The Lord of Hosts
3/3/26 Bible Thought (2 Kings 6)
Main Idea: The world’s true Sovereign is on our side.
A Look at the Text:
In 2 Kings 6, Israel and Syria are at war with one another again. With this, we see that Israel had a serious advantage that their enemy had not considered.
No matter what the king of Syria came up with, it seemed he couldn’t get past the king of Israel. Ambushes were predicted. Surprises were to no avail. There must have been a man on the inside leaking information. Right?
But no. There was no human spy. Rather, it was the omnipresent God who unveiled through His prophet the very words that the king of Syria shared in the privacy of his own bedroom (2 Kings 6:12).
To remedy this, the king sent a massive army to the city of Dothan to capture the prophet Elisha.
Upon awaking, Elisha’s servant panicked. They went to bed safe and sound and woke up to a great Syrian army surrounding the city. Yet what the servant did not see was that the armies of the Lord of Hosts were also present, and they were far greater. The prophet prayed, God opened his servant’s eyes, and he saw that there were chariots and horses of fire all around them (2 Kings 6:17).
The Lord then struck the Syrian armies with blindness, and the battle was averted.
Bringing it Home:
It can be easy in modern life to fall prey to a faith that is very naturally inclined, where we can quickly forget the spiritual realm that is all around us. Yet, according to both testaments in the Bible, there are spiritual realities that are just as real as the earthly ones we experience day by day. We simply cannot see them.
While we might not have a problem with Syrians on our hands, there is a spiritual war taking place all around us.
The apostle Peter once warned that our adversary, the devil, goes around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Likewise, Paul commanded the believer to put on the armor of God:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12).
We must be aware of this. We must be sober-minded and watchful. Yet, even more, we must always remember that the God we serve is the Lord of Hosts. That is, He is the commander-in-chief of the armies of heaven.
There are myriads of angelic beings who do His bidding. Not the little cutesy guys with halos, but heavenly warriors who are all around us and who keep us (see Ps. 91:11-13).
Let us take heart, then, that while we cannot see the spiritual realm, the Lord of Hosts is nevertheless with us. He is on our side, and as Paul once concluded: If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31b).
Challenge:
How might my life be different if I were to diligently remind myself of the spiritual battle that I am in, which is filled with both friends and foes?
Let us always remember that while the battle is real, so is the victory, for the born-again believer in Jesus Christ is on the winning side.
I appreciated this piece. I remember when I first understood that hosts meant armies. The armies of heaven are at His disposal. Amen.
Oh I am so grateful for a God who is by my side! Life is so hard, but knowing He is with us gives us the hope we need daily.