Last week talked about Qedosh Yisrael, Holy One of Israel. I spent the week posting about what it means to be holy.
What does it mean to you to be holy?
To me, it means being set apart. Living differently than the world lives. Walking with God daily and following His commands and trying to live for Him.
So this week we will be studying Yahweh Shalom, The Lord is Peace.
What is peace?
For many of us, it’s calm, it’s the absence of war or conflict.
“Shalom” is more than the English word “peace”; it means completeness, soundness, welfare, prosperity, good health, happiness, and rest. It is a conventional harmony. The word “shalom” was used about 237 times in the Old Testament, and it describes a right relationship with God, neighbor, and creation.
The first time “shalom” is used is in Genesis 15:15 when Elohim is telling Abram, “You can know for sure that your descendants will live in a land that is not their own, where they will be slaves, and they will be oppressed for 400 years. But I will punish the nation they serve, and after that they will come out with many possessions. But you will die in shalom/peace and be buried at a very old age.”
The only time Yahweh Shalom is used is in Judges 6:24.
In Judges 6, we see that the Israelites have disobeyed God, and he has turned them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were too strong, so they were hiding out in the mountains and in caves. During this time a Messenger of Yahweh, or Jesus before he was Jesus, the capital LORD, appears to Gideon, who is hiding out, and says, “Yahweh is with you, brave man.”
Gideon responded with, “Excuse me, sir! But if Yahweh is with us, why is all this happening to us? Where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about? They said Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, but now he has abandoned us.”
Yahweh turned to him and told him that he, Gideon, would be the one to rescue Israel.
Gideon, again, responded with, “Excuse me, sir! How can I rescue Israel? Look at my whole family. It’s the weakest one in Manasseh. And me? I am the least important member of my whole family.”
Yahweh replied, “I will be with you. You will defeat Midian as if it were only one man.”
At this time Gideon asked for a sign. He asked the Messenger of Yahweh to stay put until he could bring him a gift. Gideon made up some unleavened bread and brought out a pot of broth and some meat and brought it out to him. The Messenger told Gideon to take the meat and the bread and put it on a stone and then pour the broth over it.
Then the Messenger of Yahweh touched the meat and the bread with the tip of the staff that was in his hand. Fire flared up from the rock and burned the meat and the bread. If you remember a couple of weeks ago when we talked about Esh Oklah, here we see the fire again.
Then the Messenger of Yahweh disappeared. Gideon realized who he was talking to and said, “Adonay Yahweh! I have seen the Messenger of Yahweh face to face!”
The LORD said to Him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die!”
“So Gideon built an altar there to Yahweh. He called it Yahweh Shalom.”
Gideon seems a bit frustrated, maybe even sarcastic, at the initial meeting of the Messenger because this Yahweh he grew up hearing about has seemed to have abandoned them, and now this Messenger appears and says that Yahweh is with him and wants Gideon to deliver the Israelites. Gideon asks for a sign, receives the sign, realizes he is in the presence of God, and God says, “Peace! Do not be afraid!” and Gideon built the altar to Yahweh in reference to that peace. The name Yahweh Shalom is given during a time of fear when the Israelites were being oppressed.
Yahweh Shalom is more of a title than a name. God IS peace, IS completeness, and He brings security.
C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in difficulties.”
Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Always be joyful in the Lord! I’ll say it again: Be joyful! Let everyone know how considerate you are. The Lord is near. Never worry about anything. But in every situation let God know what you need in prayers and requests while giving thanks. Then God’s peace/SHALOM, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Yeshua.”
Numbers 6:26 says, “Yahweh will look on you with favor and give you peace/SHALOM.”
God made a covenant of peace with Levi as it’s recorded in Malachi 2:5-6: “I promised Levi life and peace. He lived with me in peace and honesty and turned many people away from sin.”
Covenant shalom isn’t a feeling. Covenantal peace is the evidence of an established relationship with God, one that is anchored by obedience and trust in his promises.
We have often heard of Israeli or Jewish people who will say “shalom” as a greeting. In 1 Samuel 1, when Hannah was pouring out her heart to God, Eli told her, “Shalom,” or “Go in peace.” In 1 Samuel 20:42 Jonathan told David to “Go in peace!” or Shalom. So when you say “Shalom” as a greeting, you aren’t saying hello or goodbye, you are wishing wholeness over one’s life.
Shalom has moral implications. Isaiah 32:16-17 says, “The Lord’s justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness will live in the fertile field. The fruit of his righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.” And Isaiah 48:22 says, “There is no peace,” says the LORD, “for the wicked.” So shalom is both a gift and a demand of God’s people.
So the shalom that quieted Gideon’s fear is the same peace that comforted Hannah and is the same peace that is promised to us to guard our hearts and our minds. This shalom is what flows out of those who are anchored in Christ. It’s not just the absence of conflict, but the steadiness to stand when life is hitting hard. It’s the trust in knowing that Yahweh Shalom is with us, holding us, and giving us a quiet confidence and a calling to justice, mercy, and faithfulness.
As we study Yahweh Shalom this week, ask yourself, “Where is God trying to bring peace in my life?” and “Where do I need to trust him more deeply? ”.
May God’s peace be with you this week. Shalom.
