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Names of God – Pt 9


(Psalm 44:8) – In God we have boasted all day long, and we will give thanks to Your name forever.

Jehovah Sabaoth – “The Lord of Hosts” (1 Samuel 1:3)

Isn’t it incredible that God reveals Himself to us in such strong, compassionate, complete and personal ways in dealing with His people and through Himself in Christ as our Savior and Lord! His Names are truly awesome!

As we continue with another powerful Name of God revealed in 1 Samuel 1:3. Here we find Elkanah going up at the appointed annual times to make sacrifices to “JEHOVAH SABAOTH – THE LORD OF HOSTS” literally all the Hosts of Heaven.

Hannah, Elkanah’s wife, gives birth to Samuel whom she commits to give to The Lord and he becomes a great prophet of The Lord, ultimately anointing David as King of Israel and through whose lineage will come The Messiah, Jesus Christ!

There are several places in Scripture where we find the presence of all the Hosts of Heaven under Jehovah Sabaoth but perhaps none more poignant and powerful than in 2 Kings 6:17 when Elisha and his attendant were surrounded by the King of Aram and his entire army. Elisha prayed for The Lord to open the eyes of his men to see that the hosts around them in the spiritual realm were far greater than the Aramite army.

One of the other places is when David, the shepherd boy, comes against Goliath the giant who was terrifying the entire Israelite army and speaking against God and His people. Just before David kills Goliath he proclaims in 1 Samuel 17:45 that he comes in the Name of Jehovah Sabaoth – The God of Hosts (Armies) whom the giant had defied. Guess who won that standoff?

Christ is Jehovah Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts as we find very plainly in His return captured in Revelation 19:11-14 when He comes commanding all the Hosts of Heaven against the armies of this world who have gathered against His Name and people! We are victorious in Christ, The Lord of Hosts!

Are you following Christ as Lord and trusting Him as Jehovah Sabaoth – The Lord of Hosts? He is the only One Who will ultimately reign so choose to let Him reign in your life today.

Jehovah De’ot – “The God of Knowledge” (1 Samuel 2:3)

We continue with this story of Hannah and Samuel as God reveals another wonderful Name of His and His steadfast character. We all desire what we find in God’s Name in this next text… knowledge. However, His Word also warns us that mere human knowledge apart from Him only puffs us up or inflates our pride (1 Corinthians 8:1).

If we want real knowledge…knowledge according to God’s Word…we need to go to “JEHOVAH DE’OT – THE GOD OF KNOWLEDGE” whom we find revealed in 1 Samuel 2:3. It is here in Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving for God having granted her request for a son, Samuel. She recognizes that God knows all things and she is thankful for how that has not only played out in her life but in every part of creation!

On a personal level we can see Jehovah De’ot in Psalm 139:13-14 as He knows us even before He forms us in our mother’s womb! Also we find in Proverbs 1:7 that fear of The Lord is the beginning of knowledge…it all starts with Him – The God of Knowledge!

As I mentioned earlier, fleshly knowledge brings pride (1 Corinthians 8:1) but in Christ we see The God of Knowledge becomes flesh for our sake and salvation (2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 2:2-3). Christ is the Knowledge of God for us.

Are you living in that knowledge or trying to do it in your own?

El Selichot – “The God Who Forgives” (Nehemiah 9:17)

In Nehemiah 9 we find an incredible Name of God that emerges in Scripture. That Name is “EL SELICHOT – THE GOD WHO FORGIVES!” The word selichot in Hebrew literally means prayers of repentance and seeking forgiveness. So Nehemiah, knowing the sins of the people of Israel have been great and that God is gracious to allow them to return to Israel and Jerusalem from captivity and begin to rebuild the wall and the city!

With this as the backdrop Nehemiah proclaims in v. 17 this Name, one of the most beautiful names of God for us all, EL SELICHOT – THE GOD WHO FORGIVES, and then continues in that verse to describe His grace, mercy, compassion and patience with us…that we all so desperately need! Praise The Lord!

It is an easy connection to make in seeing Christ as EL SELICHOT – THE GOD WHO FORGIVES throughout the New Testament. The first time we hear it proclaimed is from John the Baptist in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

There are so many references to forgiveness in Christ in the New Covenant but I want to mention 4 more to make the point that God in Christ has forgiven all who believe on Him…Luke 23:34; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:23 and 1 John 1:7-9.

Have you believed in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, the gift of The Holy Spirit and eternal life with Him?

Love and Lordship…Food for Thought – As Jehovah Sabaoth – “The Lord of Hosts” He commands all the Armies or Hosts of Heaven for our sake and protection and to bring about His perfect will. Building on that, Jehovah De’ot – “The God of Knowledge” and because He is God it is perfect knowledge that He gives us through His Word and His Spirit. Finally we would be lost if it weren’t for El Selichot – “The God Who Forgives” that we ultimately receive in Christ and His sacrifice for our sins.

Love and Lordship…Action Item

  1. Read the Scriptures in this article and ask The Holy Spirit to teach you.
  2. Write down what each of the Names of God in this post mean to you. 
  3. This week’s Names of God reveal His sovereignty, His omniscience (all knowledge) and His forgiveness. Which of these is presently impacting your life?
  4. What has God revealed to you in the Names about Himself in this post?

Check out this week’s Love & Lordship Mentoring Minute Video