We are still in chapter twelve of Exodus with our word for today. צָבָא army, horde, host, vast multitude, troops, military service, campaign. It is used 482 times in the Old Testament, 3 times in our chapter. We find our word used a lot as a way to describe God’s power in that he has a vast army of heavenly soldiers or angels if you will behind him. A good example of this is David who knew this about God and relied on his strength. 1 Samuel 17:45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord צְבָא֔וֹת Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. We also see our word used to describe a large number of people in the sense of a great multitude. Numbers 2:9 All those listed of the camp of Judah, by their לְצִבְאֹתָ֑ם companies, were 186,400. They shall set out first on the march. Exodus 7:4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my צִבְאֹתַ֜י divisions, my people the Israelites.
In our chapter we find our word used in both senses of an amazingly large number of people and the very power of God to do what he did in one day. Exodus 12:51 And on that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their צִבְאֹתָֽם hosts. We can’t forget how long the Israelites waited. Exodus 12:40-41 The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the צִבְא֥וֹת hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. And our first reference in our chapter we see in the context of God setting up the feast of unleavened bread. Exodus 12:17 And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your צִבְאוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. God sets up reminders for us because we usually forget when our waiting on God to act seems to take way to long. As we have seen with several of our words in this chapter that even though it seems like a long time for God to act when he does watch out because it will happen all at once. Let this sink in 430 years of waiting then everything changed in one day. Just one day. God can change everything in just one day. So it is very important for us to remember while we are waiting that God loves us and is all powerful. As New Testament people we have communion or the Lord’s supper to remind us of both of these things. Jesus knew what he was doing when he set up the Lord’s supper in the context of the Passover meal because he was the lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world. And our word today is used over and over and over again in this way יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צְבָא֗וֹת the LORD or YWHW God of army camps. Again YHWH is I AM or the ever existing one, or my favorite I am reality. So let me encourage you as we close with these great psalms as we think about the God of reality with all of his army camps behind and beside him. Psalm 84:1-3, 8, 10-12 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord צְבָאֽוֹת of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord צְבָא֑וֹת of hosts, my King and my God… O Lord God צְ֭בָאוֹת of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob!... For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord צְבָא֑וֹת of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you! Psalm 89:8 O יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹ֘הֵ֤י צְבָא֗וֹת Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?
