JEHOVAH – SHALOM!

JEHOVAH – SHALOM!

Judg 6:22-24

22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord , Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God ! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord  face to face.

23 And the Lord  said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord , and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abi-ezrites.

          I can’t explain the circumstances surrounding the naming of this altar better than the following quote. “It was more than 200 years since Jehovah had revealed Himself to His people as Jehovah-M'Kaddesh, Jehovah who sanctifies. Joshua had long since died. The land had been conquered and divided among the tribes, but nothing approaching national unity had been achieved in all this time. There was no central government or worship. It was a period in which "every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

It was a period of alternating prosperity and adversity, of sinning and repenting, of slavery and deliverance. They would grievously sin and be brought very low. In their extremity they would remember Jehovah their God and cry out to Him for deliverance. Jehovah would hear them and raise up a deliverer for them. Then after serving Jehovah, Israel would fall away again, and the whole process would be repeated.

Gideon was threshing a little wheat, saved somehow from the all-devouring hordes of the enemy, and in the secrecy of the wine-press, for fear of them, when the angel of Jehovah appeared to him with a promise of deliverance in response to Israel's cry. Gideon, after some doubt, hesitation, and reassurance, accepted the promise and the challenge. In faith he reared an altar which he called Jehovah-shalom, in confident anticipation of victory and peace.

(from Names of God, Copyright 1944 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.)

          It was God Himself who appeared to Gideon who was afraid he would die as a result of seeing God face to face. In Judges 6:23 God assures Gideon that he would not die and in verse 24 Gideon built an altar naming it Jehovah-shalom which means “the Lord our Peace.”

John 14:26-27

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Dear God of Peace, grant calmness of spirit to those who live a life of fear and uncertainty. Make clear your calling and direction for their lives. AMEN