YAHWEH TSEBAOTH.

LORD ALMIGHTY, THE LORD OF ARMIES, THE LORD OF HOSTS.

The Lord of Armies, the LORD of Hosts, or the LORD Almighty, depending on the translation, is a title that emphasizes God's rule over every other power in the material and spiritual universe. When Scripture speaks of "the host of heaven," it is usually speaking of celestial bodies, though the phrase can also refer to angelic beings. The word host can also refer to human beings and to nature itself. When you pray to Yahweh Tsebaoth, you are praying to a God so magnificent that all creation serves his purposes.

The title Yahweh Tsebaoth (yah-WEH tse-ba-OATH) occurs more than 240 times in the Hebrew Scriptures, reminding us that all of creation, even in its fallen condition, is under God's rule and reign. At times Scripture speaks of the Lord of Hosts leading a great army. Cherubim and seraphim; sun and moon; stars and sky; rivers and mountains; hail and snow; men and women; animals, wild and tame-all these worship the Lord and are at times called to fight on his behalf.

Praying to Yahweh Tsebaoth A few years ago, my family and I began attending a church, many of whose members are of Dutch heritage. I used to tell people there that we really liked the church but that I didn't know if it was quite right for us. The sermons were great. The liturgy was beautiful. The people were nice. So what was the problem? Our height-or lack of it! We felt far too short in a church where many of the women stood well over six feet tall. If I thought I could get away with it, I would remind them of the Scripture passage that speaks about how afraid the Israelites were of crossing into the Promised Land because of the "giants" who lived there. "Did you know," I would expound in my best Bible teacher voice, "that scholars have finally discovered the identity of those enormous people?The archaeological evidence points to the fact that those 'giants' wandered into the Promised Land from the Netherlands!"

My eldest daughter can't wait for the day she attains the grand height of five feet zero inches tall. But what she really wishes is that she were about seven feet tall, unlikely for a Chinese American. When I ask her why, she tells me that then she would be looming over the boys in her class, who would no longer dare to bother her. She would be much too powerful.

Most of us experience times in our lives when we, too, wish we had more power-to direct our future, to help our children, to make the world a better place. Some situations make our weakness painfully apparent. At such times, it might help to reflect on our connection to the most powerful being in the universe, to Yahweh Tsebaoth. Consider how the Bible shows him commanding not only armies of angels and humans but the natural world as well.

He afflicted the Egyptians with plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, hail, locusts, and darkness. (Exodus 8-10) He parted the Red Sea. (Exodus 14:15-31) He used thunder to vanquish an enemy. (1 Samuel 7:10-12) He prevented lions from eating Daniel. (Daniel 6:16-22) Jesus showed signs of commanding the same kind of power as the God of the Old Testament. Remember the sudden storm on the Sea of Galilee? He was asleep in the boat, when his disciples shook him, yelling, "Master! Master! We're going to die!" But instead of sharing their alarm, Jesus simply stood up and told the winds and the waves to calm down!

Though we are weak and limited, we are not defenseless because we belong to a God of unimaginable power. And though it may seem that he is sleeping through our time of need, he is still Yahweh Tsebaoth, the LORD of Armies, able to do far more than we think or imagine.

Yahweh Tsebaoth, LORD of Armies, please calm my fear and anxiety. You know everything that is going on in my life right now. Please stretch out your hands to save me, and help me to rest in the knowledge that you are with me even in the most frightening of circumstances.

Promises Associated with the Name YAHWEH TSEBAOTH.

Let go of your concerns!

Then you will know that I am Elohim.

I rule the nations.

I rule the earth.

Yahweh Tsebaoth is with us.

The Elohim of Jacob is our stronghold. (Psalm 46:10-11) O Yahweh Tsebaoth, blessed is the person who trusts you. (Psalm 84:12) Return to me, declares Yahweh Tsebaoth, and I will return to you, says Yahweh Tsebaoth. (Zechariah 1:3)

David's Love for Jonathan 18 1 David finished talking to Saul. After that, Jonathan became David's closest friend. He loved David as much as he loved himself. 2 (From that day on Saul kept David as his servant and didn't let him go back to his family.) 3 So Jonathan made a pledge of mutual loyalty with David because he loved him as much as he loved himself. 4 Jonathan took off the coat he had on and gave it to David along with his battle tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.

5 David was successful wherever Saul sent him. Saul put him in charge of the fighting men. This pleased all the people, including Saul's officials.

David's Success Makes Saul Jealous 6 As they arrived, David was returning from a campaign against the Philistines. Women from all of Israel's cities came to meet King Saul. They sang and danced, accompanied by tambourines, joyful music, and triangles.a 7 The women who were celebrating sang, "Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands!"

8 Saul became very angry because he considered this saying to be insulting. "To David they credit tens of thousands," he said, "but to me they credit only a few thousand. The only thing left for David is my kingdom." 9 From that day on Saul kept an eye on David.

10 The next day an evil spirit from Elohim seized Saul. He began to prophesy in his house while David strummed a tune on the lyre as he did every day. Now, Saul had a spear in his hand. 11 He raised the spear and thought, "I'll nail David to the wall." But David got away from him twice.

12 Saul was afraid of David, because Yahweh was with David but had left Saul. 13 So he kept David away. He made David captain of a regiment. David led the troops out to battle and back again. 14 He was successful in everything he undertook because Yahweh was with him. 15 Saul noticed how very successful he was and became even more afraid of him. 16 Everyone in Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in and out of battle.

17 Finally, Saul said to David, "Here is my oldest daughter Merab. I will give her to you as your wife if you prove yourself to be a warrior for me and fight Yahweh's battles." (Saul thought, "I must not lay a hand on him. Let the Philistines do that.") 18 "Who am I?" David asked Saul. "And how important are my relatives or my father's family in Israel that I should be the king's son-in-law?"

19 But when the time came to give Saul's daughter Merab to David, she was married to Adriel from Meholah. 20 However, Saul's daughter Michal fell in love with David. When Saul was told about it, the news pleased him. 21 Saul thought, "I'll give her to David. She will trap him, and the Philistines will get him." So he said to David a second time, "You will now be my son-in-law."

22 Saul ordered his officers, "Talk to David in private. Tell him, 'The king likes you, and all his officers are fond of you. Become the king's son-in-law.'"

23 When Saul's officers made it a point to say this, David asked, "Do you think it's easy to become the king's son-in-law? I am a poor and unimportant person."

24 When the officers told Saul what David had said, 25 Saul replied, "Tell David, 'The king doesn't want any payment for the bride except 100 Philistine foreskins so that he can get revenge on his enemies.'" In this way Saul planned to have David fall into the hands of the Philistines. 26 When his officers told David this, David concluded that it was acceptable to become the king's son-in-law. Before the time was up, 27 David and his men went out and struck down 200 Philistines. David brought the foreskins, and they counted them out for the king so that David could become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him his daughter Michal as his wife. 28 Saul realized that Yahweh was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David. 29 Then Saul was even more afraid of David, and so Saul became David's constant enemy.

30 The Philistine generals still went out to fight Israel. But whenever they went out to fight, David was more successful than the rest of Saul's officers. So David gained a good reputation.

Saul's Plan to Kill David 19 1 Saul told his son Jonathan and all his officers to kill David. But Saul's son Jonathan was very fond of David, 2 so he reported to David, "My father Saul is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning. Go into hiding, and stay out of sight. 3 I'll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you'll be. I'll speak with my father about you. If I find out anything, I'll tell you."

4 So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. "You should not commit a sin against your servant David," he said. "He hasn't sinned against you. Instead, he has done some very fine things for you: 5 He risked his life and killed the Philistine Goliath, and Yahweh gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you rejoiced. Why then should you sin by shedding David's innocent blood for no reason?"

6 Saul listened to Jonathan, and he promised, "I solemnly swear, as Yahweh lives, he will not be killed." 7 Jonathan told David all of this. Then Jonathan took David to Saul. So David was returned to his former status in Saul's court.

Saul Tries to Kill David 8 When war broke out again, David went to fight the Philistines. He defeated them so decisively that they fled from him. 9 Then an evil spirit from Yahweh came over Saul while he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. David was strumming a tune. 10 Saul tried to nail David to the wall with his spear. But David dodged it, and Saul's spear struck the wall. David fled, escaping from Saul that night.

11 Saul sent messengers to watch David's house and kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, advised him, "If you don't save yourself tonight, you'll be dead tomorrow!" 12 So Michal lowered David through a window, and he ran away to escape. 13 Then Michal took some idols, laid them in the bed, put a goathair blanket at its head, and covered the idols with a garment.

14 When Saul sent messengers to get David, Michal said, "He's sick." 15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David themselves. Saul told them, "Bring him here to me in his bed so that I can kill him." 16 The messengers came, and there in the bed were the idols with the goathair blanket at its head.

17 Saul asked Michal, "Why did you betray me by sending my enemy away so that he could escape?"

Michal answered, "He told me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?'"

18 David escaped and went to Samuel at Ramah. He told Samuel everything Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to the pastures and lived there.

19 When it was reported to Saul that David was in the pastures at Ramah, 20 Saul sent messengers to get David. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying with Samuel serving as their leader, the Ruach Elohim came over Saul's messengers so that they also prophesied. 21 When they told Saul about this, he sent other messengers, but they also prophesied. Saul even sent a third group of messengers, but they also prophesied. 22 Then he went to Ramah himself. He went as far as the big cistern in Secu and asked the people, "Where are Samuel and David?"

He was told, "Over there in the pastures at Ramah." 23 As he went toward the pastures at Ramah, the Ruach Elohim came over him too. He continued his journey, prophesying until he came to the pastures at Ramah. 24 He even took off his clothes as he prophesied in front of Samuel and lay there naked all day and all night. This is where the saying, "Is Saul one of the prophets?" came from.

David Makes a Promise to Jonathan 20 1 David fled from the pastures at Ramah, came to Jonathan, and asked, "What have I done? What crime am I guilty of? What sin have I committed against your father that he's trying to kill me?"

2 Jonathan answered, "That's unthinkable! You're not going to die! My father does nothing without telling me, whether it's important or not. Why should my father hide this from me? It's just not that way."

3 But David took an oath, saying, "Your father certainly knows that you support me, so he said to himself, 'Jonathan must not know about this. It will bring him distress.' But I solemnly swear, as Yahweh and you live, I'm only one step away from death."

4 Jonathan said to David, "I'll do whatever you say."

5 David replied, "Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, when I should sit and eat at the king's table. But let me go and hide in the countryside for two more nights. 6 If your father really misses me, tell him, 'David repeatedly begged me to let him run to Bethlehem, his hometown, because his relatives are offering the annual sacrifice there.' 7 If he says, 'Good!' then I will be safe. But if he gets really angry, then you'll know for sure that he has decided to harm me. 8 Now, be kind to me. After all, you forced me into an agreement with Yahweh. If I have committed any crime, kill me yourself. Why bother taking me to your father?"

9 Jonathan answered, "That's unthinkable! If I knew for sure that my father had decided to harm you, I would have told you about it."

10 Then David asked, "Who will tell me whether or not your father gives you a harsh answer?"

11 Jonathan said, "Let's go out into the country." So they went out into the country.

12 "As Yahweh Elohim of Israel is my witness," Jonathan continued, "I'll find out in the next two or three days how my father feels about you. If he does feel kindly toward you, then I will send someone to tell you. 13 If my father plans to harm you and I fail to tell you and send you away safely, may Yahweh harm me even more. May Yahweh be with you as he used to be with my father. 14 But as long as I live, promise me that you will show me kindness because of Yahweh. And even when I die, 15 never stop being kind to my family. Yahweh will wipe each of David's enemies off the face of the earth. 16 At that time, if Jonathan's namea is cut off from David's family, then may Yahweh punish David's house."b 17 Once again Jonathan swore an oath to David because of his love for David. He loved David as much as he loved himself. 18 "Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival," Jonathan told him, "and you will be missed when your seat is empty. 19 The day after tomorrow you will be missed even more.c So go to the place where you hid on that other occasion, and stay by the rock. 20 I will shoot three arrows from beside it toward a target. 21 Then I will send out a boy and say, 'Go, find the arrows.' Now, if I tell the boy, 'Look, the arrows are next to you; get them,' then come back with me. You will be safe, and there will be no trouble. I swear it, as Yahweh lives. 22 But if I tell the boy, 'The arrows are next to you,' then go, because Yahweh has sent you away. 23 We have made a promise to each other, and Yahweh is a witness between you and me forever."

24 So David hid in the countryside. When the New Moon Festival came, King Saul sat down to eat the festival meal. 25 He sat in his usual seat by the wall, while Jonathan stood. Abner sat beside Saul, but David's place was empty. 26 Saul didn't say anything that day, thinking, "Something has happened to him so that he's unclean.d He must be unclean." 27 But on the second day of the month, David's place was still empty.

Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"

28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David repeatedly begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. 29 David said to me 'Please let me go. Our relatives will offer a sacrifice in the city, and my brother ordered me to be there. If you will permit it, please let me go to see my brothers.' This is why he hasn't come to your banquet."

30 Then Saul got angry with Jonathan. "Son of a crooked and rebellious woman!" he called Jonathan. "I know you've sided with Jesse's son. You have no shame. You act as if you are your mother's son but not mine.a 31 As long as Jesse's son lives on earth, neither you nor your right to be king is secure. Now, send some men to bring him to me. He's a dead man!"

32 Jonathan asked his father, "Why should he be killed? What has he done?"

33 Saul raised his spear to strike him. Then Jonathan knew his father was determined to kill David. 34 Jonathan got up from the table very angry and ate nothing that second day of the month. He was worried sick about David because Jonathan had been humiliated by his own father.

35 In the morning Jonathan went out to the country to the place he and David had agreed on. Jonathan had a young boy with him. 36 "Run," he told the boy, "please find the arrows I shoot."

The boy ran, and Jonathan shot the arrow over him. 37 When the boy reached the place where Jonathan's arrow had landed, Jonathan called after him, "The arrows are next to you!" 38 Jonathan added, "Quick! Hurry up! Don't stand there!" Jonathan's young servant gathered the arrows and came to his master. 39 The boy had no idea what was going on, but Jonathan and David understood. 40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy. He told the boy, "Take them back into town."

41 When the boy had left, David came out from the south side of the rock and quickly bowed down three times with his face touching the ground. Then they kissed each other and cried together, but David cried the loudest.b 42 "Go in peace!" Jonathan told David. "We have both taken an oath in Yahweh's name, saying, 'Yahweh will be a witness between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.'"c So David left, and Jonathan went into the city.

David at Nob 21 d1 David went to the priest Ahimelech at Nob. Ahimelech was trembling as he went to meet David. "Why are you alone?" he asked David. "Why is no one with you?"

2 "The king ordered me to do something," David answered the priest Ahimelech, "and he told me, 'No one must know anything about this mission I'm sending you on and about the orders I've given you. I've stationede my young men at a certain place.'" 3 David added, "Now, what do you have to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever you can find."

4 "I don't have any ordinary bread," the chief priest answered David. "But there is holy bread for the young men if they haven't had sexual intercourse today."

5 David answered the priest, "Of course women have been kept away from us as usual when we go on a mission. The young men's bodies are kept holy even on ordinary campaigns. How much more then will their bodies be holy today?"

6 So the priest gave him holy bread because he only had the bread of the presence which had been taken from Yahweh's presence and replaced with warm bread that day.

7 That same day one of Saul's servants who was obligated to stay in Yahweh's presence was there. His name was Doeg. A foreman for Saul's shepherds, he was from Edom.

8 David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I didn't take either my spear or any other weapon because the king's business was urgent."

9 The chief priest answered, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Elah Valley, is here. It is wrapped in a cloth behind the priestly ephod.a If you want to take it, take it. There's no other weapon here."

David said, "There's none like it. Let me have the sword."

David at Gath 10 That day David left. He was still fleeing from Saul when he came to King Achish of Gath. 11 Achish's officers asked, "Isn't this David, the king of his country? He's the one they used to sing about in the dances: 'Saul has defeated thousands but David tens of thousands.'"

12 When David realized what they had said, he was terrified of King Achish of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior when he was in their presence and acted insane as long as he was under their authority. He scribbled on the doors of the city gate and let his spit run down his beard.

14 Achish said to his officers, "Look at him! Don't you see that he's insane? Why bring him to me? 15 Do I have such a shortage of lunatics that you bring this man so that he can show me he is insane? Does this man have to come into my house?"

David in Judah and Moab 22 1 So David escaped from that place and fled to the cave at Adullam. When his brothers and all the rest of his family heard about it, they went to him. 2 Then everyone who was in trouble, in debt, or bitter about life joined him, and he became their commander. There were about four hundred men with him.

3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab. He asked the king of Moab, "Please let my father and mother stay with you until I know what Elohim is going to do for me." 4 He brought them to the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was living in his fortified camp.

5 "Don't live in your fortified camp," the prophet Gad told David. "Go to the land of Judah." So David went to the forest of Hereth.

Saul Massacres the Priests at Nob 6 Saul heard that David and his men had been found. Saul was staying in Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at the worship siteb with his spear in his hand and all his officials standing around him. 7 He said to his officials, "Listen here, men of Benjamin! Will Jesse's son give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all officers over a regiment or a battalion of soldiers? 8 All of you are plotting against me, and no one informed me when my son entered into a loyalty pledge with Jesse's son. No one felt sorry for me and informed me that my son has encouraged my servant David to ambush me, as he's doing now."

9 Then Doeg from Edom, standing with Saul's officials, answered him, "I saw Jesse's son when he came to Ahimelech, Ahitub's son, in Nob. 10 Ahimelech prayed to Yahweh for David and gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

11 Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech, who was Ahitub's son, and his entire family who were the priests in Nob. All of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, "Listen here, son of Ahitub!"

"Yes, sir?" he responded.

13 Saul asked him, "Why did you and Jesse's son plot against me? You gave him bread and a sword and prayed to Elohim for him so that he can rise up against me and ambush me, as he's doing now."

14 Ahimelech asked the king, "But whom among all your officials can you trust like David? Your Majesty, he's your son-in-law, the commander of your bodyguard. He's honored in your own household. 15 Is this the first time I have prayed to Elohim for him? Not at all! You shouldn't blame me or anyone in my family for this. I knew nothing at all about this."

16 Saul said, "Ahimelech, you and your entire family are going to die."

17 "Turn and kill Yahweh's priests because they support David," the king said to the runners standing around him. "When they knew David was fleeing, they didn't inform me." But the king's men refused to attack Yahweh's priests.

18 So the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests." Doeg from Edom turned and attacked the priests, and that day he killed 85 men wearing the linen priestly ephod.a 19 He also killed the people of Nob, the city of the priests. Using his sword, he killed men and women, children and infants, cows, donkeys, and sheep.

20 But Ahimelech, Ahitub's son, had one son who escaped. His name was Abiathar. He fled to David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed Yahweh's priests.

22 David told Abiathar, "I knew that day when Doeg from Edom was there that he would be certain to tell Saul. I am the one responsibleb for all the lives of your family. 23 Stay with me. Don't be afraid. The one who is seeking my life is also seeking your life. However, you will be under my protection."

David Saves the City of Keilah 23 1 David was asked, "Did you know that the Philistines are fighting against Keilah? They are robbing the threshing floors."c 2 David asked Yahweh, "Should I go and attack these Philistines?"

"Go," Yahweh told David, "attack the Philistines, and save Keilah."

3 David's men told him, "We're afraid of staying here in Judah. How much more afraid do you think we'll be if we go to Keilah against the Philistine army?"

4 David asked Yahweh again, and Yahweh answered him. He said, "Go to Keilah. I'm giving you the power to defeat the Philistines."

5 David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and decisively defeated them. So David rescued the people who lived in Keilah.