The God of Peace

Rick Rood in Ch. 6 of the book, “When Suffering is Redemptive,” asked the rhetorical question, “If God loves me, why has He allowed me to suffer in the ways I have?” Through the experience of great loss at a time that is typically the prime of life for a young couple preparing for ministry, he came to understand, as he put it, “It’s in the crucible [melting pot] of affliction that our faith is tested. But it’s also in the crucible of affliction that God’s faithfulness is proven,” (p. 103). As he later noted, “Affliction has a way of forcing us to deal with our hearts,” (Rick Rood, p. 113).

It is wonderful to be taught by the Lord through His Word and life’s experiences that...

Big Idea: God always provides what we need according to His eternal promise, when we most need it, when it benefits us most, and points most clearly to His glory.

The book of Hebrews was written primarily to help the Jewish Christians see the picture that Judaism painted of the work that Christ had accomplished and to help them realize how it now changes their relationship with God, with each other, and with the world around them. Their relationship with the Lord through Christ was now personal rather than national, they were now a part of a spiritual family rather than a physical one, and they now had the sinless and perfect, God in the flesh as their high priest, rather than (as it often was) a corrupt one.

The book was meant to help them realize the conduit of their relationship with God was always meant to be faith in God’s eternal promise, not in the observance of Laws, rites, or traditions. As such, the book was meant to bring God’s people Peace and rest.

Matthew 11:28–30 NASB

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.“For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.”

Having brought all of this into focus for the believing Jews, the author then wrote a benediction, a closing prayer of sorts, both to petition of the Lord and to comfort the Jewish believers, who by this time were facing tremendous challenges from both Rome and the Jewish population as a whole. It was to be a benediction that would ease the burden of both their spiritual and physical lives.

It is a benediction that explains who this God is that always provides what we need, when we most need it, when it benefits us most, and points most clearly to His glory. If you will, come with me to the book of Hebrews Ch. 13 and v. 20 so that we can take a look first, at The Nature of God.

1. The Nature of God v. 20

There is no other religion apart from the Bible, no other god that is like The God of the Bible, The Creator and Sustainer of all things, both material and immaterial. All things exist because He brought them into and sustains their existence. Sin put a harmonic wave in the pond of creation’s existence that disturbed the tranquility of God’s relationship with all creation, including all humanity. Now, through Christ, God’s desire is to bring peace back to that relationship, to still the waters of creation and bring it back to peace. God is not the God of discord, He is the God of peace.

Read v. 20

The nature of God v. 20

++He is The God of Peace

++He is The God of Power

++He is The God of Protection

++He is The God of Promise

This is the God in whom we are encouraged to trust, even in times of life’s affliction. The world is powerless to provide answers or solutions to such affliction. The truth is that God Himself is the only source that can ease and erase such affliction. It is His nature as the God of peace who has offered His resurrected Son as a Shepherd to His people for their protection, according to His eternal promise in order that He would Provide all we need, just when we need it, when it benefits us most, and when it most clearly points to His glory.

Would you look at the next verse, v.. 21, with me as we consider The Provision of God?

2. The Provision of God v. 21

Read v. 21

equip = restore, outfit, put in order (singular verb…one time act through Christ)

you may do = to carry out, performing an action (aorist, active…summary of reality, being performed actively)

working = carry into effect (present, active…happening now, performed actively)

2. The Provision of God v. 21

++God gives you every good thing

++God gives you complete acceptance

++God gives you fulfilling purpose

“It’s in the crucible of affliction that our faith is tested. But it’s also in the crucible of affliction that God’s faithfulness is proven...Affliction has a way of forcing us to deal with our hearts,” (Rick Rood, “When Suffering is Redemptive,” p. 103, 113).

Dealing with our hearts means that we look to that which we rest our trust in. If it is this life and the world in which we live, we will never find that peace and rest we were created for. If we rest our trust in the God of Peace, Power, Protection and Promise, then God will give us every good thing and by it complete acceptance with fulfilling purpose.

Big Idea: God always provides what we need according to His eternal promise, when we most need it, when it benefits us most, and points most clearly to His glory.

1 Pet. 4:7-11 “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”