The Names of God (The Lord of hosts)

“Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” (Psalm 24:10)

A closer look:

Host – army or company.

The word “Sabaoth” is transliterated from the Hebrew word “tsebaoth,” which means armies, and is also translated “hosts.”  We find this title “Lord of hosts” abundantly in the Old Testament, and twice in the New Testament (as “Lord of Sabaoth”) in Romans 9:29 and James 5:4.  The word “hosts” may refer to three separate items:  nature (Genesis 2:1; 2 Kings 21:3; Joel  2:15), or angels (1 Kings 22:19; Psalm 34:7; 103:21; Luke 2:13), and armies (2 Samuel 8:16; Revelations 9:14).  The name “Lord of Sabaoth” should not be confused with the name “Lord of the Sabbath.”  The name Lord of hosts teaches us that God is a fighter who will go to war on our behalf.  He will fight for us (Isaiah 31:4).  His name Lord of Sabaoth suggests two things:

1.  He is in control over all things (all the hosts of Heaven and Earth).

2.  He alone is worthy of worship, and not the hosts of which He created.  Nehemiah 9:6 says:  “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.”