From today's devotional
Israel is a land bridge that connects three continents. Asia, Africa, and Europe all converge on this sliver of land that's about the size of the state of New Jersey.
Here's the significance behind this geographical fact: In biblical times, any empire with ambitions to dominate the world would eventually have to pass through Israel. So, foreign armies were constantly crossing Israel's borders and threatening her existence. This gave rise to another name ascribed to God, Jehovah-sebaot, or "LORD of hosts." Sebaot means "armies" or "fighting force" in Hebrew. And the purpose in connecting it with the covenant name of Jehovah was to emphasize His military dominance over the steady stream of invading soldiers.
There's a spirit of "My dad can beat up your dad" in the name Jehovah-sebaot. Or better yet, it's a declaration of "My God can beat up your god." The name Jehovah-sebaot acknowledges that the Lord directly intervenes in battle on behalf of His people. We see this over and over again, from the Battle of Jericho (Joshua 6) to the supernatural slaying of the Assyrian army (Isaiah 37). Jehovah doesn't just wear a crown, He also wields a sword.
When it comes to us, the New Testament teaches that we're engaged in an ongoing battle in the spiritual realm. Our enemy is none other than Satan, and he has an army of demonic beings that he has commissioned to contend against us. Left to our own, we're no match against this spiritual foe. But because we belong to Jehovah-sebaot, the One who always emerges victorious on the field of battle, we're bound to overcome the adversary of our souls. All that's needed is for us to stop striving in our own strength, and start relying on Jehovah-sebaot to fight for us.
The name Jehovah-sebaot acknowledges that the Lord directly intervenes in the spiritual realm, battling on behalf of His people.
Think About It...
What does this passage reveal to me about God?
What does this passage reveal to me about myself?
Based on this, what changes do I need to make?
What is my prayer for today?
