Jeremiah 10:16: “The Portion of Jacob is not like them, / For He is the Maker of all things, / And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; / The LORD of hosts is His name.”

October 9th, 2024 by Pastor Ed in devotional

God used an unusual title for Himself here: “The Portion of Jacob.” This idea goes back to when the Promised Land was first being divided into different portions, according to the various tribes of Israel, with the exception of the tribe of Levi. That tribe, the tribe of priests, lived off what the Lord provided through tithes and offerings. So the idea here is that to have God as your portion is to have Him be responsible for providing for all your needs.

The second title, “The Lord of hosts,” is used 279 times in the Bible. It is a military term that means “God of Battles.” God used it here to give confidence to His people by reminding them that He is bigger and stronger than anything they were facing. He is the supreme commander of all angelic armies, in heaven and earth.

An 11-century believer, Anselm, summed it up this way:

I do not endeavour, O Lord, to penetrate your sublimity, for in no wise do I compare my understanding with that; but I long to understand in some degree your truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe, that unless I believed, I should not understand.

“Thank You, LORD, that You identify Yourself as our Portion, Maker, and Protector. We believe and trust You this day.”