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no God.
• Zech 4:6
  Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Notice that the term 'hosts' is never capitalised. Some commentaries say this is because it is not just referring to heavenly armies, but denotes God's sovereignty over any army.

So who is the Lord of hosts? Read Isaiah 44:6 again. We read later in Revelations Jesus himself saying many times, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

Revelations 19:11-16 says:

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war...He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and HIs name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linene, white and clean, followed Him on white horses... And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

 KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

We know from John 1 that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Therefore, the Lord of hosts is Jesus Christ our Redeemer, our majestic, sovereign, all-powerful King.


The Lord of hosts Today


The YHWH Tsaba of the Old Testament was a distant God, unreachable except to a select few. There are many verses that have words to this effect, "the Lord of hosts, who dwells between the cherubim" (eg. 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; Isa 37:16).

This refers to the Ark of the Covenant, which was located in the deepest, most Holy Place of the tabernacle or temple, hidden behind a veil as thick as a man's hand. Only the High Priest was able to enter behind the veil once a year, and only after many animal sacrifices.

However, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and our Lord of hosts came in the flesh to walk among us. He gave His life to pay for our salvation.  When Jesus cried 'It is finished!' with His last breath on the Cross, there was an earthquake in which this veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom in a divine, sovereign act that opened the Holy of Holies for all to enter.

The Lord of hosts is now accessible by all who come in His blood and the Name of Jesus Christ. He comes as your commander-in-chief, and mine, One who has experienced life on this earth and understands our struggles and temptations, yet overcame them all. He is still the same majestic, powerful Creator King who is our refuge, and ever-present help in time of trouble.

When Peter, James and John first met Him, they were tired after a whole night of fruitless fishing. He climbed into their boat and suggested that they go fishing. They obeyed and He demonstrated that He was able to take care of their needs in miraculous abundance if they followed Him.

Over the next three years, they got to know His likes, dislikes, His habits, whether he liked lamb or goat better. They saw Him at work in ministry, sleeping, praying, frustrated, moved with compassion. They watched in awe as He stripped bare the pride of the Pharisees, healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demons. He trained them to do the same. They followed Him like a tight-knit soldiers of a troop and carried out His instructions and orders. Then, in one terrifying night, He was taken from them and nailed to a Cross at such a speed that they were left reeling.

The emptiness and loss of direction was palpable the day when Peter suggested 'let's go fishing' (John 21). They had seen Jesus appear and disappear. He was alive, but it wasn't the same. Then a voice cuts through their heavy hearts from the shore and advises them to drop the net over a particular side. As if in a dream, slightly familiar but forgotten, they obey and pull up a net-groaning load of fish. John turns excitedly to Peter - "It is the Lord!"

The eager relief and joy of the disciples at this realisation can be felt between the lines in John 21 as they rush to the shore and crowd around their friend and leader, so happy, half-afraid to believe, yet not daring to speak. They were soon to learn that though He would no longer be physically with them, He would send His Spirit to dwell in their hearts and be with each one personally, always and forever. This is our God.

The Lord of hosts, Jesus Christ, is a God we can honour, love and give our lives for like the disciples gave their lives for Jesus; like soldiers who give their lives for the Captain they love and honour; as the Fellowship of the Ring followed Aragorn to fight for and with; as little brothers and sisters who hero-worship their big brother and stick up for his honour should there ever be any need to. Jesus Christ is worthy of our love and honour. He gave His life for us so that we could live and be with Him forever. He is a wise and mighty warrior, more than capable to fight for us and with us. Let us follow Him!