The Joy of Fellowship
Notes
Transcript
There was peace in the Garden, broken by sin. That was shalom in the full sense, everything was very good and in harmony with itself.
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Then Abraham was told in
And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
that he would go to his fathers in peace (the first use of the word in the Bible), although he would die without seeing the promises and his descendants would spend 400 years in slavery before experiencing it, He could trust God and have peace.
When they went to the land,
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
promised that wise rulers would bring peace to the people, and
And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
offered them peace from their enemies if they would obey Him.
The blessing of the priests in
The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
makes clear that real peace is inseparable from the presence of God. The Israelites entered the land of Israel and were given a kind of peace (rest - Joshua 1:3).
Although there is less harmony in the book of Judges, Gideon sees God and is spared, so he built an altar called Jehovah-Shalom (the Lord is peace).
And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face.
And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.
So harmony between God and man is what makes peace. In the Old Testament, peace offerings (could also be translated fellowship offerings) were freewill sacrifices that worshipped God for his connection to His people.
King David could not build the Temple because he was a man of war
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,
Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?
Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.
In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar?
Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel:
And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime,
And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house.
And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.
He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.
And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
(the one who was not a man of peace could not make the altar of peace). Yet David's Son was able to build the Temple, and His descendant was promised that would be called the Prince of Peace
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, To order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice From henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
He would bring us peace by His suffering
But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
and the good news of that peace would be carried out to the nations
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; That bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; That saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
That peace is not possible apart from righteousness
O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river, And thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
but God brings is to those that were far off and those that were near
I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; And I will heal him.
quoted in Ephesians 2:17
That means that even when we are in conflict, when we walk with God and our mind is fixed on Him, we can dwell in perfect peace
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on thee: Because he trusteth in thee.
The world offers false peace
They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
but the prophets predicted that there would be a day of total peace, where the lion lays down by the lamb, swords are beaten into plowshares and the Lord comes personally and gives peace through His presence
The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: And in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts.
When the New Testament arrives, we find God with us (the very source of peace), not in a Temple, but in a Man
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, Good will toward men.
He taught His disicples
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Yet the peace He brought came by creating division between those who would accept Him and those who would not
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
His own nation rejected Him, because they did not understand peace
Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
He promised to His people a real peace, not like the world's, but His own personal presence
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
The harmony and wholeness of Genesis, was restored in people who were a new creation by obedience to God and minds fixed on Him; Like Abraham, they could have peace in what they could not yet see
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
. They carried out that message of peace by Jesus
The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)
to bring people to each other and to God. Ultimately, we still look forward to the total peace of the new creation, where sin and death are put down forever. The God of peace is not the God of passivity, He crushes Satan under our feet
And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
. Then, without conflict with sin in us or conflict between us, in the presence of God and made everything we were designed to be, we will have peace. But we live in that peace now. So
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
invites us to enjoy that peace in two phases. We fix our minds on the true, honest, etc. We recognize the harmony of the world God has made and give no place to the devil. Then, we live it out. When we do that, we get the supreme peace of abiding in God. So the peace of the whole section, peace between us, peace by prayer and peace by dwelling in the presence of God all foretaste the day when all war ends because of the Lamb whose blood makes peace
These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.