Daily Devotions
Isaiah
"The LORD of hosts musters the army for battle"
Text: Isaiah 13:4
THE LORD OF HOSTS
God has many names and titles. One of them is “The LORD of hosts”. This may be seen as a military title. He is the LORD of the army. This term, in this context, has an additional meaning.
“The noise of a multitude in the mountains,
Like that of many people!
A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together!
The LORD of hosts musters
The army for battle.
They come from a far country,
From the end of heaven—
The LORD and His weapons of indignation,
To destroy the whole land.”
Isaiah 13:4-5
1. The term “hosts”.
a) It refers to the army of the LORD.
b) One focus is “numerical might”.
2. Two “hosts”.
a) There is a heavenly host.
i) These would be mighty angels.
ii) They are involved in a mighty spiritual battle that we cannot see.
b) There is an earthly host.
i) God will muster this army.
ii) In the historical context this would refer to the Medes and Persians.
iii) They would be the hosts that God would use against the Babylonians.
3. A description of the earthly hosts that God was mustering.
a) “A multitude in the mountains”
b) “The kingdoms of nations”
c) The Medes and Persians would gather other smaller nations to fight
with the Babylonians.
d) The people would come from a far country.
So far, they are called “from the end of heaven”.
e) They are also called “His weapons of indignation”.
f) Their goal was to “destroy the whole land”.
The Babylonian empire was in mind!