Jehovah Shalom: Peace

Jehovah Shalom: Peace

~ Names of God ~

Judges 6:24

Introduction

We live in a world full of wars and rumors of wars. Turn on the news and you will hear about conflict in Africa, conflict in the Middle East, conflict in Eastern Europe, and even conflict on the oceans. No matter how much we desire it to be gone, we can’t avoid. In fact, Jesus told us that in the last days it would be like this. He said in Matt. 24:6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Why is it that we live in such a hostile world? Because humans are selfish, sinful, and leave God out of their lives. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Ramsey MacDonald, one-time prime minister of England, had apparently seen enough in his life to bemoan the fact that he wanted lasting peace in the world. He was discussing this idea with a member of his parliament who was an expert on foreign affairs. This man, unimpressed by the prime minister’s hopes, cynically remarked, "The desire for peace does not necessarily ensure it." This MacDonald admitted, saying, "Quite true. But neither does the desire for food satisfy your hunger, but at least it gets you started toward a restaurant."

Today, we may not be able to bring peace on the entire world. But we may be able to bring peace into your world and into your life. Peace is something that we all hope for, and yet it is something that we often fail to grasp. Today, I want to talk about a peace that God can give to each of us no matter what we are going through. Our story today comes from the book of Judges, chapter 6. Let me give you a little background on the story before I read about it. In the story, the people of God, the Israelites, were under oppression from their enemies, the Midianites (not to be confused with our enemies today somebody appropriately labeled as the Media-nites – those in the media). In the midst of this difficult time, God sent an angel to raise up a warrior named Gideon to help break them free from their enemy. Let’s read when the angel of the Lord showed up to recruit this warrior named Gideon. In the process we are going to learn a name of God and how we can experience peace in our lives like Gideon did.

Judges 6:11–16 - 11 The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. 12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” 16 The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”

Then I want to skip ahead. Gideon prepared an offering to test the Lord for a sign from heaven. He laid the offering on the altar. Then we read how the angel of God responded (starting in verse 21).

Judges 6:21–24 – “With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the Lord touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the Lord disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!” 23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace (shalom)! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” 24 So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace). To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”

The name of God that we will be looking at today is Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is Peace. It is the 5th in my series on the names of God.

Jehovah Shammah – the Lord is there.

Jehovah Kahbodi – The Lord, my Glory

Jehovah Migdal Oz – God, my Strong Tower

Jehovah Nissi: My Banner.

All of these names represent how God showed up in a person’s life. And they are ways that represent the character God shows up in lives still today. They are reminders of what God is and what He can do in our lives. Today, let’s talk about Jehovah Shalom.

Body

I. What is Shalom?

A. It is most often translated as “peace”.

When most people think of shalom, they think of peace. But it is so much more than the English word for peace. If you look up the meaning of “peace” in the dictionary you will find words like treaty, truce, armistice, or lack of strife. You will also find words like tranquility, serenity, and stillness. While shalom carries these characteristics, the biblical word shalom is so much more than just “peace” as we might understand it in our culture or dictionary.

B. Characteristics of “shalom”

Let’s start with the obvious that most people know…

It is associated with absence of conflict.

Think of the opposite of war. When people get along (don’t fight), there is peace. We see this throughout history, even today. People negotiate for peace in the middle East. They negotiate for peace between nations – like Ukraine and Russia. In Isaiah 45:7, God says to the nation of His people, “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace (shalom) and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.” Here it contrasts calamity with the opposite - peace.

It is a state of mind.

Shalom is a mind at internal peace. It is filled with a sense of calm, quiet contentment. A person in shalom is at ease in their thinking – feeling tranquil, happy, prosperous, and in harmony inside. We see this idea of peace in Isaiah 26:3. It says, “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” If I could explain it further, I would say that it includes these kinds of feelings inside your mind.

There is a sense of total safety and security. A shalom mind feels completely at ease. Their welfare is not threatened. They are feeling safe and secure, free from danger. There are no concerns about harm coming to them. They are, as some people might say today, totally ‘chill’. Shalom carries with it that kind of mentality.

It is something deep and personal.

Shalom is a feeling of well-being that is so deep it goes beyond surface circumstances. Call it a deep sense of calm even in the middle of a storm. One person explained it this way:

Picture a massive hurricane raging over the ocean. On the surface of the sea the violent winds whip the water into giant waves and create a scene of havoc and chaos. Yet, a mere twenty-five feet below the surface, the waters are clear and calm. The fish there go on living their lives totally unaware of the thunderous tumult just above them.

Shalom is a peace that goes deep beyond the storms waging on the surface. It is a peace given by God that impacts the core of who we are. It is deep and personal. Jesus described this in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” Despite what you may think or feel on the surface, the shalom of God settles the turmoil inside a person at a deep level.

It is a greeting.

For centuries, God’s people have used this word as a greeting. When they come and go, they say shalom. It is basically wishing peace and wellness to another person. It’s like people in America saying, “Cheers” or nodding our heads or waving as a greeting. It is there way of saying “blessings on you” or I wish peace to your life. This idea likely started in the Old Testament from the Lord himself. In Numbers 6, The Lord gave these words to the priests to bless God’s people. In verses 22-26, “The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace (shalom).”

We see this greeting continue to be used in the New Testament as well, even from Jesus himself. He told his disciples in Luke 10:5 – “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And in Luke 24:36, Jesus first greeting with his disciples after his resurrection was, “Peace to you!”

Today, different cultures and languages have adopted similar words. Hawaiians use ‘Aloha’, Italians say ‘Ciao’, Germans might say “Guten Tag” (Good day), Asians might say Namaste, and French might say “Sault.” But the original greeting of Peace comes from the Bible and the word shalom.

C. Jehovah is the God of Peace

His name is Peace.

Several times in the New Testament we read how God is described as the “God of peace”

Romans 15:33 - “May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.”

Romans 16:20 – “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

(see also Heb. 3:20; 1 Thess. 5:23, and Phil. 4:9) He is even given three specific titles that have peace in the titles. They are…

Three Titles Given to Him in the Bible

Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Shalom).” He is the Prince of Peace.

Lord of Peace

2 Thessalonians 3:16 – “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.” This describes him as the Lord of Peace.

King of Peace.

Hebrews 7:2 describes Melchizedek, who some believe is a theophany. That is a fancy term for a pre-incarnate appearance of God in the Old Testament. If so, then Jesus is described in this passage with a title of peace. It says, “he is also king of Salem, that is, king of peace.” Another title is King of Peace. Jehovah God, in various forms, is described as Prince of Peace, Lord of Peace, and King of Peace. These are all related to the word Shalom.

He is the source of peace.

Ephesians 2:14 –“For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” Shalom does not come from meditating on yourself, or thinking good thoughts. Peace comes from the Prince, Lord, and King of Peace himself. He is your source of shalom. Jesus even demonstrated it in the middle of a storm on the Sea of Galilee. Mark 4:39 says, “And he (Jesus) awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” The source of peace unleashed peace on the storm. How amazing is that?!

He gives us peace.

Where does peace come from? The Lord! He gives us peace. Who is it that gives us peace? He does – Jehovah Shalom. In the New Testament we see angels explain what Jesus’ birth would bring to the world. Luke 2:13-14 says that, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” They declared that Jesus would give us (mankind) peace. Let me quote another passage that I shared earlier. In John 14:27, Jesus told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

There is an old saying that goes like this, “No God, no peace. Know God, know peace.” Why? Because without God in our life, there is no shalom. But when we put our faith in God, then he gives us peace. We have peace within. How great is that!

Let me switch gears and share about the peace that God offers – this shalom. What areas can we have shalom in our life.

II. Areas Where God Brings Peace

The first and most important area of peace that any of us can experience is…

Peace with God.

This concept is so important that Billy Graham, the famous evangelist wrote a book with that same title, Peace with God. In the book, Reverend Graham “shares God’s gentle, reassuring promise of spiritual calm – of authentic personal peace – amidst a personal life wracked with too much stress, too many burdens, too great a heartache.” The message he shared may be the most important thing he wrote and the definitive work representing his entire ministry as one of the most famous evangelists of all time. Graham mentions in his autobiography Just As I Am about the writing of the book. He says, “It was one of those times in my life when I sensed the direction of God in an extraordinary way. I wrote it out of a burning conviction that a book presenting the Gospel in a simple but comprehensive way was what people who had little or no religious background needed.” God offers the greatest peace that mankind can experience, a peace knowing that our sins are forgiven, that our life is held in God’s hands, and that we have relationship with a holy and perfect God. There is no greater peace in this world!

Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him…”

This is the peace that Gideon experienced and led to him creating an altar to Jehovah Shalom. This is a peace that everyone here can experience in their life if you put your trust in Him! If you have never made that decision, please, please do that today.

Internal Peace.

There will come a time as we get closer to Jesus second coming when people will be crying out for peace and safety, and it will be hard to grasp. 1 Thessalonians 5:3 says, “While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” Why are they missing this internal peace? Because they are missing the price of peace in their lives. They are trying to conjure or create peace through their own means. Internal peace never comes without being connected to the source. It isn’t something that can be created. It is only something that can be experienced. Philippians 4:7 describes this peace as something that transcends our understanding. It says when we pray to God and give thanks to Him, “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” That’s true internal peace! That’s real shalom!

Peace between people (man to man)

After spiritual and internal peace (which are connected), we can also experience peace in our relationships. We can have peace man to man, person to person, mono y mono (as they sometimes say). This is described throughout the Bible. Let me give you an example.

In Genesis 34, there is discussion of a treaty between the Israelites and the Shechemites. In the proposal they describe peace between the two groups. It says in verse 21, “These men are at peace with us; let them dwell in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them.” There can be treaties and peace between two groups. We are trying to accomplish that in the Middle East. We are even encouraged to pray for that (which leads to my last area of peace that God offers).

National Peace.

In Psalm 122:6 it says, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.” God wants his holy land and his chosen people to experience national peace. It’s not just for the city itself, but for the land, including its capital Jerusalem. And there have been times in history when that was true for their nation. In 1 Kings 5:12 we read, “And the Lord gave Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. And there was peace (shalom) between Hiram and Solomon, and the two of them made a treaty.” God loves it when His people are at peace not only internally, but when peace comes to nations of people. I was fortunate to grow up in an era of this country where there were no major wars as I graduated from high school. And I was not required to go into a draft or fight in any major skirmishes. I thank God when there is national peace.

I want to finish off the last part of my message (and try not to keep it too long) with…

III. When We Can Receive Peace

Let’s face it, we don’t always have the peace that God offers. So we need to learn to accept his peace into our lives during times when there is no peace. Here are times when we can receive peace.

In times of trouble or turmoil (all with the letter “t”)

Let’s go back to the context of this story. In Judges 6:1 it states, “The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel…” The Midianites were ruthless to the people of Israel. They would wait until harvest and come and trample their field. They would take all of their animals. They would do everything they could to make their life miserable and cause them to struggle to survive. The people were so afraid, that it says in verse 2, “the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds.”

Sometimes in life, things are rough. People are treating us unfairly. We are having a hard time making ends meet. We may feel like nothing is going wrong (Murphy and his “law” are wreaking havoc on our lives). Anyone here ever felt like that? Anyone feeling like that now? Here is good news that we see even in this name of God mentioned in this biblical passage. God is our Jehovah Shalom. He is our peace! Somebody related it the eye of a hurricane.

As you may or may not know, a hurricane is a storm with cyclonic winds that exceed 74 m.p.h. In a hurricane, it includes rain, thunder, along with the high winds. Hurricanes can be very fierce storms with relentless pounding that continues hour after hour. But a very fascinating thing about a hurricane is its “eye”—a place of perfect calm in its center. Though the winds blow and rage all around it, there are none in the eye. All is calm. So it is with us in the storms of life. With the Lord as our center, there is calm and peace, even in the darkest of life’s storms.958 Even when there is trouble or turmoil, we can still know and experience Jehovah Shalom – the God of peace! Isn’t that good news?!

In the midst of internal insecurities.

Have you ever questioned yourself, felt unsure of yourself, or felt unqualified. In those times, we need God’s peace. Going back to the story of Gideon, that is what was going on inside of him. Let’s look at some of those thoughts and feelings.

Feeling abandoned by God (questioned where is God in all of this). V.13a – “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” God did not leave them, they left God. This is often the recipe for many of our disasters. He questioned God’s goodness. V.13b – “And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us… But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” Have you ever felt abandoned by God or wonder where He is? The peace of God can meet you in those times.

Feeling incompetent, weak, and unqualified (v.15 – “But Lord…how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”) Do you ever question that you have what it takes? In those times, if the Lord is with you, you can experience the shalom that he offers. Here is another message I won’t preach, but let me quickly share with you several thoughts to consider down the road (and you can take a picture of the slide and examine it for yourself if you want).

Jehovah offers you so much so that you can experience his peace.

God gives us strength. (Go in the might of yours)

God gives us a calling. (I am sending you)

God promises to be with us! (But I will be with you)

God will give us unity and victory (you shall strike the Midianites as one man)

God meets us where we are at. (“Show me a sign…do not depart” God’s reply is “I will stay till you return…”)

During heavenly hiccups

This is another way of saying at times in our life we may experience things in the spiritual realm that perplex us, scare us, or make us question God. For Gideon, there were three heavenly hiccups that he experienced that we might experience even today. In those times, like Gideon, we can experience God’s peace as our Jehovah Shalom.

When we have a dramatic encounter with God.

It first included an angel of the Lord showing up and talking to him. Then it included coming from a rock and consuming an offering right in front of his eyes. Then the angel disappeared. Even when supernatural things happen (whether good or bad), God can give us peace. Even when those things freak us out. (How many of you here today would be freaked out if any of those things took place? How about all of those things?) Thank God for his peace in times like this!

When we question God.

Gideon was pretty bold. He asked God some tough questions that some of us have - even today. He asked why – “Why has this all happened?” He asked where – where are all the miracles today? He asked where is God in all of this? He even asked, “why me?” I don’t think the Lord is threatened with our questions. Sometimes the Lrod give sus the answers, and sometimes he asks us just to trust him. Even when you have questions for God in situations you don’t understand, you can still receive God’s peace. I am so glad that I don’t have to wait to figure everything out before I get the peace of God. Otherwise my life would be constantly lacking peace.

After God mysteriously disappears from our life.

The last heavenly hiccup that Gideon faced was when God disappeared. This angel of the Lord was there one minute, and then POOF he was gone. Sometimes in life, it seems like God is right there with us, and the next minute he is gone. Maybe not literally. But it feels like it. In those times, even when he disappears or seems distant, we can still have His peace. He can still be Jehovah Shalom! Isn’t that great news!

I don’t know what heavenly or spiritual hiccups you might face, but I am here to tell you that even when you have them, you can still be filled with the peace of God from your heavenly Prince of Peace. He is still Jehovah Shalom even today!

Closing

After all of these heavenly hiccups, internal insecurities, and times of trouble and turmoil, we read this important verse about God’s character that my message is centered around in Judges 6:24. It is a reminder of the character and name of God that all of us can probably relate to at one point or another in our life. It says, “So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it Jehovah Shalom (The Lord is Peace). To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.”

He is our Jehovah Shalom. His name is peace. He is the source of peace. He gives us peace. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”

I want to end with one last picture that illustrates the peace that God can give you in the midst of storms in life. This painting was made by a man named Jack E. Dawson. The title is “Peace in the Midst of the Storm” In this picture, you will see a storm depicted with waves crashing against the jagged rocks. The storm is violent with lightning bolts in the background. The circumstances seem anything but peaceful. But if you look a little closer, you will see a picture of peace in this painting. Right in the lower middle of the painting if you look closely, you will find true peace. There is a little bird tucked away on her nest in the rocks totally safe from the raging storm all around. That is peace. That is the peace that God gives.

Response

Do you need peace in your life?

Maybe you are here today, and you are lacking in peace. I want to offer you the same peace that Gideon experienced, the same peace that I have experienced, and the same peace that millions or perhaps billions of followers of Jesus have experienced throughout history. It starts with

Surrender and make him Your Lord of Peace in your life! Jesus wants to forgive you of your sins. The Lord wants to be your Jehovah Shalom. But first you must surrender your life to Him. You must ask Him to be Lord of your life, Lord of your situation, and Lord of all. Once you do that, the Prince of Peace will come into your life and give you peace with God. If that is you today, I want to pray for you.

Invite him to be your Jehovah Shalom. Maybe you are experiencing turmoil, insecurity, or some kind of hiccup in life that has got you feeling anxious. You need Jehovah Shalom to be your peace today. I invite you first of all to invite Jehovah Shalom to bring you peace. Give your anxious thoughts and feelings to Him today. Let him be your Jehovah Shalom. Then, I invite you to build an altar in your heart reminding you that he is your Jehovah Shalom. Maybe it is an actual pile of rocks you place in your yard. Maybe it is a note you place in your Bible. Maybe you need to hang something in your house or your car that reminds you that He is your peace. Altars can be powerful reminders of how God has been our peace in the past, and how he can be our peace in the future. If that is you today, I invite you to allow God to be your Jehovah Shalom as I pray right now.

Closing prayer

Closing Song: Tremble: “Peace, bring it all to peace. The storm surrounding me. Let it break at your name. Jesus, Jesus. You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, Jesus, you silence fear. Jesus, Jesus. You make the darkness tremble. Jesus, Jesus, you silence fear.”