Zechariah 1:2-6
“The Lord was very angry with your fathers. Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’”
Tag: The Assurance of the LORD of Host
The term LORD of Host is used in this prophet’s writings almost 50 times. Whenever the word LORD is capitalized in the Bible it means Yahweh which means the “self-existent one; the redemptive God.” This is God’s most powerful name. This is the most personal name for God. The word “hosts” is the Hebrew, “saba.” The word means “host; military service; war; army; service; labor; forced labor; conflict.” This combination of the word means that God is the God over all the Hosts (armies) of Heaven. When a writer in the Old Testament is using the word, we must acknowledge that he is calling on all the host of heaven behind the use of the word. The host of heaven meaning all the angelic armies of God. When we realize that God has all the angelic armies at His Divine disposal, it should give us great hope and assurance. God is calling upon all the power of His might to fight for us when He pledges the “hosts of heaven.” In Zechariah’s words, the LORD of Hosts is behind this prophecy. Note the last line of the above passage: “As the LORD of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and our deeds, so has he dealt with us.” God deals with us in regard to our sin and our faith via the Hosts of Heaven. For those who remain in sin, that should be terrifying. For those who come to Him in faith for redemption that should be a blessed assurance.
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