The first praise meeting in the Bible was the spontaneous response of the children of Israel at the Red Sea. They saw the drowning of Pharaoh's chariots under the waters as an act of war. God intervened and fought against Israel’s enemies.
"YHVH, a man of war, YHVH is His name!" (Exodus 15:3)
Praise acclaims victory, including victory in war, deliverance from evil enemies.
Many Christians don’t have a place in their minds for connecting God and war. But God is sovereign over all, including times of war. That is His very name: the LORD of Armies (YHVH Ts'vaot). Ts'vaot literally means armies although it is often translated "hosts." When facing Goliath, David said:
"I come to you in the name of YHVH of Armies, the God of the battles of Israel." (I Samuel 17:45)
Many of the Psalms have to do with God’s intervention in times of battle. Yeshua appeared to Joshua (5:13) as commander of the Armies of YHVH, and so He appears as well at the Second Coming (Revelation 19:11).
Both police and army are supposed to function as servants of God (Romans 13:1-7). Police defend against internal criminals. Armies defend against external enemies. Both serve to preserve justice and security.
The most important factor in war is not the size of the army or its arsenal. The key to victory is being correctly submitted to God, both spiritually and morally.
