Names of God Study: Jehovah-sabaoth

It's time for another post in the Names of God series. We have done a little study on the names Elohim, El Elyon, El Roi, El Shaddai, El Olam, Adonia, Jehovah, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-rapha, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-mekoddishkem and Jehovah-shalom. Now we will look at Jehovah-sabaoth.

We are introduced to this name of God through the lips of a woman named Hannah. In 1 Samuel 1 we read of woman who was unable to give her husband a child. Her husband had taken another wife, and this wife had given him children and also this wife was tormenting Hannah. She was barren and she lived with a another woman who was giving her husband what she could not... I cannot even begin to imagine her pain.

Hannah is in the temple and she crying out to God give her a child.

Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh.

Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat

by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 

She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 

She 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 son,

then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life,

and a razor shall never come on his head.” 

1 Samuel 1:9-11

Here Hannah cries out for Jehovah-sabaoth, the LORD of hosts. She cries out for Him to deliver her from this pain. From her lips and out of this pain is where God chose to reveal this beautiful name.

Sabaoth means mass, and refers to a mass of angels, the heavenly host, an army.

We need to remember that there were temples up in the land to a myriad of gods... many of those were fertility gods... if you were to go to China today you would still find a Buddha temple that is set aside to pray to in order to have a child, there is even one to specify whether you want a boy or a girl...

But Hannah did not cry out to a fertility god... she did not seek out an idol to pour her heart out to or to put her hope in... she cried out to Jehovah-sabaoth, the God of gods. 

We see this name of God come again from a young man named David.

In 1 Samuel 17 we read of how Israel is at war with the Philistines. The Philistine army has Israel at a standstill as the giant Goliath stands over them mocking them and their God. David has bee sent by his father to check on his older brothers who are at the battlefield... David is shocked by what he sees. There is not a man in all of the Israeli army that is willing to go head to head with Goliath... so David says, "I'll do it"  

Goliath stands before David and laughs in his face. He mocks David and he curses him by his gods and he insults David's God. David is not frightened by this giant and he is not impressed by his big mouthed threats... David knows that this giant comes at him in the power of his strength and the non-existent power of his false gods while David comes at him with Jehovah-sabaoth.

Then David said to the Philistine,

“You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin,

but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts,

the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. 

This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands,

and I will strike you down and remove your head from you.

And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines

this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth,

that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 

and that all this assembly may know that

the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear;

for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands.”

1Samuel 17:45-47

We know that David received the victory. Goliath, as big and mighty as he appeared, was no match for God. God will always be victorious.

Therefore the Lord GOD of hosts,
The Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries
And avenge Myself on My foes.

Isaiah 1:24

We can be certain that we will all face our own "goliaths" in this life. There will be people and problems and trials and tribulations that we all will face. There will be those who mock us for trusting in our God. There will be those who hate us and seek to destroy us and our witness... rest assured that Satan is looking for every opportunity he can to devour you... but not even Satan is a match for Jehovah-sabaoth.

Precious one, also remember that David was able to defeat Goliath because he was willing and able to face to him. He was ready to take him head on. He was ready because he had prepared for this battle by his daily walk with God. He knew God by name, by character, and by personal experience with Him. 

David never doubted God. He believed God was who God said He was... all the others standing on the sidelines, shaking in fear... they doubted that God. They doubted that God would deliver them, therefore they were not willing to face this fear. 

My friend, get to know your God.

His name, Jehovah-sabaoth is only a small part of Him... get to know every part of Him that He will reveal to you... If you are just stepping into this study I implore you to scroll back up to the top and get to know these other characteristics of our God that He so graciously reveals to us through His name.  

ABC Poem of Praise

I wrote this as I was studying through the book of Psalms and learned that some of the Psalms had been written with each line beginning with a letter in the Hebrew alphabet...

Almighty God, in You do I trust.
By Thy hand I am guided,
Comforted by Thy touch.
Deliver me, my Father
Encompass me in Your arms.
For in Thee, my LORD, I shall not remain in harm.
Great is Thy faithfulness,
Honored is Your name.
In Thee be all majesty in glorious display.
Justice and righteousness alone are found in You.
Kindness and mercies,
Love, every morning they are new.
Mighty and awesome, before Thee I bow,
Not a God besides You,
O LORD, in Thee all things be, in, from, and through.
Peoples and nations shall one day Your name confess.
Quickly come my Saviour,
Redeem Thy saints from all distress.
Salvation is found in Thy name alone.
True is Your word, perfect is Thy law,
Upright are Your judgments, before Thee I fall.
Victory is found in Jesus Christ my Lord.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain before the world.
Xplained by all creation, for creation Thy did create.
You uphold all things by the power of Your word.
Zion is Thy mountain, O come my King and reign!

God Doesn't Swing

This FB status lost me a few FB friends...

If you are married to Jesus (Eph 5:31-32), why are you still having sex with the world (Jam 4:4), God doesn't swing!!(Heb 10:26-31, Ex 34:14)

So I followed the status with a FB note:

In the Scriptures God refers to Israel as His wife and the Church as the bride of Christ. God first instituted marriage in the beginning. It is the first blood covenant recorded in Scripture. When a man and a woman are joined together as "one flesh" there is in this act the shedding of blood. This act was designed to take place under the marriage covenant, the seal of this covenant being the shedding of blood that occurs at first intercourse.

A covenant is a lifelong binding agreement. That is how God designed marriage. One man, one woman, one flesh, one life. This marriage covenant has and always will be one of God's illustrations of His relationship with man.

When Israel entered into her covenant with God at Mt Horeb it was inaugurated with blood from that moment on God referred to Israel as His wife. When Christ shed His blood on Calvary it was His blood that inaugurated the new covenant by which we are redeemed, justified, and become from then on His betrothed.

In the Old Testament Scriptures Israel's unfaithfulness to God is spoken of as harlotry, as adultery. A wife unfaithful to her Husband. You can read the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea so many of the prophets and you see the truth illustrated.

In the New Testament Scriptures the church as the bride of Christ is there in Ephesians, Revelations, and weaved in and out throughout the books of the New Testament. Don't take my word for it, read it for yourselves.

So therefore if we are married to Jesus why should we be having sex with the world. In other words, bride of Christ, why are we intimately joined, playfully engaged, flirtatiously indulged, sensually entertained, by those things that we sought forgiveness, this world that held us captive, this flesh, this nature, that put our Bridegroom on the cross?

There is a difference between willful and unwillful sin.
God knows the difference, and I believe so do we.

James 4:4 calls those who play with the world adulteresses. You cannot be a friend of this world and a friend of God. You cannot sleep with the enemy and sleep with the Friend that sticks closer than a brother. God will not allow you to continue to hop in and out of His bed. He wrote Israel a writ of divorce. She can only return to Him through a new covenant (Jer 33), the New Covenant, through Christ.

Yet those who claim to be the church, the bride of Christ, if we commit adultery through whom shall we return? Hebrews 10:26 says "if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice of sins..."

First of all ask yourself am I truly married to Christ?
Have I forsaken all others and cleaved only to Him?
Do I love, honor, cherish, and obey Him, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for better or worse, till death us unite?

If you can say yes to these questions then know that just as our physical marriages have ups and downs, fears and failures, joys and sorrows, so does our marriage with Christ. Just as we seek forgiveness and healing and growth and intimacy in our physical marriage so we do in our marriage with Christ. He is perfect but we are not, but He is also mindful that we are not, and He is a patient, loving, compassionate, and merciful spouse.

He promises to never stop loving His bride and His faithfulness is forever (Psalm 89:19-37). Our physical marriages sometimes fail, but our marriage to Christ will never fail. "Love never fails" (1 Corin 13:8) and "God is love" (1 John 4:16). The question is will you try with all that is within you to be His faithful bride? He would and has died for you. Will you do the same for Him?

Oh do not be one who is a dog that has returned to its vomit (2 Peter 2:17-22)
Oh do not be the virgins who delayed in filling their lamps with oil and missed the Bridegroom (Matt 25:1:13)
Oh do not be those who were too preoccupied with the things of this world to go to the wedding feast or the man who showed up for the wedding feast without being properly clothed (Matt 22:1-14)

Today is the day of salvation (Hebrews 3-4)
Today is the day of repentance and forgiveness (1 John 1:5-10)
Today is the day of reconciliation (Romans 5:1-11)
Today is the day to be clothed in Christ (Romans 13:14)

Casting Crowns has a song "While You Were Sleeping" and these are some of the words:

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night
America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping?

Dear one, are you sleeping? (Song of Solomon 5:2-16)

Be Nice, Be Nice, Be Nice

Well today I am going on my third day without Internet access in my home.
There are two things that usually can get me in a tizzy... at&t customer service and credit card calls.

So I have been hanging on the thread of be nice, be nice, be nice... for the last three days as I stand my ground with this company and try not to be rude and obnoxious to the poor person on the other end of the line that has the unfortunate job of delivering the bad company policy to my ears.

The deal is a bad modem

This is our 4th modem in 4years with at&t. The modem was recalled, though we received no notification of a modem recall, and now the modem is out of warranty and at&t refuses to replace it. The phone call resulted in me being hung up on in a transition to speak with getting back on dial-up because I refuse to pay for another modem on top of our monthly service bill.

I understand I might be being stubborn... but it makes no sense to me.

So I called again to attempt to reason with this company and was then informed that if I had been paying an extra $8 a month for an insurance plan, they would send me a new modem for free. Hmmmm so if I had of paid them an extra $96 they would have sent me a "free" $75 modem...

See my frustration?

Yes I struggle with the whole money=security thing, so I am constantly checking my heart at this time to see if I am standing solid ground or biting my nose off to spite my face.

More of my frustration is that we have been loyal customers to this company for over 13 years. This includes a mobile with them, Internet with them, home phone with them, and satellite tv with them. Yet our loyalty to them does not warrant a modem which is required to use the service that we are paying monthly for...

So Friday night I was ready to unbundle the satellite, buy out the mobile contract and cancel the Internet... the home phone went 2 years ago... yes all over a $75 modem.

I am still not so sure that this won't be the path we take... it all lies in tomorrows phone call to the service department.

So, if you miss my random craziness, and moments of revelation, and product and book reviews... I have not gone AWOL... I am fighting it out with my Internet provider and my own heart as I try to discern whether this is the stubborn red-headed female in me... or a flat out loyalty issue and bad business. 

So I will be taking deep breaths tomorrow and saying over and over to myself... be nice, be nice, be nice... as I try to stay focused on the fact that I am having a problem with a policy not the person on the other end of the line and praying that in the process I don't disqualify myself in this race of life from being an accurate witness of my Christ.

Hopefully you will still respect me in the morning!

Names of God Study: Jehovah-shalom

It's time for another post in the Names of God series. We have done a little study on the names Elohim, El Elyon, El Roi, El Shaddai, El Olam, Adonia, Jehovah, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-rapha, Jehovah-nissi, and Jehovah-mekoddishkem. Today we will learn more about our God from His name, Jehovah-shalom. 

We discover this name of God in Judges chapter six. When we look at the context of this chapter of Scripture we discover that this is a time of great turmoil in the life of Israel. It is after the death of their leader Joshua, the one who brought them into the promised land. It is a time when the children of Israel have decided to do what seems best in their own eyes instead of obeying the God who brought them out of Egypt.

In this chapter we are introduced to Gideon. We find him hiding in the wine press threshing wheat. While he hides, God decides to surprise him. The angel of the LORD pops in and declares that this hiding man is a valiant warrior... yes Gideon is shocked. After a time of exchanges and encouragements Gideon asks the angel of the LORD to hang around for an offering which he complies. When Gideon witnesses how the angel of the LORD consumes the offering, he realizes who he has been talking to...

When Gideon saw that he was the angel of the LORD,

he said, “Alas, O Lord GOD!

For now I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face.” 

The LORD said to him,

“Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” 

Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD

and named it The LORD is Peace.

Judges 6:22-24

He named it Jehovah-shalom.

The LORD is Peace.

There is only one way to receive peace... and that is from God.

Yes, we try in many other ways to get it...

We can light all the candles we want. We can try to find a place of solitude and quiet and shut out our inner thoughts and outer noise... but we will not find real peace here. We cannot self-will ourselves into peace.

When we try to self-will ourselves into peace or try to control our circumstances in order to get peace we usually end up like Po here... banging our heads up against the wall in sheer frustration. We may get the peace for a moment, but the second our circumstances change or an interruption occurs that peace is gone.

Lasting peace comes only from God.

The LORD bless you, and keep you;

 The LORD make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

The LORD lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26

Lasting peace comes from knowing that we are right with God. It comes from knowing that it is God who keeps us and sustains us regardless of our circumstances or life's interruptions. Lasting peace comes through faith. It comes from God and through God.

Therefore, having been justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5:1

When trials and tribulations come we have to remember that peace is not found in a place. It does not come through a system. It is found in a person.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;

not as the world gives do I give to you.

Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

John 14:27

These things I have spoken to you,

so that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you have tribulation,

but take courage;

I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

 When our peace comes from God then we have it regardless of our circumstances. Our circumstances may be crazy. Gideon was hiding in the wine press because his nation was in turmoil. He was surrounded by enemies and lived in fear... because he had forgotten who his God was. He had forgotten the promises of his God. He had forgotten the mighty works of his God. He thought the problem was his outer circumstances, but the problem was really in him.

Oh precious one, if you have Christ, then you have peace. Your innards are already full of peace. Christ in you the hope of glory! The Prince of Peace lives in you, never to leave you, never to forsake you. You just have to walk in it. You just have to get this thing going :-)

 

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

 

If we will keep our minds focused on the promises of God, trusting in His Word, walking by faith and not by sight, our God will keep us in perfect peace. When troubles come if we will remember...

 

'For I know the plans that I have for you,’

declares the LORD,

‘plans for welfare and not for calamity

to give you a future and a hope'

 Jeremiah 29:11

 

Oh precious one, do you need peace?

First ask yourself "Have I got Jesus?"

If you have Him, then you have peace.

Next walk in Him, think on Him, rest in Him and His Word.

 

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is right, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,

if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,

dwell on these things. 

The things you have learned

and received and heard and seen in me,

practice these things,

and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9

 

Don't focus on the problem, focus on the promise.

Remember Jehovah-shalom.

The LORD is Peace. 

The Dance

Lost in thought, lost in His eyes,
Dreaming of the day I'll throw off this disguise
Watching the clouds drift slowly by
Listening and watching for my Knight to arrive
Drifting away from the weight of this world
Eagerly anticipating my freedom unfurled

Oh to dance with my arms open wide
Singing and shouting to the Love of my life

To twirl and to trust as a child understands
To walk in a faith that is able to move mountains
To swim in a sea of forgiveness freely gave
To be firmly established upon the Rock that never caves
Throw off all inhibitions, all chains destroyed
No cords encompassed, no locks on the door
Cast all cares away, all fears to the depths
No burdens bore, no worries felt

Oh this world how captivating it is
The serpent's a charmer he does persist
Forsake he says, forsake your first love
Forget His voice, ignore His shove
No need to give all, what you've gave is enough
Your His, you are, no need to fanatically rush
Stay a while enjoy this place, after all life is short
No need for these pleasures for you to abort
Isn't God good, doesn't He want happiness
Then come says the serpent, with me dance
I'll twirl you and spin you and give you a high
Keep your eyes on my world for soon enough you will die
Come fill your plate with the things of this world
Don't you know when you go these will be no more
No regrets I promise after all would I lie

Would he lie?
Would he lie?
I ask you twice.

Forsake? No! Forsake my first love ?
My Savior, my Life, draw me unto You from above.
Fill me anew, afresh from Your heart
Pour down Your Spirit, Your truth do impart
Flood my mind and my soul with Your joy abound
Make me drunk with Your passion, I am Your renown

I shall shout I shall sing I shall declare Your praise
Lift high, lift high, Thy banner I raise
I run this race, I shall run till the end
For Jesus, my Lord, has also callen me friend

I love You I do, I love You so
My Jesus teach me, into Your image might me You mold
Into your hands I fall, into your arms I rest
Encompass me Father, let me inhale Your breath
Fill my lungs with Your life, my mouth with Your song
Oh my Father, it is here, in You that forever I belong

Thirty-three Day Challenge

I am up for a challenge... I would like you to join me in this challenge.
I am a Christian.
I am still proud to carry this name no matter what the world has done to try to discredit it.
I carry it with honor.
I do not carry it lightly.

As a Christian I have read the end of the book.
I know that this world is only going to get worse.
I am not here to save the world.
I am here to be used by God to save those who are His out of the world.
This challenge is for those that are His.

I don't know about you, but I am tired of the church not looking any different than the world. I am tired of cults that profess the name of Christ being lumped in with the true Church. I am tired of the lost not being able to find the way of peace because the highway of holiness is so crowded and blocked with briars and thorns and fruitcakes that they can't get through to see the real Christ. I am ready to be the tree of life that Zacchaeus was able to climb to get over the crowd in order to see Jesus.

I have just finished reading What Are You Waiting For by Dannah Gresh and am now in the middle of Every Woman's Battle by Shannon Ethridge. Both of these books mentioned this challenge.

Then I saw this:

After reading these books and seeing this video and knowing my own experiences and weighing it against about what I know of the Word of God, I can't help but feel my heart break from the marriages that I am sure have fallen apart simply because that serpent of old snuck his way in and wreaked havoc. I hurt as I think of how many marriages have not even been because the girl couldn't see God's man for the fog of Twilight and the fluff of the fairytales. To many of us are too weak and too desensitized to Satan's presence to even know when to fight him, much less how.

It's time for the Church to get busy about the Father's business.
It's time for the bride to make herself ready for the Bridegroom.

I wish that you would bear with me in a little foolishness;

but indeed you are bearing with me. 

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy;

for I betrothed you to one husband,

so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 

But I am afraid that,

as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,

your minds will be led astray

from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

2 Corinthians 11:1-3

Today I ask that you bear with me in a little foolishness... because I too am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I want you to be presented to your Bridegroom as a pure virgin... standing unashamed before Him because you made yourself ready for Him. If your Groom were to come today would you drop your head in shame or would your head be lifted up ready to be received by Him? 

I am afraid that many of us have indeed been deceived by the serpent... Adam and Eve alike. We have no doubt been led astray from them the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.

So if you will bear with me in my foolishness to believe that the Word of God is true and relevant in our day and powerful beyond measure... if you will bear with me in my foolishness to believe that their is still believers in the world today who desire to carry the name of Christ with honor and truly desire to live a sanctified life proclaiming His excellencies... then take this challenge with me.

The challenge:
For thirty-three days.
One day for every year that Christ gave us give to Him.
For thirty-three days we shall live to Him and not ourselves in a purposeful way. For thirty-three days let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh.

Therefore, having these promises,

beloved, let us cleanse ourselves

from all defilement of flesh and spirit,

perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Beginning February 14th, the secular day of "love" let us begin to live true, real, Biblical, Christ love.

The challenge will end on March 17th, St Patrick's Day, the day given in remembrance to the man who is believed to have ran all the snakes out of Ireland.
Let us, in this thirty-three day challenge run that serpent of old out of our minds, out of our home, out of our church by loving the LORD our God with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul, and all our strength.

How do we do this?

On February 14th put out the trash.

Turn off the television programs that feed your flesh, your lusts, your pride, and yes, your depression. If you wouldn't watch it sitting next to your Mom or your Pastor or kids Sunday School class turn it off. If it places a burden of dissatisfaction in you and makes you see yourself or your spouse in a negative way, turn it off. 

Do the same with what you read, and the music you listen to, and with the conversations going on around you at work, at school, on facebook and twitter, or even in your home with your family.

Take that time and instead study God's Word. Listen to God's Word. Read God's Word. 

Thirty-three days is all I am asking for. 

I will do the challenge with you.

Each day I will share a Scripture to meditate on.

I will share with you excerpts from the books above and together we will work to become women of integrity.

A woman of integrity lives a life that lines up with her Christian beliefs. She lives according to the standard of love rather than the law. She does not claim to be a follower of Christ yet disregard His many teachings on sexual immorality, lustful thoughts, immodest dress, and inappropriate talk. A woman of integrity lives what she believes about God, and it shows everywhere from the boardroom to the bedroom.  ~ Shannon Ethridge

This is not a flippant challenge I am asking you to join.

It is a challenge that could save your marriage if it is struggling.

It is a challenge that can lift you up out of the pit of defeat.

It is a challenge that can give you the strength to say no to what before you caved in to.

It is a challenge that can free you from your past and prepare you for your future.

It is a challenge that can open your eyes to the invisible chains that have been entangling you. 

It is a challenge that you are not to do alone. Pray for a fellow sister in Christ to openly take it with you, not someone you pushed into it, but someone who is serious about it, God will send her.

Don't try to force your spouse to join you, but explain to them what you are doing, and how serious it is, they will need to know because I have no doubt that there will be changes you will have to make to meet this challenge.

It is a challenge that I want you to pray about before you commit to it.

That's why it doesn't begin until Feb 14th.

Pray and if the Lord wills... join me.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come

and His bride has made herself ready.

Revelation 19:7