The Lord is with thee: A Scripture Meditation

May is the month dedicated to Mary, and I thought it the perfect time to share a
common link between several key scripture passages that include the phrase “the Lord is with
thee.”

From the early passages in the bible where Mary is mentioned, she is immediately given
special significance. We see this in how the Angel Gabriel, God’s holy messenger, greets her. At
the annunciation to Mary, Gabriel said, Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Recently, I
meditated on the words the Lord is with thee. I wanted to share my discoveries with you.

The words seem like a simple greeting. That was my first thought. This phrase may have
been used often in the time of Jesus to greet friends or relatives. To my surprise, I found that
the phrase is only used in the bible three distinct times. This means that the phrase was not
your run of the mill salutation such as “Greetings!,” “Good day”, or “Peace be with thee”. Otherwise,
we would encounter the words more frequently in scripture. Often, when a phrase or word is
used selectively in the bible, this means it is reserved; it is significant. This is especially true
when the instances of the phrase or word are connected in a meaningful way.

Let’s unpack the three times when the phrase The Lord is with thee is used in the bible.
There is a compelling connection between each instance.

The first time the phrase is used is in Judges 6:12 when an “angel of the Lord appeared
unto [Gideon], and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.” (Jdg 6:12)
Gideon is then asked by God to destroy the altar of Baal and build an altar to God in its place. In
his book, The Return of the Gods, Jonathan Cahn says of Baal:

He was the king of the gods, leader of the spirits. And he would become the chief enemy of the God of Israel… Baal was the embodiment of paganism and of all pagan gods. He was the epitome of all that was not God and all that warred against Him. Baal was the other god, the substitute god, the instead of God. He was Israel’s anti-God. (Cahn, The Return of the Gods, 39, 41)

You can understand, then, how deadly the forces of Baal were in ancient Israel and why God
would ask Gideon to destroy the profane altar. The true God wanted to send a message to the
people that He was supreme. By building an altar atop of the vanquished altar, God was
demonstrating for Israel His rightful throne.

The second time that “The Lord is with thee” is used is in 2 Samuel 7:3. King David has
shared with Nathan, one of his court prophets, that he feels the Ark of the Covenant should
have a dwelling more fit for God than a tent. Nathan responds, “Go, do all that is in your heart;
for the Lord is with you.” Later, Nathan is asked by God to share this message with David:

I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt … Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (2 Samuel 7:6,11-13)

God reveals that David will be the ‘house’ of the Lord, for from him an offspring will arise or come
forth. While Gideon was asked to build an altar, a physical construct dedicated to God, the Lord
is revealing to David that, in reality, His proper place is not something man-made. His abode will
be mightier than anything man can create.

The final instance when “The Lord is with thee” is spoken is when the angel Gabriel
appears to Mary. In Luke 1:28, the angel Gabriel says, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.”
To this, Mary was greatly troubled and “considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might
be.” (Luke 1:28) As a pious Jewish woman, Mary would have been very familiar with scripture.
Perhaps she would immediately understand the significance behind the expression The Lord is
with thee and be frightened at the deeper meaning. The angel goes on to say:

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will
conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be
great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:30-33)

Mary is being asked to be a holding place for the Savior, the Lord of Lords—to be His tabernacle.
Again, no altar, no building can house God. He has ordained an entirely unique and special
dwelling place for Himself in the line of David: Mary’s womb.

Gabriel’s description of the destiny of Mary’s progeny, of the Savior, harkens back to
both Judges 6 and 2 Samuel 7. The Lord asked Gideon to tear down the altar of Baal, the vilest
of God’s enemies, and build an altar for the true God. Now Mary will become the new altar
where the most precious sacrifice is prepared. Jesus will be the ultimate destroyer of all false
gods and His sacrifice will abolish the need for any inferior sacrifices. King David desired to build
a house fit for God and now God has fulfilled His promise to create a house fit for David. Mary’s
immaculate abode will be the worthy home for David’s lineage.

The Lord was truly with Gideon, David, and Mary. He needed to be in order for them to
fulfill their august destinies. They were selected by God for marvelous deeds. Gideon, the
mighty man of valor; David, his heart full of the Lord; and Mary, full of grace, listened to the
word of the Lord and the Lord was with them. May we, not only in this month of Mary, but
always, listen to the word of God with as much faith and eagerness to serve. May we be
attentive to His calling and may the Lord be truly with us.

Copyright by Emily Henson 2025

Edited by Maggie Rosario