Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Isaiah 47:4
Pastor: Pastor Schlicht
Sermon Date:  December 19. 2018

What does it mean that Isaiah calls our Redeemer, the LORD Almighty? Let me describe three scenes for you:

1. A barren woman who has always longed for a child kneels in worship weeping bitterly. In deep anguish, she prays silently for a child.
2. A small boy stands in front of an adversary over twice his size and weight. With no realistic chance of winning, he declares boldly that victory will be his.
3. A young servant gets up early in the morning and sees that many armed soldiers have surrounded his house. “What shall we do?” he asks his master. “Don’t be afraid,” the man answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are against us.” And yet only two of them stood before a great army.

What do these scenes have in common? In each case, God is proven worthy of the name Adonai Tzva’ot, the “Lord Almighty”. Hannah was the first person in the Bible to address God as the LORD Almighty. She was the barren woman who prayed for a son. The LORD Almighty answered. Her child would grow to become the great prophet, Samuel. David was the small boy who stood before Goliath and a devastating Philistine army and said, “You come at me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty. Despite all reason, with Adonai Tzva’ot, one smooth stone from his sling was enough to fell the giant. Elisha’s servant was the one who awoke to see the Aramean army. And he may have looked incredulous when Elisha told him that they had greater numbers. But Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire. Adonai Tzva’ot was on their side.

The LORD Almighty is certainly a worthy title for our God and as such is used over 260 times in Scripture. Tonight, I’d like to address the two parts of this name individually.

He is ALMIGHTY: Tzava’ot (צבאות) is the word translated as “Almighty,” but the literal meaning in Hebrew is “armies”. Hence it is often rendered “Lord of armies” or “Lord of hosts.” As in the first time this word appears in the Bible, right at the beginning, in the creation account: “So the heavens and the earth were finished in all their vast array” [literally, “and all the צבא host of them”] (Genesis 2:1). Think about that, all of the atoms, all of the molecules, the vast array of them, were working together; all assembled and acting for a purpose like an army. So it is no surprise that it is Hannah, a barren woman, who calls upon this aspect of God’s personhood. She addressed the one who is able to create all things from nothing (ex nihilo). She prayed to the Almighty, to whom every cell and atom are called to attention. She knew that her only hope lay with the one whose voice the whole host of heaven and earth must obey. She understands that the command of the Lord of Armies will and must be executed. And it was.

When we call our God the “Almighty” there is so much packed into this title. He is the commander of myriad angel armies, he is a warrior, mighty in battle, and he is also the conductor of the beautiful orchestra that is the entirety of all creation. He is Adonai Tzva’ot.

He is the LORD: But Isaiah also calls him the LORD. Not “Lord” with lower case letters, but “LORD” in all caps. He isn’t shouting, he is using a very specific name for God. This is the name which the Jewish people would not even dare to speak, sometimes vocalized as Yahweh now, but most often simply represented by four Hebrew letters, hence the greek title Tetragrammaton—tetra” meaning “four,” and “gramma” meaning “letter” (that which is drawn). This sacred, unpronounced name of God is the Old Testament Covenant title for our God which he gave himself. This is the name God revealed to Moses at the burning bush, the name which signifies not just the power of God, but the promises of God. The name simply means “I AM”. It describes God’s ever-present power and control.  It describes God’s eternal reliability. It describes a God who is always active in achieving his purpose.

This is the term for “LORD” which Isaiah pairs with “Almighty.” What does it mean that Isaiah calls our Redeemer the LORD Almighty?  Well, let me give you just one more scene to consider. A young woman, 9 months pregnant, has just completed a brutal 90-mile journey on the back of a donkey. She and her new husband want to find a place to sleep, but there is no room in the inn and end up trying to keep warm in a stable overnight. But the baby couldn’t wait. There in the hay, she gives birth to her firstborn, a son. And she wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger.

Who would ever guess that this little babe could be the LORD Almighty? Who could guess that this poor child, who cannot even speak, is the one who called the Universe into existence? Who could guess that this baby born to in such weakness is also the one who commands angel armies? Who could ever guess that this infant who cannot even hold up his head, is the very one who sustains all of Creation through his boundless power? No one could have guessed, but Isaiah prophesied, “Our Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name.”

So what does it mean for you and me? Everything. But I will draw out just 4 clear applications tonight:

1. You are dearly loved. The LORD Almighty, the king of armies willingly allowed himself to become weak, to be humiliated, to even be killed. What kind of incomprehensible love could inspire that level of condescension? One moment always sticks out to me. It is often overlooked, but on the night of Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, he stands, without any armor or weapons, in front of a battalion of Roman soldiers armed to teeth. And he says, Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” Your Redeemer is the LORD Almighty and he went to the cross willingly for you. You are dearly loved.
2. Your prayers are powerful. When you pray, you aren’t just thinking pious words, you’re speaking to God, the immortal deity whose power and wisdom are infinitely beyond human comprehension. Like Hannah address the LORD Almighty in prayer. Remember that “in everything, God works for the good of those who love him.” And therefore, in every prayer you pray you can have complete and undoubting confidence that God’s response, whatever it is, is what is best for you. The God who controls all things wants you to call on him persistently and promises that he will answer. If your Redeemer is LORD Almighty then your prayers are powerful!
3. Those who are for us are more than those against us. If God commands an angel army, then perhaps we ought to visualize them more often. Let us pray with Eisha that our eyes may be opened to see the horses and chariots which surround us. Don’t let cartoons or caricatures turn you from the truth of what the Bible teaches about angels. Angels aren’t just in the outfield, they are anywhere and everywhere the LORD Almighty commands. They are immortal servants of our God and he will command his angels concerning you! As the writer to the Hebrew asks, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation” (1:14)? The next time you drive on an icy road, the next time you pray for loved ones far away, the next time you feel alone open your eyes to see that the hills are covered. Angels are watching over you. Those who are for us are more than those against us.
4. You can slay the giant. Our Redeemer is the LORD Almighty. And the LORD Almighty does not lose. In fact, the only time that it seemed like he lost he was really achieving his greatest triumph. Jesus says in John 10 “I lay down my life for the sheep…I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.” Our Redeemer, as the LORD Almighty he is, had the authority to rise from the grave! The LORD Almighty didn’t just defeat Goliath for David, he has defeated death and hell for you. Nothing can stand in his way. No sin, no setback, no addiction, no trauma, no hurt, no giant—not even death—can stop Adonai Tzva’ot from executing his good and gracious plan for you. Whatever opponent stands in front of you today, say with confidence “I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty” and watch the giant fall.

God bless us this Christmas as we worship the newborn king for he is our Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name.

Amen.