Bible Reading Reflection (Exodus 12): Hosts of the LORD

In the daily Bible reading, the phrase, "Hosts of the LORD" jumped out at me in Exodus 12.  At the end of 430 years, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt."  The word "hosts" is usually a military term that refers to an army.  The verb form means to make war.  The phrase, "LORD of Hosts" literally means "Yahweh of Armies."  It is interesting that the text refers to the enslaved Israelites who were exiting Egypt as the "Hosts/Armies of Yahweh."  They were not trained in warfare.  They did not have chariots.  They did not have battle armor or training in tactical maneuvers.  

None of this mattered.  It was the LORD of hosts that did battle with Pharaoh and all the gods of Egypt in a way that no human could.  From Yahweh's first strike against the Nile River, to the ninth strike against the sun with darkness, God demonstrated his universal power and authority over their sacred Nile and their so-called sun god, Ra.  After the crossing of the sea, Israel worshipped God and declared, "Yahweh is a warrior!  Yahweh is his name!"  Yahweh's hosts only need to trust and obey their warrior God.  God demonstrated this time after time, whether it was in the days of Gideon or David. 

This reminds me of two passages to meditate on regarding what it means to be the host of the Lord:

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love” (Ps 147:10-11).

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds” (2 Cor 10:4).