Knowing God by His Names: Our God is Shalom

In Philippians 4:7, the Apostle Paul gives us one of the great promises of God. When God’s people pray, when we present our requests to God, “ ... the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7, NIV). Peace, for the Christian, is more than merely the absence of external conflict. Peace — God’s peace — is the harmony and calmness of body, mind, and spirit trusting in the power and grace of God. This peace begin when we come into the saving grace of God through Christ. The peace we experience with God the Father first results when our guilty consciences are washed clean. This sense of inner harmony and calmness builds as we get to better know God over time.

God is the one who took the initiative to make peace with us. The Scriptures are clear that, from the moment of our birth, we want nothing to do with God. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:7–8, KJV). In those verses Paul writes that, in our spirit, we are at enmity with God. Enmity is a state of deep-seated ill-will. God breaks through the enmity by His Spirit, regenerating our soul and giving us the gifts of repentance and faith. The Apostle John reminds his reader that the only reason we love God, is because God first loved us, (1 John 4:19).

Because the wall of hostility that existed between us and God has been broken down, the believer can have peace with God. It is in the Old Testament that God first reveals Himself as a God of Peace. It is found in the Book of Judges in the story of Gideon

I. OUR GOD IS JEHOVAH-SHALOM

1. here’s the story of the revelation of that name

a. during the period of the judges — that period of time in Israel’s history between the death of Joshua and the monarch of King Saul — a group of people called the Midianitites (who are actually related to the Hebrews) have been making life miserable for the 12 tribes

1) they regularly send raiding parties into the Promised Land to simply take what they wanted from the Hebrews

2. Gideon grows up at this time

a. as a young man Gideon finds himself in a difficult situation

1) he is youngest son of Joash

2) he comes from an obscure family of an un-noteworthy clan of the Hebrew tribe of Manasseh

b. one day, while he is threshing wheat, an angel suddenly appears to him

"When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, 'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior'" (Judges 6:12)

1) the angel commands Gideon to " ... Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. Am I not sending you?" (Judges 6:14)

2) he promises Gideon, " ... I will be with you, and you will strike down the Midianites as if they were but one man" (Judges 6:16)

c. in spite of God's promise to be with him, Gideon is — to say the least — apprehensive

1) He's not a warrior, He's a farmer

2) he's not particularly brave and he's not even overly confident in God

"'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 Midain'" (Judges 6:13)

3. Gideon does what believers throughout the ages have down when they feel they are in a tight spot

a. they ask God for a sign

b. this is exactly what Gideon does (Judges 6:17-23)

1) Gideon goes and bakes some bread, kills and roasts a young goat and brings the items back as an offering to this claimant of divine character

2) he places them upon a rock as he is instructed and pours the broth from the roasted goat over the items

3) then the angel of the LORD touches the meat and the cakes and fire shoots up out of the rock and consumes the offering

4) Gideon exclaims, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" (Judges 6:22)

c. and with that Gideon assumes he is about to die

1) he has seen God — and according to Scriptures, no one who sees the face of God can live

2) but the Angle of the Lord’s voice rings out, "[Shawlome]-Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die."

4. Gideon's response is to build an altar as a memorial of his encounter with the living God and as an act of worship

a. he gives the altar a name: It is Jehovah-Shalom — The Lord our Peace

b. this is the only place in the Old Testament where the name is used

1) but like Jehovah-Tsidkenu (last week’s name), it’s a name the is extremely revealing about God’s nature and character

5. in his experience with God, Gideon caught a glimpse of Jehovah's character

a. this is not a Lord who seeks to put the “fear of God” into the hearts of His people

b. instead, He seeks to infuse us with a peace that gives us confidence regardless of the outward circumstances we may find ourselves in

II. THE GOD OUR PEACE PROMISED HIS PEOPLE A PRINCE OF PEACE

1. our God is vitally concerned about the peace of His people

“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” (Psalm 29:11, ESV)

2. and yet, even for many believers, peace seems impossible to achieve in our troubled world

ILLUS. We were just beginning to get over COVID, and low-and-behold, Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine and put the world on edge all over again. Just today, Dmitry Rogozin, Head of Russia’s Space Agency, claimed that in the event of a nuclear war, "NATO countries will be destroyed by Russia in half-an-hour." Well that’s a cheery thought on the Lord’s Day.

a. the world has always been a place of troubles, full of people who are struggling with anxiety, or disappointment or fear or apprehension

b. we see troubles on every side and that shatter peace of mind and soul

1) perhaps, like Gideon, even some Christians might confess, '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 Midain'" (Judges 6:13)

A. GOD WANTS HIS PEOPLE TO KNOW AND EXPERIENCE PEACE

“Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.” (Psalm 85:8, ESV)

1. there was a time in King David's life when he found himself fleeing from Absalom during his son's rebellion

a. David felt intense pressure and turmoil of soul

b. but David fixed his thoughts on God and remembered the joy that came with trust in him

1) comforted and at rest despite overwhelming danger, David concluded:

“In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” (Psalm 4:8, ESV)

2. the Hebrew word for peace is shalom

a. it is a multi-faceted word occurring over 200 times in the Old Testament

1) it is used both as a greeting and a farewell

a) when it is used in such a way it implies a blessing upon that person's life

ILLUS. It would be as if upon greeting a good friend we would say, "God bless you! I wish for you prosperity, health, wholeness and harmony in your life."

2) when a Hebrew greeted a friend with "Shalom!" he was wishing that friend all these good things

3. shalom was also a word which implied the absence of strife or tension or hostility between individuals or nations

4. the word shalom takes on its deepest significance in the Book of Psalms and the Old Testament prophets

a. two-thirds of the uses of this word express the fulfillment that comes to human lives when they experience God's presence

b. for us as well as David, peace in difficult circumstances is a result of our relationship with God

5. but this peace with God does not come through our efforts

a. it has always been God who initiated peace on the behalf of His people

B. THE PRINCE OF PEACE WILL BRING QUIET REPOSE AND PROSPERITY TO HIS PEOPLE

1. it was the OT prophets who announced God's promise to give His people a leader who would lead his people into peace

“For unto us a child is born, for unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa. 9:6, NIV)

2. this is perhaps the most quoted Messianic prophecy of the Old Testament

a. the people of Israel looked forward to the day when "of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (Isa. 6:7)

b. for a nation of people who have frequently experienced war with their enemies, persecution by their neighbors and subjugation by foreign powers this was indeed a powerful word of hope

3. but the prophecy also tells us that this peace will not be purchased cheaply

a. Isaiah is clear that man's lack of peace comes from alienation from God and antagonism toward others due to a human nature twisted by sin

4. how will the Prince of Peace secure the peace of his people?

a. Isaiah gives us a hint of the price of peace in his description of the suffering servant

"He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isa. 53:6)

III. THE PRINCE OF PEACE MAKES POSSIBLE PEACE WITH GOD

1. let's jump ahead 500 years past Isaiah's prophecy to the night sky over the small Judean village of Bethlehem

2. shepherds are gathered around a small fire

a. some are fitfully trying to sleep on the rough and rocky soil

b. others are milling about recounting the days activities, perhaps a few are even arguing over politics and religion

c. a few may have even turned their attention to the night sky and quiet contemplation of Jehovah's mighty creation

3. abruptly the still darkness is pierced by light and a symphony of praise as angels announce the birth of the Messiah

"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 to men on whom his favor rests." (Luke 2:13-14, NIV)

A. MAN'S GREATEST NEED IS PEACE WITH GOD

ILLUS. In his book Born Again, Chuck Coleson writes of his conversion experience during the height of the Watergate Scandal. A friend had been witnessing to him. One evening that friend began to read from C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity. As Coleson read he learned how pride keeps men from God. Coleson testifies that it was a painful experience. He writes: "I saw myself as I never had before. And the picture was ugly." He continued to search and read. Again and again he came back to C.S. Lewis central theme: "Jesus Christ is God." Upon his confession of Christ Coleson writes: "I felt old fears, tensions, and animosities draining away. I was coming alive to things I'd never seen before; as if God was filling the barren void I'd known for so many months, filling it to its brim with a whole new kind of awareness. There came something more: strength and serenity, a wonderful new assurance about life, a fresh perception of myself and the world around me."

1. through Christ Chuck Coleson found what all men need ...

a. peace with God which comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

B. THE GOD OUR PEACE OFFERS YOU A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIMSELF

“And the work of righteousness will be peace, And the service of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” (Isaiah 32:17, NASB95)

1. what is this "work of righteousness" the prophet refers to?

a. the answer is found in the 5th chapter of Romans

2. through the Prince of Peace we have a new standing before God

a. the inference is that Christ in us has changed our relationship before God

3. through the Prince of Peace we have a new possession from God

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. 5:1, NIV)

a. Jesus Christ is our great advocate before God

b. Paul pictures a court room scene

1) we are the defendants

2) God is prosecutor, judge and jury

3) He has announced His universal verdict upon all men

a) the whole world is guilty!

4) He has not only announced the verdict, He has pronounced the sentence

a) all men will die and are rightly judged to hell

5) He has announced the verdict, He has pronounced the sentence, but praise God, in Christ He has renounced the verdict

a) all have sinned, but all can be justified

b) man auctions himself cheep in the slave market of sin, but Jesus has come along and paid the price to buy us and set us free

4. through the Prince of Peace we have a new privilege in God

“through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:2, NASB95)

a. because we have peace with God we have access into His holy presence

“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, NASB95)

b. believers have a wonderful accessibility into God's presence

1) it is a privilege that only a small percentage of mankind knows

5. only faith in and acceptance of the Prince of Peace can bring the peace of God flooding into your life

IV. THE PEOPLE OF THE PRINCE OF PEACE NEED TO BE PEACE MAKERS

1. here is the application for us this evening

a. God calls us to be at peace and to be peace-makers

A. WORLD PEACE BEGINS WITH A PERSONAL PEACE WITH GOD

" ... righteousness and peace kiss each other." (Psa. 85:10, NIV)

1. what does he mean?

a. I think what the Psalmist is trying to tell us is that a real inward peace of soul can only be had through personal righteousness that only comes from God

2. only when we've experienced peace with God can we begin to live in peace with each other

3. one of the finer points of Biblical truth regarding biblical peace weather it’s peace in the home, or peace in the community, or peace in the nation, or even world tranquility is that peace must have people in it

a. peace is the active pursuit of people who have had an encounter with Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace

b. Jesus told his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the peace makers for they shall be called the children of God" (Matt 5:9)

4. peace makers are characterized by two criteria

a. 1st, they refuse to retaliate and give evil for evil

1) peacemakers will turn the other cheek

2) " must pray for those would use them

3) " will forgive when they are wronged

4) " give the enemy a cup of cold water

b. 2nd, they make every effort to introduce others to the Prince of Peace who can give them peace with God

Our God is Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord our Peace. He has sent the Prince of Peace--Jesus Christ--into our lives that we might have peace with God. God's son came to give peace to a world that seems torn and shattered by violence and hatred. He came to give spiritual peace to the souls of men. That peace is available to you this evening.

But God has also called us to be peace makers. That task is not always easy, but usually worth the price.

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