CHAPTER 8
JEHOVAH TSIDKENU • JEHOVAH SABAOTH • JEHOVAH SHAMMAH
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS • THE LORD OF HOSTS • THE LORD IS THERE
Theme Verse
"And this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
— Jeremiah 23:6 (KJV)
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Chapter Overview
As we continue exploring the names of God, we now encounter three names that reveal the greatness of His kingdom and the security His people possess in Him.
Jehovah Tsidkenu reveals God as the source of true righteousness.
Jehovah Sabaoth reveals Him as the Commander of Heaven's armies.
Jehovah Shammah reveals His abiding presence among His people.
These names remind us that God's people are never left to earn their own righteousness, defend themselves by their own strength, or walk through life alone.
The Lord justifies.
The Lord fights.
The Lord remains with His people forever.
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Jehovah Tsidkenu — The LORD Our Righteousness
The prophet Jeremiah ministered during one of Judah's darkest periods.
The nation had rejected God.
Its leaders had become corrupt.
Judgment was approaching.
Yet even in those dark days God gave His people a promise of hope.
"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch..."
"And this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS."
— Jeremiah 23:5–6 (KJV)
This remarkable prophecy points directly to the coming Messiah.
Israel desperately needed righteous kings.
Instead, God promised something infinitely greater.
He would provide a righteous King whose own righteousness would become the hope of His people.
The name Jehovah Tsidkenu reminds us that righteousness is not something we create.
It is something God provides.
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Our Need for Righteousness
The Bible is painfully honest about humanity's condition.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
— Romans 3:23 (KJV)
No amount of good works...
Religious activity...
Charitable giving...
Or moral effort...
can erase our guilt before a perfectly holy God.
Isaiah wrote,
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..."
— Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)
This truth humbles every person.
No one can stand before God based upon personal goodness.
If we are ever to be accepted by Him, our righteousness must come from somewhere else.
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Christ—Our Righteousness
The glorious news of the Gospel is that God has provided exactly what we could never produce.
Jesus Christ lived the perfectly righteous life we could not live.
He fulfilled the Law completely.
He never sinned.
He never failed.
Then He willingly took our sin upon Himself at the cross.
Paul explained,
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
— 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV)
This is one of the greatest exchanges in all of Scripture.
Our sin...
For His righteousness.
Because of Christ, believers are not accepted because they are perfect.
They are accepted because they are clothed in His perfect righteousness.
Jehovah Tsidkenu has provided everything necessary for our salvation.
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Jehovah Sabaoth — The LORD of Hosts
Another magnificent name reveals God's supreme authority over all the armies of Heaven.
Jehovah Sabaoth means "The LORD of Hosts" or "The LORD of Heaven's Armies."
The word "hosts" refers to vast multitudes assembled under God's command.
These include the heavenly angelic hosts as well as every force under His sovereign authority.
When David faced Goliath, he declared,
"I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts..."
— 1 Samuel 17:45 (KJV)
David understood that the battle would not ultimately be decided by the size of the armies.
It would be decided by the God who commanded all of Heaven.
Throughout Scripture, Jehovah Sabaoth reminds His people that no earthly power can stand against God's purposes.
Kings rise.
Empires fall.
Nations change.
But the Lord of Hosts remains enthroned forever.
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The God Who Fights for His People
Again and again the Bible shows that God's victories are accomplished not by human strength but by His own power.
When Elisha's servant looked upon the surrounding enemy army, he was terrified.
Elisha prayed,
"LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see."
"And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
— 2 Kings 6:17 (KJV)
The servant believed they were alone.
In reality, Heaven's armies surrounded them.
The same truth encourages believers today.
We often see only visible circumstances.
God sees the entire battlefield.
Nothing escapes His authority.
Nothing surprises His wisdom.
Nothing can overcome His sovereign purposes.
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Jehovah Shammah — The LORD Is There
The final name in this chapter appears in the closing verses of Ezekiel.
After many chapters describing judgment, restoration, and God's future kingdom, Ezekiel concludes with one beautiful declaration.
"The name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there."
— Ezekiel 48:35 (KJV)
Jehovah Shammah reminds us that God's greatest blessing has always been His presence.
Throughout history God repeatedly dwelt with His people.
He walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden.
His glory filled the Tabernacle.
His presence filled Solomon's Temple.
He accompanied Israel through the wilderness.
Then came the greatest demonstration of all.
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."
— John 1:14 (KJV)
In Jesus Christ, God literally came to dwell among mankind.
Following Christ's ascension, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within every believer.
Today God's presence is not confined to a building.
Every believer becomes a temple of the Holy Ghost.
Yet even this is only a foretaste of what is coming.
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The Promise of God's Eternal Presence
The Bible closes with the same promise toward which all of history has been moving.
"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them..."
— Revelation 21:3 (KJV)
Jehovah Shammah reaches its complete fulfillment in the New Heaven and New Earth.
Never again will God's people experience separation.
Never again will sin interrupt fellowship.
Never again will sorrow, fear, or death threaten His children.
The Lord Himself will dwell with His redeemed forever.
This has always been God's desire.
From Eden...
To the Tabernacle...
To Christ...
To the indwelling Holy Spirit...
To eternity itself...
God desires to dwell with His people.
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Three Names—One Unchanging God
These three names beautifully complete one another.
Jehovah Tsidkenu reminds us that God provides the righteousness we could never earn.
Jehovah Sabaoth reminds us that God possesses all authority over Heaven and earth.
Jehovah Shammah reminds us that the Almighty chooses to dwell with His people.
He justifies us.
He defends us.
He remains with us.
What greater assurance could any believer possess?
Our righteousness rests in Him.
Our protection rests in Him.
Our future rests in Him.
The God who saves His people never abandons them.
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Reflection
• Am I trusting my own goodness, or Christ's righteousness alone?
• How does knowing God is the Lord of Hosts change the way I face life's battles?
• Do I consciously live each day in the awareness of God's presence?
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Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for revealing Yourself as Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Sabaoth, and Jehovah Shammah. Thank You for providing the righteousness I could never earn, for reigning over every power in Heaven and earth, and for promising never to leave nor forsake Your people.
Help me to rest completely in Christ's finished work, to face every trial with confidence in Your sovereign power, and to walk daily in the joy of Your presence. May my life continually reflect gratitude for the wonderful grace You have shown through Jesus Christ.
In His precious name,
Amen.
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Looking Ahead
In the next chapter we will turn our attention to the many glorious names and titles of Jesus Christ. From Emmanuel to the Lamb of God, from the Bread of Life to the King of Kings, we will discover how every title reveals another facet of the One in whom all the fullness of God dwells and through whom every promise of Scripture finds its fulfillment.