Originally posted: 10/09/2019
The LORD said to him, “Peace to you, do not fear; you shall not die.” 24 Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and named it The LORD is Peace… (6:23-24).
The LORD is Peace is actually one word in the Hebrew language.
The LORD is Peace: 3073. יְהוָֹה שָׁלוֹם yehōwāh šālôm: A proper noun designating Jehovah Shalom, a name designating an altar, “the Lord (is) peace” (Judg. 6:24). It was built by Gideon, a famous judge of Israel, because the Lord confirmed to Gideon that He was calling him to deliver Israel. It stood for many years, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.
In the midst of oppression and fear, weakness and uncertainty, He comes. He comes in answer to the cries of His children who once again find themselves suffering under tyrannical oppression due to their obstinate disobedience. And He, The LORD is Peace, comes.
Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord gave them into the hands of Midian seven years. 2 The power of Midian prevailed against Israel… 7 Now it came about when the sons of Israel cried to the Lord on account of Midian, 8 that the Lord sent a prophet to the sons of Israel, and he said to them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘It was I who brought you up from Egypt and brought you out from the house of slavery. 9 I delivered you from the hands of the Egyptians and from the hands of all your oppressors, and dispossessed them before you and gave you their land, 10 and I said to you, “I am the LORD your God; you shall not fear the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live. But you have not obeyed Me,”’” (6:1-2, 7-10).
He comes to a people so undeserving, to a man so weak in faith, to a circumstance so turbulent and hopeless, to those so steeped in fear for their future. And He does not merely bring peace or provide peace; He is Peace. He speaks and acts from the very essence of His Holy Nature, The LORD is Peace. He speaks and acts; and everything changes.
Consider Him, The LORD is Peace
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Presence.
- The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior,” (6:12).
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Promise.
- But the LORD said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian as one man,” (6:16).
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Power.
- So the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon; and he blew a trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called together to follow him, (6:34).
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Proof.
- Then Gideon said to God, “If You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken, 37 behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I will know that You will deliver Israel through me, as You have spoken.” 38 And it was so… 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Do not let Your anger burn against me that I may speak once more; please let me make a test once more with the fleece, let it now be dry only on the fleece, and let there be dew on all the ground.” 40 God did so that night; for it was dry only on the fleece, and dew was on all the ground, (6:36-40).
How do we respond to Him, The LORD is Peace?
Apart from Christ Jesus, there is no peace. Separation from God is a life devoid of peace. Without receiving, by faith, His payment for the penalty of our sin through His blood shed on the cross, we remain separated from Holy God. But when we are in Him, He Himself is our Peace.
But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, (Ephesians 2:13-14).
In Christ we our brought near to God; but we are not promised a life free from troubles and trials. We are called to a life of faith; and when we live by faith in Christ, we will know Peace. Whatever the circumstances, when we know Him we know Peace because He Himself is our Peace.
Today, may we be strengthened in our faith to know and experience Him, the LORD is Peace.
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Presence.
- For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy,
“I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite,” (Isaiah 57:15). - “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you,” (John 14:16-17).
- For thus says the high and exalted One
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Promise.
- Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; (Hebrews 10:23).
- …for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” (Hebrews 13:5).
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Power.
- “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth,” (Acts 1:8).
- But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you, (Romans 8:11).
- I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, (Ephesians 1:18-22).
- The LORD is Peace… Proclaimed in His Proof.
- … all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs… (Acts 1:1-3).
Today, may we trust Him to penetrate through every uncertainty, fear, weakness, and doubt. The LORD is Peace; Proclaimed in His Presence, Promise, Power, and Proof; and we can therefore live without fear, confidently knowing that every need we have will be met in Him, The LORD is Peace.
…so that we confidently say, “The LORD is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).