Author: Unknown | 12/11/2016 12:54:39 AM
Jehovah Shalom
"Jehovah is Peace"
(Isaiah 9:6)
We live in a very troubled world and all of us know something about the problem of restlessness in our soul. There are many causes of restlessness. We sometimes worry about the uncertainties of the future; will our needs be met, will some catastrophe ruin our life (i.e. death of close loved ones, disease, flood, famine, earthquake, war?)
There is also the problem of frustration; not enough time, not enough money, health problems, perplexities, conflicts, problems which seem to have no solution. And then there is the transient nature of this world and all it has to offer. Many people flitter about like a butterfly, trying one thing and then another; running after the pleasures of this life, only to be disappointed and frustrated time after time.
Finally, there is the deep sense of guilt and unworthiness when we focus upon how shallow and trivial our life must be in the eyes of God, who will one day act as our judge. All of these causes and more rob us of peace in our soul and fill us with a turbulent restlessness, as Isaiah says, like the troubled sea.
In the light of all this, it is more than refreshing to know that one of the names by which God has revealed Himself is Jehovah-Shalom, "Jehovah is peace," or, "the Lord our Peace." In this name, the Lord would have us know that the human soul cannot find and enjoy real peace in this world except in Him.
Historical Background
The historical context in which God revealed Himself as Jehovah-Shalom is during the period covered by the Book of Judges (Judges 6:11-24). When the angel of the Lord appears to Gideon in this passage, it was more than 200 years since He had revealed Himself as Jehovah-M'Kaddesh ("the Lord Who Sanctifies Us," Leviticus. 20:7-8). Joshua had died long ago. The land of Canaan had been conquered and divided among the tribes of Israel.
But, no national unity had been accomplished at this time (i.e. there was no central government, only "judges," and no central worship - no temple). We are told in Judges 17:6 that every man did what was right in his own eyes.
God had gloriously delivered them from the Egyptian bondage and had given them the land He promised in order that they might become his special people who would represent Him and be a light unto the world (Exodus 19:6 cf. I Peter 2:9-10). He had placed them in a position of privilege and favor above all the other nations.
However, when they settled in the land, they became preoccupied with a mere material survival and existence. They became content and satisfied only to make a living and to just get by. They lost the great vision to which God had called them.
As a result, they began to forget God. They even became curious about the gods of the Cananites (Baal, etc.) and they actually began to worship these false gods and became involved in idolatry.
By the time of Gideon, a whole new generation had arisen that had forgotten God. The result was that God had delivered them over to suffer constant defeat and torment by the Midianites and others. (They had turned their backs upon Jehovah-Nissi, ("the Lord our Banner"). In Judges 6:2, we are told that the Israelites were so oppressed by the Midianites that they were forced to hide in "the dens" which are in the mountains, and caves and strongholds (note that Gideon was hiding when the angel of the Lord appeared to him). They went back and forth from backsliding into sin and neglect to repentance with some relief and then back into backsliding again.
In fact, the major characteristic of this period of the judges was restlessness. Those who lived during this period faced constant uneasiness, uncertainty, instability and unrest. They were constantly fearful and insecure.
This helps us appreciate the significance of this name, Jehovah-Shalom, by which God reveals Himself in this historical context. He is "the Lord Our Peace." God is teaching His weak and worldly children that if they were ever going to experience deliverance from the constant turmoil they had been experiencing, it would be when they returned to Him and the wonderful calling He had for them in this world. It would be when they placed Him in the rightful place at the center of their lives and stopped relegating Him to second, third, or no place.
The Word Shalom
The word "shalom" is one of the most significant words in the Old Testament. It has many different shades of meaning but for our purposes, we will summarize by focusing upon the three main elements contained in the meaning of this word.
Being whole and complete...
The word shalom sometimes refers to one's physical health and well being and the contentment which comes from prospering in this area. For example, in Genesis 43:27, the word is used by Joseph when he inquires concerning the well-being of his brothers and his father (i.e. "are they physically well, healthy, sound, and are they enjoying life, having their basic needs met; ...food, clothing, a home to shelter them, enough wealth to be happy and content?").
There are two key passages in the New Testament which describe the "shalom" which Christians are meant to experience. Philippians 4:10-12 describes the ability to be content in any and every situation because of God's watch-care over us. Philippians 4:6-7 describes the shalom (peace) which comes from entrusting God with all the concerns of our lives.
Being completely debt-free...
This is the feeling that comes when our financial responsibilities have been met. It is a sense of relief - being carefree. The fact that God focuses upon this as one aspect of the peace He gives is demonstrated in the Old Testament year of jubilee (Leviticus 25:11). Every fiftieth year, every Israelite would return to his family's property. Whatever he had lost or been forced to sell of his inheritance would be returned to him at this time. It was to be a time of jubilee and rejoicing because all debt was removed from one's property and it was returned with no claims on it.
The knowledge and assurance that we are rightly related to God...
We all sense that a day will come when we will stand accountable before Almighty God and that is what the Bible teaches (II Cor. 5:10). To live this life with a gut-feeling that we are estranged from God, alienated from Him, far off from Him, causes us to be restless in our soul, fearful of death, worried! God has provided the cure for this in Christ. In Him we have the forgiveness of sin, sanctification, adoption into the royal family as the children of God, and an eternal inheritance in the kingdom of God. We are assured that God has fixed His everlasting love upon us and that nothing can separate us from it (Jer. 31:3 & Romans 8:38-39).
Jehovah Himself is the source of peace
Jehovah is perfect peace in His own person...
Jehovah is the Almighty God. He is unshaken by even the greatest catastrophe. There is perfect balance and stability in His divine nature. He could not give to others a peace that passes understanding if this were not so. He is the very embodiment of perfect, unfailing peace. He is the source of peace to mankind.
Although unshaken, He is "touched" by our infirmities...
The fact that Jehovah is not shaken by the catastrophes which may befall us does not mean that He is unmoved or insensitive to our pain and suffering when we endure such trials. We are told in Exodus 3:7 that He heard the cry of His people in Egypt. He saw their affliction, He knew their sorrow and He was sensitive to it. In Isaiah 63:9 we are told that He was afflicted in their afflictions; He pitied them; He cared! In Judges 10:16 we are told that He was grieved for the misery of Israel.
Jehovah is the source of peace in His attitude toward us...
In Jeremiah 29:11, we are told, "I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." In Isaiah 48:18, we are told that God was grieved when His people forfeited their peace because of their rebellion and disobedience. In Ezekiel 33:11, we are told that it is not His desire that the wicked should perish.
Also, look at the blessing God told the priests of Israel to pronounce upon them: The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).
It is only in the presence of Jehovah that peace can be experienced...
After the conquest of the land of Canaan, Israel was supposed to enter into its rest (cf. Hebrews 4). However, as we have seen, they became indifferent about the things of God and preoccupied with their own personal peace and comfort. The result was that they did not seek God's face and live in the light of His high calling for them. Because of this, God told them very clearly (Isaiah 59:1-2) that their sin made a separation between Himself and them. It was because they did not enjoy His presence that they became restless and forfeited His peace.
There is a very important spiritual lesson here. It is the consciousness of our sin in the presence of the divine which produces restlessness in the soul. The consciousness of our sin makes us aware that all is not well between us and our Creator. We need to be reconciled to Him. But how can this be done? In the Old Testament it was done in a symbolic way through the offering of an animal sacrifice. Gideon did this after he spoke with the angel of the Lord. Fire consumed the offering as a sign of its acceptance by God. The angel of the Lord said to Gideon, Peace be unto you.
But ultimately it is God who sanctifies us (Jehovah-M'Kaddesh). It is He who provides an acceptable sacrifice (Jehovah-Jireh). He has done this by sending His beloved Son into the world to be our Savior. It is in this way that He is able to make peace with us and in us! Christ makes it possible to be reconciled to God and to dwell in His presence wherein is peace.
Jesus is our Jehovah-Shalom
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah. 9:6); He is God's center piece of shalom. Jesus said, My peace I give to you (John 14:27); These words I spoke ... that in me ye might have peace... (John 16:33). Like Jehovah of the Old Testament, He is ...touched with the feelings of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). In Matthew 11:28 and 29, the Lord Jesus tells us I will give you rest. In Luke 1:78 & 79 we are told that He guides our feet in the way of peace. When He was born into this world, the angels declared, Peace on earth (Luke 2:14). In Isaiah 32:17 we are told that the effect of the righteousness which comes to us through Christ is peace. Finally, Romans 3:11 and 17 laments the plight of those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ because, The way of peace have they not known.