Jehovah Shalom - The Lord is Peace
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Martin R DeHaan II wrote a book called, Surviving the Storms of Stress. He has a section called “Coping isn’t enough” and let me read a little excerpt from it. “Nancy’s “glass of stress” is full and overflowing. Wedged between the demands of single-parenting, a rebellious son, and managing an office, she has just about had it. When she heard that I was writing about peace and stress, she said, “Oh, I’m reading something right now about how to cope with stress. I hope I find out in time!”
Most of us pressure-cooker people would, like Nancy, consider it success just to cope with our stress.” According to the dictionary, coping is “to struggle or deal, especially on fairly even terms or with some degree of success.” DeHaan likens it with treading water, and never quite making it to shore. Just keeping our heads above water leaves us vulnerable to any big wave that comes along.
Is this really what God wants for us, to just cope and tread water, or to live in peace?
In his book called, “The Pressure’s Off,” Larry Crabb reminds us that we live near a three-headed dragon. The world is around us, the devil prowls toward us, and the flesh lies within us (Page 61). It’s no wonder why so many of us are out of whack. We’re surrounded by the woes of the world, Satan continuously plans sneak attacks against us, and we’re saturated with our own sinfulness. All of that can create a kind of perpetual chaos in our lives, where we feel pressure, stress, conflict, fear, guilt and even shame. G.K. Chesterton was right when he said, “Whatever else is or is not true, this one thing is certain—man is not what he was meant to be.”
Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, the human race has not been what it was meant to be. Sometimes it’s because we have let too much of the world in; other times it’s because we’ve given in to the devil; and other times we’re simply done in by our propensity to sin. Or, it’s simply circumstances’ that cave in on us. The book of Judges chronicles a very tough time in the history of Israel. Judges 2:18-19 summarizes their spiritual situation:
18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways.
The very last phrase of this book gives us insight into why things were going south for them (Judges 21:25):
25 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
And because of that, on seven different occasions we read of God’s people cycling through a period of rebellion which led to retribution from God. After suffering for some time, they would eventually repent and then be restored to a time of rest and peace. But then they’d begin the process all over again. This diagram of their dilemma may be helpful.
Let’s look at four ways we can break out of this same cycle from Judges 6.
1. Recognize your woes (1-5). It was during one of these cycles that God called upon Gideon. We find the nation of Israel, having turned their backs on God once again. After a time of prosperity, the people had gotten proud and then pushed God away. That happens in our lives too, doesn’t it? We receive a few blessings, and then we start to drift away from our spiritual moorings. Sometimes, our church attendance becomes spotty, we slow down in our serving, and we end up becoming selfish with our time, talents, and treasures.
Verse 1 tells us that because they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. The Midianites were extremely powerful and oppressed the Israelites mercilessly. The name Midian means “strife.” Because things were so bad, God’s people had left their homes and were living in holes in the ground, fearing for their lives. They had no peace at all. The Midianites were nomadic people, and would invade Israel every year at harvest time. Judges 6:5 mentions,
5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come like locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in.
As a result, God’s people were stressed out and were living in fear.
The first step to healing and wholeness is always to admit your situation before God. Are you in a mess, in distress, or living with stress? If so, put your woes into words.
2. Request What You Want
Finally, after seven long years, the Israelites cried out to the Lord for help: Judges 6:6
6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel cried out for help to the Lord.
It’s hart to understand why they would take this long before turning back to God. It’s as if they waited until they couldn’t take it any longer. Does that sound familiar? We know God is trying to get our attention but we hold out, thinking that we can handle it on our own. Even when God allows bad stuff to happen in our life, we often refuse to repent and return to Him. God wants to use the tough things you are going through right now in order to get your attention!
Has it been a while since you’ve cried out for help? It’s time to turn to the only one who can help you.
3. Receive His Word
Judges 6:7-10,
7 When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord on account of the Midianites, 8 the Lord sent a prophet to the people of Israel. And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I led you up from Egypt and brought you out of the house of slavery. 9 And I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out before you and gave you their land. 10 And I said to you, ‘I am the Lord your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell.’ But you have not obeyed my voice.”
Verse 7 is powerful because it shows that when we cry out to God, He will respond. In this case, He sends an unnamed prophet to remind them of their history and heritage and then he delivers the message that God expects total surrender and full devotion. While God wants us to ask for help, He wants us to receive His Word, even if it hurts. This prophet is used by God to get them to see the depths of their depravity. Their main problem was that they had totally forgotten God…and they needed to admit that.
Verse 11 shows Gideon was threshing some wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. The Hebrew word used here expresses the idea of hiding. A winepress was made out of stone and was built underground. When someone would thresh wheat they’d normally do it out in the open so that the wind could blow away the chaff. But Gideon is afraid of the Midianites and so he’s whacking the wheat with a stick underground. He’s defeated and discouraged, filled with doubts and fears.
Judges 6:12,
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O mighty man of valor.”
This time God doesn’t send a prophet; He sends the “Angel of the Lord,” which many commentators believe is the preincarnate Christ! Also, in Hebrew, this phrase, “The Lord is with you” is the root to the name “Immanuel,” God with us, which was the name used for Jesus in Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:23.
After being called a mighty warrior, Gideon questions God out loud, Judges 6:13,
13 And Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian.”
I do not think Gideon was expecting what happened next, Judges 6:14,
14 And the Lord turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?”
Judges 6:15-16 has Gideon giving excuses as to why he cannot do what God is asking him, and God confirming his presence,
15 And he said to him, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” 16 And the Lord said to him, “But I will be with you, and you shall strike the Midianites as one man.”
God is not one that entertains excuses when he calls on us, but He never expects us to do His will alone, because just like Gideon, He will be with us.
Gideon then has the nerve to ask for the first of several signs just to be sure it is truly God. He wants the Lord to wait for a few minutes while he runs off and bakes some bread and throws a goat on the grill. The meal is placed on a rock as an offering for the angel and then is consumed by God’s holy flames. With the divine fire of acceptance falling upon Gideon’s offering, he responds the only way he can…in worship.
4. Respond in Worship
Judges 6:22
22 Then Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the Lord. And Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord God! For now I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.”
When Gideon realizes that He is in the presence of God, he is very nervous because he realizes that he has been in the presence of God himself and he’s afraid that he will be struck dead. The words of Exodus 33:20 are probably ringing in his ears: “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.”
Judges 6:23, has God trying to put Gideon at ease,
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.”
Notice it is not the angel of the Lord any longer. I think we underestimate the impact these words had on Gideon. He and his people had not known peace for seven long years. They were all afraid and worried about dying every day. And now Gideon had casually conversed with God, daring to question and complain to the King of Heaven. God could rightly smoke him just like he did to the meat and the bread in verse 21, but the Lord instead pronounced peace. Gideon was about to experience peace with God, with himself, and with others.
To a man who had not known peace in a long time, this was the premiere promise. He was bursting with joy because of this blessing and therefore he wanted to mark the occasion so he would never forget. Look at verse 24, Judges 6:24
Judges 6:24a (ESV)
24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace.
This is the only time that we see this combination of names: Jehovah Shalom. The Great I Am is Perfect Peace.
The Significance of Shalom
The Lord said shalom to Gideon when He could have shamed him. Gideon in turn, had his whole view of God changed so he made a memorial to Jehovah Shalom. You’ve no doubt heard the word “shalom” before because it’s probably the most well-known Hebrew word, but for many of us, we don’t fully understand the depth of its meaning.
Since there is no single English word that communicates the richness of Shalom, we need to study some synonyms to grasp the broad spectrum of its meaning. The general idea is of completion and fulfillment and brings with it the sense of wholeness and harmony in relationships, especially with God. For Gideon to hear shalom from God meant that he was at harmony with the Holy One. Shalom also signifies a sense of well-being on the inside, and on the outside, and is used to describe health, happiness, quietness of soul, tranquility, prosperity and security. Isaiah pictures this beautifully in Isaiah 48:18:
Isaiah 48:18 (ESV)
18 Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea;
Shalom is used as both a greeting and for a goodbye and everything in between. It is the best blessing of one’s life and is the apex of the great high priestly benediction in Numbers 6:24-26:
Numbers 6:24–26 (ESV)
24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Peace is ultimately wrapped up in a Person and is fully realized in the coming of Christ who came to share shalom with us. John 14:27:
27 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.
The peace that the Prince of Peace provides is far different than anything we can find in the world. Warren Wiersbe points out that the world bases its peace on its resources, while God’s peace depends on a relationship.
In fact, in John 16:33 Jesus said that the world will actually be against us:
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
Jesus taught that peace is found in Him alone. Through Jesus, we can conquer the 3 things that keep us from that peace, Disobedience, Distress and Discord.
1. Disobedience. The Bible is clear that we are in conflict with God because of our sin. Ephesians 2:3 declares that we are actually “objects of God’s wrath.” Mankind has always been at odds with the Almighty, ever since Adam and Eve decided to disobey. We were at war with Him, that is, until Jesus came to bring peace. Isaiah 53:5 tells us very clearly why Jesus went through what He did: “
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
Did you catch that? He was punished in order to bring us into a relationship of peace with Jehovah Shalom.
If you have not yet taken and accepted what Jesus did on the Cross, I have some bad news for you. Scripture says that you will never find peace. Isaiah 57:20-21:
Isaiah 57:20–21 (ESV)
20 But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
You won’t be at rest until you receive the Redeemer. You’ll be cast to and from by the waves of life and you’ll be stuck in the mud and mire of sin.
That’s the bad news. Now let me give you the good news. Luke 1:79 declares:
Luke 1:79 (ESV)
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
When He was born the heavenly host proclaimed in Luke 2:14,
Luke 2:14 (ESV)
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
According to Romans 5:1, when we put our faith in Christ, we are justified and “have peace with God…” Colossians 1:20 says that Jesus made “peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” The Greek word for peace means to “join together and to bind what is broken.” Jesus longs to put what is broken back together.
Are you at peace with God right now? Don’t put it off because you may not have another chance. Perhaps you’ve seen the bumper sticker that says: “No God, no peace; Know God, know peace.
Don’t you want Jehovah Shalom to look at you, like he did to Gideon, and say, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.” If you want to be at peace with God, and conquer disobedience, then call upon God, and repent, asking for forgiveness.
2. Distress.
Even though many have conquered disobedience when they accepted Christ as their Savior, it’s still possible to live in disobedience and therefore be in distress as a Christian. If you’re in a sin cycle right now, cry out like Gideon did by:
Recognizing your woes
Requesting what you want
Receiving His Word
Responding in worship
Now, let’s admit something. You might not be living in gross sin but you’re in distress because you’re worried about something. Or maybe you’re filled with anxiety about the future. I read about a survey that was done by Walter Cavert in which he discovered that only 8% of the things people worry about are legitimate matters of concern. Listen to this. The other 92% were either imaginary, never happened, or involved matters over which people have no control.
I think all of us would admit that we waste a lot of time in worry. And yet, it can paralyze us. The Greek word for worry means “to draw in different directions and to be distracted.” I can think of at least two ways to get rid of distress.
First, identify what is ruining your peace, and then cry out to Jehovah Shalom in prayer and ask him to specifically take it away. Give him your worries and your concerns and your anxieties and your fears. That’s what Philippians 4:6 says:
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
The word for “prayer” here means to focus on the character of God by adoring His attributes and His names. When you are filled with worry, get alone with God and worship Him for who He is and what He goes by. It’s amazing how meditating on the magnitude of God will put even your problems into perspective. The word for “petition” refers to making specific requests. If you are worried or anxious, tell God what it is exactly that is pulling you in different directions.
We’re told to not be anxious about anything because the Lord is near. But when we do stress out, we need to purposely pray with a dose of thanksgiving and present our worries to the Lord. Then and only then, this, will we experience the inner peace we long for.
Second, go to the Word of God and meditate on passages like Isaiah 26:3 that promote peace:
3 You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Psalm 119:165
165 Great peace have those who love your law;
nothing can make them stumble.
For those that have accepted Christ, but may think God is against you, Romans 8:1,
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
3. Discord.
Perhaps you’re at peace with God today, and for the most part, you are experiencing personal peace, but maybe you are at odds with a fellow believer or a family member or a co-worker or a neighbor or a friend. Jesus pronounced a blessing upon those who do the hard work of making peace in Matthew 5:9:
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
James 3:18 promises a reward to those who get rid of discord:
18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
As far as you know, have you done what you can to be at peace with others? Romans 12:18:
18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 14:19 reminds us that this is not always easy; it takes effort to extinguish animosity:
19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
2 Corinthians 13:11 seems to indicate that God’s presence is somehow more real to those who pursue peace:
11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
And when we allow Christ to be leader of our lives, we will be disgusted by discord because we know that we are members on the same team. Colossians 3:15:
15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
A father was trying to read a magazine but was bothered by his daughter who kept asking him what the United States looked like. On the back of his magazine he found a map of the country and so he tore it up into real small pieces and told her to go in the other room and put it together. He thought this would keep her busy for a long time so he could finish reading his magazine. In less than five minutes, his daughter was back with the map completely put together. He was surprised and asked her how she did it. She replied, “It was easy. On the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got Jesus back where He belonged, then our country just came together.”
(Cancer Story if I can)
As we put Jesus where He belongs in our life, our community, our church, and our world, we will come together as well. Let me close with a blessing from 2 Thessalonians 3:16:
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.