Short Bible Study: The Meaning Of Holy In The Bible
What does holy mean in the Bible? Holy in the Bible is a word that describes the identity and nature of God. In the Old Testament kodesh is the word in Hebrew that describes the holy presence of God. It means apart, , sacred.
In the Old Testament book of the prophet Isaiah chapter 6:1-8, Isaiah gives an account of the holy presence of God as he encounters God in his calling to be a prophet of Israel. Here is how Isaiah 6:1-8 reads,
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory. The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: Woe is me! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips yet my eyes have seen the Lord, the King of hosts! Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: See, now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out. Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? And I said, Here am I send me!
What Is The Heavenly Host What Does Lord Of Hosts Mean
- Chad NapierCrosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- 20196 Aug
The heavenly host is a group or army with heavenly power to assist Gods people. The main purpose of heavenly hosts is to strengthen and comfort believers.
Primarily the angels are meant, but the name gathers into itself the idea of all divine or heavenly power as available for the need of God’s people, according to Scofields Reference Notes.
Who Is The Lord Of Hosts
The word is frequently translated as host rather than army, in most of our Bibles. Host could refer to either an army or a great number or multitude. The first time it appears in the Bible is right at the beginning, in the creation account: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the HOST of them. .
I learned from a rabbi that this could mean that all of the atoms, all of the molecules, the vast array of them, were working together all assembled and acting towards a purpose. Like an army. Not like a machine, but like an army. That was an amazing thought to me.
So it is no surprise then, that it is Hannah, a barren woman, who calls upon this aspect of Gods personhood. She cries out to the one who is able to create ex-nihilo, from nothing, to whom every cell and atom are called to attention. She knows that her hope lies only with the one whose voice the whole host of heavens and earth must obey. She understands that the command of the Lord of Armies will and must be executed. And it was.When we call our Heavenly Father the Lord of Hosts, there is so much in that name. Yes, there are the myriad armies of angels at his disposal, and yes, he is a warrior, mighty in battle, but he is also the conductor of the beautiful orchestra that is the entirety of all creation. Every atom, every molecule, moves in accordance with his purposes and at his command. He sustains everything by his powerful word.
ONE FOR ISRAEL
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What Does It Mean For Us
As you step into the New Testament, God is still the Lord of Hosts because God never changes. The good news is that God still fights for you. Consider this verse in Romans: “What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
We have the same assurance that the Israelites did. It does not matter what situation in life you find yourself in. God is for you. Since God is for you and he is the Lord of Hosts, there is no one who can ever overcome you if God is on your side.
What Is The Meaning Of The Title Lord Of Hosts
The Savior is called the Lord of Hosts 245 times in the Old Testament, 54 times in the book of Isaiah alone. This title also appears 52 times in the Book of Mormon, mostly in passages quoted from Isaiah or Malachi, but Nephi, Jacob, and Samuel the Lamanite all use the term. What does it mean, and why is it an appropriate title for the Savior?
The Hebrew word for hosts is tsvaót , sometimes rendered in English as sabaoth. It refers to armies, or large numbers of people organized to achieve a common goal.
In the first chapter of the Book of Mormon, Nephi describes a vision in which his father saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels . The Apostle Paul later described the city of the living God as being filled with an innumerable company of angels . .
At important points in their journey to the promised land, Nephi received assistance or training from angels of God . Several times, he reproved his brothers by reminding them that they had seen an angel . Unlike the servant of Elisha, Nephi didnt need his eyes opened to know that they that be with us are more than they that be with them . He knew that angels minister to people, providing assistance and instruction .
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught that angels may be ministering to us even when we are not aware of it:
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The Heavenly Host Proclaims Gods Protection And Presence
In Psalms 46:10-11, we are told to be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our fortress.
This passage is a great comfort to Christians, knowing the Lord of hosts has all the creatures which are called the hosts of heaven and earth at his beck and commandWe need not fear, Mathew Henry said in his commentary.
Jacob dreamed of a stairway with the angels of God ascending and descending from heaven and earth. When Jacob escaped from the hands of his father-in-law, he was joined by a host of angels and informed that his brother Esau was now in pursuit of him. Genesis 32:1-2 tells us he when he was met with the angels, he called the name of that place Mahanaim, which represents two hosts or armies.
Reflections On Psalm 46
Editorial Note: Its the middle of March 2020, and the coronavirus is beginning to hit the U.S. in a big way. Weve never seen anything like this in my lifetime. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that our hope doesnt depend on this world, especially when trials ambush us. But we need to be reminded and comforted. We need to hear from the Lord. In such times we often turn to the book of Psalms. Our pastor preached on Psalm 46 when this crisis was beginning and encouraged us to memorize it. I learn best by reading and writing. I hope my reflections will encourage you and those you love. Grace and peace.
Psalm 46:6-7
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The LORD of Armies is with us the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
In this portion of the Psalm, we see a stark contrast between the craziness of earth and the steadfastness of our Lord. Pretty much our daily experience, wouldnt you say? One thing is happening with the nations, kingdoms and the earth, while a very different and far better thing is going on with the Lord of Armies the God of Jacob. This means that we cant trust our world to give us security or comfort or hope ultimately. That only comes from the Lord. So, the first order of business is to stop trying to find reassurance from our newsfeeds. We may get bits and pieces of good news, but nothing consistent and deep and lasting to sustain us.
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Upon Pharaoh And Upon All His What
We can see this meaning clearly when we look at other places where the term host is used. For example, leading up to the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus, God says:
And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen, .
To understand this verse, not only must we parse out what get me honour means, we also need to identify who is might by Pharaohs host. In this particular verse, we can actually use the immediate context to work out a good estimate of what this might mean. Pharaohs host seems to consist of his chariots and horseman. It is his army. As it turns out, that is, indeed, what the word meant in earlier English. This is why modern translations unanimously render this:
I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen, .
It is the army of Pharaoh that God would destroy. That is what a host is.
Similarly, Moses writes elsewhere:
These are those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty, .
by their armies .
by their companies .
by their military divisions .
To take one more example:
commander of his army .
commander of his forces ,
References
Heavenly Host Are Creations Of God
You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host.
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
The heavenly host are commonly thought to have been created on the first day. However, the Jewish faith affirms angels were created either on the second or fifth day, as Chabad.org stated.
Much of the confusion is due to the fact the celestial stars are sometimes referred to as heavenly hosts in Scripture . If the angels were not part of the creation referred to in Genesis 2:1, then they would have to have been created sometime later. But the verse indicated all the host was created. Therefore, one may reasonably affirm the angels were created and included in this grouping.
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Message In Zechariah 8
That is an outlandish claim. The prophets were saying that YHWH, the covenant God of Israel, rules over the hosts of heaven and earth everyone and everything.
Observe what unfolds from that claim in Zechariah 8.
YHWH the all-ruler is too jealous to let the nations keep ruling his people . He will restore his city to his governance . This sounds incredible for the people who have no armies to save them from their captors, but its not a big deal for YHWH the all-ruler .
All it takes is his decree . And that flows out of his character: faithful to the covenant, doing right by his people . It was his decree that sent them into exile , and they will return because YHWH the all-ruler decrees it .
But what about the problem of the nations who oppose his decrees and invade his nation?
Well, the whole point of establishing Israel as his nation was so the nations could see what life on earth was meant to be under Gods reign . As YHWH the all-ruler re-establishes his people after their exile, they can resume that task: embodying his character as a kingdom of truth, justice, genuine love, and peace .
When the nations see the reign of YHWH the all-ruler in his people, their people will begin to turn from their own power-schemes and begin to entreat YHWH the all-ruler for the kind of leadership theyve heard he gives . This is Zechariahs prophetic vision of how the earth returns to the reign of YHWH the all-ruler.
Gods Heavenly Hosts Will Ultimately Be Victorious
If the LORD of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we should have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah.
There are three Hosts of the Lord: the angels, the stars, and the church. The heavenly hosts protect a people from general ruin and destruction and enable the seed or remnant to be preserved. A host contemplates a dual protection from both heaven and on earth. Butler, George William, The Lords Host , Edinburgh .
Paul referenced this verse in Romans 9:29, as he taught a seed was left behind or a small number of people out of an otherwise degenerate society like Sodom and Gomorrah.
In Revelation 12:7-9, the archangel Michael and a host of angels will ultimately defeat Satan.
In Revelation 19:1 a great multitude in heaven will shout Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God when Babylon ultimate falls at the hand of our Lord.
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Jehovah Sabaoth The Lord Of Hosts
- Today Dave writes on Jehovah Sabaoth The Lord of Hosts.**************************************************
Have you ever wished you could just call on someone who would not only fight your battles but calm your fearful and frazzled heart too? Have you ever wanted to just throw your hands up in the air, give up, and let someone else take care of things?
Well, you can! His name is Jehovah Sabaoth.
The name Jehovah Sabaoth may not be a name of God you are familiar with but as we look at this name of God today we will learn that the God we serve is so much greater than our finite minds can comprehend!
Jehovah Sabaoth is mentioned over 270 times making it the most frequently used compound name of God in Scripture. This profound name means the Almighty, Sovereign, Self-Existent God over all the multitudes .
First mentioned in 1 Samuel 1:3, we find Hannahs husband, Elkanah, making annual trips to the temple to sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts. Just a few short verses later we find a barren and heartbroken Hannah making a covenant with the LORD of Hosts as she cried out for Him to hear her prayer and give her a child.
In 1 Samuel 17:45, we find just prior to pegging Goliath with a pebble, David boldly proclaimed, And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And in 2 Samuel 5:10, we find And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.
Jesus Is Jehovah Sabaoth
Isaiah specifically identifies the Lord of Hosts as our Redeemer. Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel . Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. He is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts.
This name for God emphasizes His power and authority over the multitudes of earth and heaven. When Jesus came to Earth to redeem us, He repeatedly demonstrated His power over the forces of Satan.
- He freed those possessed of demons .
- He raised the dead to life .
- He healed lepers and the blind .
As the Lord of Hosts, Jesus ruled even over the forces of nature, commanding a violent storm to cease when it threatened to swallow the little boat carrying Him and His disciples. Instantly, the wind stopped blowing and the waves were calm .
Just before the cross, Jesus told His disciples, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world . And following His death, before going back to heaven, He told them, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth . By His death for us on the cross, Jesus destroyed the devil and delivered us from the bondage of sin .
Because of His powerful victory over sin in our behalf, the name of Jesus is above every name. At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord .
Truly, Jesus is our all-powerful, all-loving Lord of HostsJehovah Sabaoth.
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Is This A Good Name For God
The name Lord of Hosts is a good name for God because it gives us more understanding of who he is. It reminds us that God is our defender and we dont have to defend ourselves. In the gospel of John, Jesus makes this statement: “My sheep listen to my voice I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all no one can snatch them out of my Fathers hand. I and the Father are one. – John 10:27-30
The truth found in these verses in John is possible because God is the Lord of Hosts. You could even imply from these verses that someone, mainly Satan, may try to snatch you out of his hand, but this too is not possible. Remember, God will fight for you, and when the enemy comes, God will not allow him to overtake you.
God is the Lord of Hosts, the Lord of Heavens Armies, the Lord Almighty. This picture of the military God should give you peace knowing that God is watching over you. He is the God that provides, and he is also the God who protects. I encourage you to remember that in your present situation and I want to leave you with one verse that puts this view of God in perfect perspective:
“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” – Psalm 91:11-12
As the Lord of Hosts, God is undoubtedly watching over you.