- Hosts Bible Encyclopedia
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Sabaoth (Hebrew “tzevaot” literally “(Lord) of Armies”, plural of “tsava” - army) is one of the names of God, emphasizing His property of omnipotence, as well as the fact that He is the Ruler of the world .
In the Bible, armies are called armies (for example, in Ex. 6:26; Num. 31:53), stars and planets, angels (Deut. 4:19, 17:3; Dan. 8:10; 1 Kings 22:19; 2 Chronicles 18:18; cf. Is. 24:21).
The name of God, Lord of Hosts, reflects Divine power over all the powers of earth and heaven. The name of God of Hosts is applied to all the Persons of the Holy Trinity, as the prophet Isaiah secretly points out: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory (Isa. 6:3).
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Does God have a name?
“Hallowed be Thy Name” - many are familiar with these words from the prayer “Our Father”. However, there is not a word about the name of God in prayer. But, according to religious texts, the Lord still has it, and not even just one. For example, in the Torah scripture, sacred to all Jews, several names of God are mentioned. Thus, the four-letter name of the Lord is found even in one of the commandments. But the pronunciation of this word is strictly prohibited. However, even if such a ban did not exist, the pronunciation of this name still remains a mystery. In ancient writings, this mysterious name is often replaced by others: “Tetragrammaton”, “Adonai” (“Our Lord”), “Hashem” (“Name”), “Ha-Makom” (“Omnipresent”), “Shechina” (“Presence”) "). Among the many names of God the Father, Tsebaoth or Hosts is also found.
What they ask for and how they pray before the icon of the Lord of Hosts
The icon of Hosts is considered confessional. They pray before her, asking for remission of sins. It is worth turning to God with repentance, asking Him for strength not to succumb to sinful thoughts and not to commit immoral acts.
Next to her you can ask for the most secret, fateful things for a person
The icon of the Lord of Hosts, which is located in the Vladimir region in the Nikolsky Monastery, became famous for many miracles.
Over the years, more than a hundred cases of infertility treatment have been known. Many married couples who waited for years and asked the Lord of hosts to continue their family received what they wanted.
What does the name Sabaoth mean?
God the Father is also mentioned under the name of Hosts in the holy book of the Bible for Christians. Moreover, both in the New and in the Old Testaments. In the latter, the word “Sabaoth” appears 268 times. It is noteworthy that the name of the Lord is written absolutely openly: “And David prospered and was exalted, and the Lord God of Hosts was with him” or “The Lord God of Hosts is His name.”
Hosts is translated from Hebrew as “army”, “army” in the plural. Most often in texts this name is written as “Lord of armies.” However, the army does not mean people at all, but everything connected with heaven: stars, planets, angels.
Prayer to God the Father Lord of Hosts
O almighty sovereign king! Rest in the clouds, rest in the Most High, Blessed One in the firmament of heaven. Holy, holy, holy Lord of hosts, fill heaven and earth with your glory! Hosanna to the Most High! Please, O God Almighty, the humble prayer and supplication of your servant, let your ears hear the voice of our prayers, holy Lord! Look at us with mercy and listen to us, your servants from earth to heaven, who cry to you: save us, save and have mercy on us, deliver us from all problems and misfortunes and from all evil, protect us with the Holy Spirit day and night and every hour, give me victory and all that, You - to those who pray, your divine power, wonderful grace, full strength and power. By the power of the honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, defeat all our enemies, visible and invisible, create them like sheep, and scatter them like dust in the wind, so that they know your name, Lord, it is always a shame how you are the Most High throughout the whole earth and grow cold those who believe in you forever and ever. Amen.
In order for God to listen, it is not necessary to go to holy places or make pilgrimages, the main thing is to be a truly religious person.
And also, despite the endless church disputes that continue to this day, icons of the God of Hosts remain an integral part of Orthodox churches.
Image ban
After 787, when at the Seventh Ecumenical Council it was forbidden to depict God the Father in any way, people did not heed the ban at all, and the image of Hosts continued to appear everywhere. Images of Hosts decorated many temples, dome vaults and church entrance portals in many countries that adopted Christianity. Most often, God the Father was depicted as a gray-haired old man in snow-white robes, surrounded by clouds or sitting on a throne.
In Rus', the taboo on the image of Hosts was imposed in the 17th century by the Great Moscow Cathedral. “We command now from the Lord of Hosts not to paint the image in the future,” the document read. The priests motivated their decision by the fact that no one has ever seen God, and therefore no one can know what he looks like. After all, only the Mother of God and Christ “were in the flesh.” However, this did not stop the icon painters. The face of Hosts certainly appeared on such icons of the Trinity as “Fatherland” and “Co-throne”. Similar images decorated the interior decoration of the main cathedrals in Russia. Examples of this are the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Assumption, Annunciation and Archangel Cathedrals of the Moscow Kremlin and many others. However, the inscriptions mentioning Hosts disappeared from such images. Thus, the icon depicting Hosts, on whose lap sits Jesus, holding a sphere with a dove in his hands, symbolizes the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The icon has the inscription “IC XC”. These are the initial letters of the savior's name - Jesus Christ. But there is not a word about the central figure - Hosts - on the icon.
St. Petersburg Church of Christ
In Biblical times, they sought to give a person a name that would reveal his characteristic qualities.
For example, the name Natalia means “native”.
Elena - “bright”, “sunshine”
Andrey - “courageous, brave”
Vladimir - “Owner of the World”
Nabal (Hebrew) – “Villain” (Mad)
The name Alexander is “protector of people.”
It’s not for me to determine suitability, but sometimes I think you have to protect people from me! This once again tells us about our imperfection and sometimes inadequacy.
It's different with our God!
If He reveals Himself to us under a certain name, which has a certain meaning, means something, then so be it!
God is revealed to us in Scripture through many names, each of which shows one aspect of His many-faceted personality.
We have already studied Lord Elohim or God the Creator.
God the Savior strengthens and gives hope! Meccadishkem - Sanctifier!
Today is the Lord of hosts, the Lord of hosts, the Lord of hosts.
Our God is a God of strength. He appears when there is no strength. In our frailty and weakness we know the Lord of hosts.
The name of the Lord of Hosts is mentioned 282 times in the Bible.
For the first time in the Bible, we see God reveal himself to us under the name of Hosts in 1 Samuel 1:1-11, in the story of Hannah, who later became the mother of the prophet Samuel.
Here is her situation: being married, she had no children, there was a lot of reason for grumbling, since the second wife, who bore children to her husband, mocked her. But Anna turned to the God of strength in this hopeless situation.
And she was in sorrow of soul, and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly, and made a vow, saying: Lord of hosts! If You will consider the sorrow of Your servant and remember me, and will not forget Your servant and give Your servant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor will touch his head. (1 Samuel 1:10-11)
In such a difficult situation, there are two ways:
- grumble and blaspheme God
- pray in humility and trust in the Lord of hosts
She chose the latter, not without a struggle!
They had a boy, whom they named Samuel, which means “asked of God.” These are exactly the situations that are for the Lord of Hosts!
It is He who gives strength for things that we may not have!
Anna, as she promised God, when the child grew up a little, brought him to the temple in Shiloh, gave him to the priest Elijah, to serve the Lord.
The Lord then gave Anna the strength to give birth to 3 more sons and 2 daughters.
And Samuel, it is written, increased with the Lord!
You've probably noticed that for some reason our life doesn't seem so smooth. Sometimes it’s empty, sometimes it’s dense. Sometimes there is calm, sometimes there is storm.
It happens as if all the affairs, concerns, all the questions and tasks have gathered at one point and at the same time, are they having some kind of summit or forum?! You think, Lord, how can we cope with this?
Especially when it concerns health, difficulties, difficult situations in life. Your eyes are afraid, but the Lord helps you do it!
And then, after going through such a period, you think: wow, how was this possible? Where did the strength come from? Give me all this now - I probably wouldn’t be able to repeat it!
The example with Anna shows whom we should go to in our difficulties, in our needs, when there are worries, when uncertainty haunts us. There are serious trials when you have no strength, you can no longer bear this burden of life, you have no strength!
We have One who is capable and always ready to help you and give you strength!
He is waiting for you to come to Him and trust all your worries.
The story of David.
The Philistines were ready to fight the Israelites once again.
We settled down in the valley and prepared for war. What happened there?
For 40 days, a giant warrior named Goliath came out in front of the army and offered to fight “one-on-one,” being sure that the Israelites had no chance! When he came out and spoke, it is written that “all the Israelites, when they saw this man, ran away from him and were very afraid.”
And David, coming to visit his brothers in the army, heard the words of Goliath.
Here's what happened next:
And David said to Saul, Let no one lose heart because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, “You cannot go up against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are still a youth, but he has been a warrior from his youth.” And David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and carried away a sheep from the flock, I chased after him and attacked him and snatched him from his mouth; and if he rushed at me, then I took him by the hair and struck him and killed him; Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will do the same as they did, because this is how the army of the living God is defied. And David said, The Lord, which delivered me from the lion and the bear, will deliver me also from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and may the Lord be with you. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones from the stream, and put them in the shepherd's bag that was with him; and with a bag and a sling in his hand he came out against the Philistine. The Philistine also came forward, walking and approaching David, and the armor bearer went ahead of him. And the Philistine looked and, seeing David, looked at him with contempt, for he was young, fair-haired and handsome in face. And the Philistine said to David, Why are you coming at me with a stick? Am I a dog? And the Philistine cursed David with his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give your body to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. And David answered the Philistine: You come against me with sword and spear and shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have defied; Now the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will kill you, and take off your head, and I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel. and this entire crowd will know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for this is the Lord’s war, and He will deliver you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17:32-47)
Despite the terrifying appearance of Goliath (about 3 meters), David was confident in the power of God! Goliath was ready to feed David. Imagine a warrior more than 3 meters tall and David the young man. Something incredible happens when we trust in the Lord of hosts! David was a boy with little strength, but God, the Lord of hosts, was with him. David believed that He was for Him!
And the bear received his due, and the lion was killed. He says that the Lord will deliver you into my hand. David believed in the presence of God in his life, especially in difficult and dangerous situations.
Do we know how it all ended? There were only two blows in this battle: the blow dealt by David to Goliath and the blow of Goliath to the ground!
We all have to fight “giants” in our lives. Often our giants are our daily problems and difficulties.
Someone tries to blame others for their problems, they try to find the “switchman”, anyone can be to blame, but not himself, someone goes so far as to blame God Himself.
Some people doubt God's love because of difficulties in life. But the basic truth of life is that God is greater than the problems facing us! Do not doubt God, but go to Him for help.
King Saul looked at Goliath as a three-meter giant from the special forces, who was trained from childhood to be a warrior. And David looked at him as an enemy offending God who could be defeated, no matter how terrifying his appearance. David saw in him such a big target that it was simply impossible not to hit it!
Saul looked at him in the light of his own weakness, but David looked at him from the point of view of a servant who had received strength from God. It is important for us to remember that our God is the God of hosts, the Lord of hosts. And today we are strong not by our weapons, but by the presence of God in our lives.
The God of David is also our God! Time has not destroyed or diminished His power! As He was with David, so He will be with us!
How many cases like this have you had to go through in your life? Remember.
Everyone can share more than a dozen, I'm sure.
When you are weak, then you are strong. Trust the Lord!
God is not a grandfather in heaven, He is the God of powers, Great and Terrible!
If God was our helper in the past, then why can’t we continue to count on Him? He hasn't changed!
If we do not look to Him for help in the present, then perhaps we have lost the faith we had in the past.
Anna and David, calling on the name of the Lord Almighty, were heard, delivered and saved. When you are in a difficult situation, it’s time to turn to the Lord, Who has a lot of strength and is ready to share with you!
But it is also important to understand that God does not act according to the wishes of any person.
The verse in Proverbs 18:11 says that the righteous find salvation in Him.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous flee into it and are safe. (Prov. 18:11)
Righteousness is the guarantee of victory and safety.
David did not go out into the field “to chase lions and bears.” “Lord, let’s give it to these sheep troublemakers as we should!”
There is also a mention of the name of the Lord of hosts in connection with the battle between Israel and the Philistines.
And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. And the Israelites went out to war against the Philistines and pitched at Ebenezer, and the Philistines pitched at Aphek. And the Philistines lined up against the Israelites, and a battle took place, and the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand people on the battlefield. And the people came into the camp; and the elders of Israel said, Why has the Lord struck us down this day before the Philistines? Let us take from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and it will go among us and save us from the hand of our enemies. And the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, sitting on the cherubim; and with the ark of the covenant of God were also the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas. (1 Samuel 4:1-4)
The people believed that if the ark of the covenant of the Lord was among them, this would oblige God to be on their side against their enemies. But they were wrong, because it is not a religious ritual or ceremony that brings victory, but a righteous life according to the will of the Lord.
And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord arrived into the camp, all Israel raised such a loud cry that the earth groaned. And the Philistines heard the noise of exclamations and said: Why are there such loud exclamations in the camp of the Jews? And they knew that the ark of the Lord had arrived in the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, That God has come to their camp. And they said: Woe to us! for nothing like this happened either yesterday or the third day; woe to us! who will deliver us from the hand of this mighty God? This is the God who struck the Egyptians with all sorts of plagues in the wilderness; Be strong and courageous, O Philistines, so that you will not be enslaved by the Jews, as they are enslaved by you; be courageous and fight them. And the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were slain, and every man fled to his tent, and the slaughter was very great, and thirty thousand of Israel's foot soldiers fell. And the ark of God was taken, and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died. (1 Samuel 4:5-11)
This is how it all ended, tragically... It is impossible to live in disobedience and expect God's blessing on your affairs. If you live in sin, how will the name of the Lord have any power in your life?
They came to the point that they seriously believed that the Ark of the Covenant could be used as an amulet or amulet! Like a ring with the inscription “Save and Preserve” or car magnets. But what is this for?
A normal person will think sooner or later. God will never follow our lead, friends. No matter how much they screamed, even the earth groaned! All the people and priests needed repentance. They are in heated feelings, on emotions, “we’ll tear everyone apart”! Not just hoots or hallelujahs! So it was necessary to shout about repentance!
As Jesus said:
Why do you call Me: Lord! God! - and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46)
We know that faith is about obedience and humility before God. They fell out of the territory of blessings, they lost moral potential, moral authority, they moved away from fulfilling the commandments. But at the same time they expected victory!?
When John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to him to be baptized, he said to them: You brood of vipers! who inspired you to flee from future wrath? Produce fruit worthy of repentance and do not think of saying within yourself, “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. (Matt. 3:7-9)
Religious leaders said - we are children of Abraham by default! Doesn't remind you of anything? I considered myself a Christian because I live in a “Christian country.” We read that God “of such Christians” can make “a ruble a bucket”! Do you agree?
Moreover, from unnecessary stones lying on the road or in the field.
We have a Church of God. It is an incredible privilege and grace of God for a person to be in His family and work out his salvation, helping other people come to Christ. But if someone believes that his presence in the Church automatically makes him righteous and God is very lucky to have such or such a son or daughter, then this is very similar to the story of the Ark.
How to achieve integrity or righteousness?
- Want to please God with all your heart!
- Following Christ day after day gives strength. He is the Lord, and one of the names by which He revealed Himself to people is Hosts - the Lord of hosts!
Therefore now thus saith the Lord of hosts: Turn your hearts unto your ways. (Hag.1:5)
Changes in the people have never occurred because one of the kings or rulers, leaders, came up with something new. The Lord never called us to strain ourselves and come up with a completely new program for life with God. He always called to return to the paths that He showed from the first days. All changes occurred when the people repented and returned to the Scriptures!
He turned to the commandments and commandments of the Lord. Here I wanted to say to all of us - disciples of Jesus. We have all promised God to follow Christ. They were baptized - they promised God a clear conscience.
So now baptism, similar to this image, saves us, not the washing away of fleshly uncleanness, but the promise to God of a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 3:21)
“Turn your heart to your ways” to correct your life.
Who do you turn to if you see difficulties? To whom do we ask for patience and strength, so necessary?
The name of our God is the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Hosts! He is unchangeable, His strength is enough for everyone who comes to Him!
We pray and fast for a Vision for the Church as we want it to be in 10 years. We are planning a special gathering through which we want to see the power and glory of God in the future of the Church.
I believe in not only asking the Lord of hosts for help in faith, but also taking steps. David not only believed, but stepped forward, took steps, and God showed power.
Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me in this, says the Lord of hosts: Will I not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you until there is abundance? For your sake I will rebuke the devourers from destroying the fruits of the earth from you, and the vine in your field will not lose its fruit, says the Lord of hosts. And all nations will call you blessed, because you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts. (Mal.3:10-12)
The name of the Lord of Hosts is mentioned three times!
We take steps in sacrifice, God reveals the source of blessings, reveals His power in what we cannot handle. Try to prohibit moles from digging the ground, or locusts from eating crops?
God, as a Father, continues to teach us, continues to reveal His essence, His heart.
I can’t help but remember the words of the Apostle Paul, who suffered a lot in his life, realizing who was the source of his strength!
I know how to live in poverty, I know how to live in abundance; I learned everything and in everything, to be satisfied and to endure hunger, to be both in abundance and in shortage. I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. (Phil.4:12,13)
I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen. (Matt. 28:20)
Jesus has all authority and all powers. He said He would give strength to everyone who follows Him. It is He who will make us fishers of men, those who will help people find salvation.
We are thinking about Vision 2030. It is primarily about God's vision and dream! What is God's greatest desire, for which He gave His Son to the Cross? So that every person finds Salvation and eternal life! Our Vision must first and foremost reflect this goal. It is important for each of us to be part of the Church of Christ, the Church of the Savior, which does what, which saves. Are you missing something? Not true!
How His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and goodness (2 Pet. 1:3)
You have God! The Lord who has all power in heaven and on earth, He is the Lord of the powers that He wants to share with us in order to fulfill His Vision both for the Church and for our beautiful city!
Some in chariots, some in horses, but we glory in the name of the Lord our God (Psalm 19:8)
The name of the Lord - Hosts - is one of the names with which He revealed Himself to His people, so that today you and I would be strengthened in the knowledge of His Essence, His relationship, His love and care for us! May glory be to Him always!
Alexander Samonin
Published October 12, 2022
Other Bible Lessons
Historical reference
One of the names of the Most High God mentioned in Scripture is of Hebrew origin and is translated as “master.” (i.e. the Lord who created the army).
God of Hosts. Painting by V.M. Vasnetsova.
The armies of the Creator mean:
- Defenders of the Lands of Israel;
- Heavenly servants of God;
- Around Him are hosts of saints;
- Stars and other similar space objects.
The phrase “Lord of hosts” has its roots in the Old Testament period. As a cult name, it was used in the sanctuaries of the Hebrew city of Shiloh and was associated with the Christian Ark of the Covenant.
