JEHOVAH SHALOM

This title means, The Lord is peace, or, The Lord send peace. It must have settled Gideon when the Lord said to him, ‘Peace be unto thee; fear not’, for so much had occurred to disturb him. Midian controlled the land, and Midian means strife. So, secretly, he had threshed his wheat, but the Lord says, ‘Peace’. He is apprehensive about his commission to expel the marauders, but the Lord says, ‘Peace’. The awesomeness of his encounter with God alarmed him, but the Lord says, ‘Peace’. He is, ‘the God of peace’, e.g. Rom. 15. 33.

How good to have a personal relationship with Him who is ‘the Prince of Peace’, Isa. 9. 6. Once, we were among those of whom Scripture says, ‘the way of peace have they not known’, Rom. 3.17. We were estranged from God because of our sin, Col. 1. 21, and our troubled hearts were bereft of peace, Isa. 57. 21. Happily, we heard of Him who ‘made peace through the blood of his cross’, Col. 1. 20, and on trusting Him, enjoyed’peace with God’, and ‘the peace of God’ in our hearts.

I came to Jesus as I was, weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place, and He has made me glad. [Horatius Bonar]

The presence of Jehovah Shalom still provides peace in the changing circumstances of life. When Moses was negotiating uncharted territory, the promise was, ‘My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest’, Exod. 33.14. What an encouragement for the wilderness journey of life, so bleak and dangerous! Change the metaphor to a voyage: inevitably there will be storms. He rises in the midst of the tempest to say, ‘Peace, be still’, Mark 4. 39. When the disciples were huddled in fear behind locked doors, the risen Christ appeared among them; ‘Peace be unto you’. Fears gave way to gladness. Another pronouncement of peace preceded His commission to service, and they went with His peace flooding their souls, John 20.19-21.

God’s peace can be tapped by prayer, Phil. 4. 6-7, and it reaches river-like proportions when there is wholehearted obedience to His commands, Isa. 48.18. Let us enjoy it, this ‘peace of God, which passeth all understanding’.