Vers. 3, 11. (SFITLOH.)-The Lord oflwsts. There is no subject more worthy of study than the nature and character of God. His perfections are often called his Name~ and his Name is expressed by various words, all of which are significant. They are- not merely designations, but also descriptions. The word God is commonly supposed, to mean the Good One, but it probably denotes "he on whom one calls,'' or "he to, "·h oro one sacrifices ; " the word Lord = Giver or Distributor of bread ; IJeity (Sanscrit, Dyaus) = the Resplendent, Light-giving Heaven, the Shining One, showing the pure- conception which the ancient Aryans (the ancestors of the Indo-European nations), entertained of the Divine Being. But the Bible mentions other names of God, which were either in common use among the Semitic nations, or given by speciat revelation to the Hebrews; and of these one of the most noteworthy is that of "the- Lord of hosts'' (Jehovah Sabaoth), which occurs no less than 260 times, this being· the first instance of its use (see Max Muller, 'Science of Language,' p. 172; Fairbairn~ 'Studies in Philosophy ; ' Plumptre, 'Biblical Studies '). Observe- !. ITS HISTORICAL USE. 1. Founded on what had been previously known or revealed. Jehovah Sabaoth = Jehovah, Elohe (God of) Sabaoth (Keil; 2 Sam. v. 10). El (Beth-El, Isra-El, El-kanah, Samu-El)= the Strong or Mighty On~; us~d, in the plural as "comprehend!ng in himself the f11;lness of a!l P?"'.e~, _an~, umtmg m l1iroself all the attributes which the heathen ascnbe to their d1vm1tics. Jehovah (Yahveh) = he who is, or he who will be, the Being, the Absolute One, tho_ Cause a!1d Support of all other beings, the Eternal, the Unchangeable; employed with spec1~l reference to his personality, unity, his close relatio~ship to his p~~ple, an~ his promise to be their God; the Proper Name of lsr~~l s God (Ell:od. 111. 14; v1. 3). Sabaoth (hosts) = the heaven and the earth (Gen_. 1_1. 1 _; Deut._ 1v. 19), the .'.':ngels· (Gen. xxxii. 2, where, however, another word of s1m1lar import 1s used; Ps. cm. 21), and more commonly armies of men (Gen. xxi. 22; Exod. vi. 26_; Josh. v. 1~)- T~e· whole name= 11 Jeb1Jvab, the God of the armies of Israel, the Giver of the victory m oattle, of the stars and of the angels." 2. First used when he wa~ abo~t to m~ke· a fresh display cf his power and grace to his people under the1~ _anomted. kmg (eh. iv. 4; xvr. 45; 2 Sam. vi. 27). By Hannah, the most spmtually-mmcled CH, I. 1-8.] THE FinST BOOK OF SA~IUEL. 1)
person of that 11ge (see Wordsworth's 'Com.'). 3. "Rose into new prominence in, proportion as the people came into contact with the Assyrian and Chaldrean races, by whom the worship of the heavenly bodies was systematised into a national religion, and was therefore perpetually on the lips of Isaiah and Jeremiah as a. protest against it" (Isa. vi. ; Jer. xlvi. 18; xlviii. 15). 4. Most frequently used by the later prophets," who doubtless sought to counteract by this means the fear which the Jews, as a poor, despised people, had of the power of the Gentiles, and to prove- to them that the God in whom they believed had hosts enough to protect them, though they should be devoid of all earthly might wherewith to defend themselve,r against their enemies" (Roos). 5. Only once employed, in direct statement, in the New Testament (James v. 4); other and still higher revelations of his character being made by Jesus Christ. II. ITs SUBLIME IMPORT. "God alone is great." 1. llis perscmality and 1inity, as opposed to "the gods many and lords many " worshipped by the heathen ; the- key-stone of the faith of Israel being, "The Lord our God is one Lord." This is not contradictory to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which signifies a threefold dis- tinction in the One God. 2. His supremacy. He is higher than the highest, the great King and Law-giver, whose wilf all must obey (Ps. xxiv. 10; Mai. i. 14). 3. His immensity. He fills all space ; rules over sun, moon, and stars; myriads of angels; nations, families, and individual men. "All are thy servants." 4. His omnipotence. "Lord God Almighty." "Power belongeth unto God." "It is the- flower of his crown imperial, which he will suffer none to usurp. If the proudest of creatures go beyond the bounds and limits of his present permission, he will send wonus to eat them up, as he did Herod" (Owen). "Thine omnipotence is not far from us when we are far from thee" (Augustine). Other revelations have now been given. "God is spirit." " God is light." " God is love.'' " Our Father which art in heaven." But. his name as the Lord of hosts ought often to be an object of devout contemplation. III. ITS PRACTICAL INFLUENCE. It is adapted-1. To correct error: atheism, poly- theism, pantheism, positivism, scepticism, secularism, &c. 2. To elevate our con- ceptions of liim, and fill us with humility, reverence, and adoration. 3. To encourage its to pray to him, with strong co11fidence tlwt we sltall be heard ( eh. i. 11 ; Zech. viii. 21 ; Matt. xxvi. 53 ; Eph. iii. 20). 4. To strengthen us in labour. "Work: for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts" (Haggai ii. 4). 5. To incite us to con- tend against liis foes, to "fight the good fight of faith." " I come to thee in the- name of the Lord of hosts " ( eh. xvii. 45 ), 6. To console its in trouble. "The- Lord will protect his own" (Ps. xxxiv. 7 ; Isa. viii. 13). He is the Protector and Avenger of the oppressed (James v. 4). "He calls God the Lord of hosts in order to strike terror into those who think that the poor have no protector" (Bede). 7. To warn all who disobe1J his voice, and set themselves in opposition to him and his people. " Beware, therefore. "-D.