Names of God - Jehovah-shalom (God of Peace)
Judges Chapter 6
In chapter 6 of Judges, we see the children of Israel once again being afflicted by the surrounding nations. And once again, it is for the same reason. They have followed after another god. Finally, the affliction is just too much for them to bear and they cry out to the true God for help.
Little do they know that help would come from a man named Gideon. A man from a poor family in the lowest of the tribes of Israel. Even Gideon has a hard time with the news at first. But he was persuaded soon enough that this was God’s will for his life and that he had to follow it. At least, after a couple tests to be sure. So God showed him that this was His will for Gideon’s life and Gideon had perfect peace in the situation from that point on. It was then that he built an altar and named the place of the altar Jehovah-shalom. As we learned yesterday, Jehovah means “the Everlasting one.” The word shalom means peace. Looking into the Strong’s Concordance, the word shalom has this as its possible meaings:
safe, that is, (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, that is, health, prosperity, peace: - X do, familiar, X fare, favour, + friend, X greet, (good) health, (X perfect, such as be at) peace (-able, -ably), prosper (-ity, -ous), rest, safe (-ly), salute, welfare, (X all is, be) well, X wholly.
I would tend to think that God’s peace granted to Gideon had him feeling all of these things.
He knew he would be safe. That God was his friend as long as Gideon was on his side. That God’s favor would be with him as he performed the work he was being called to do. And that the nation of Israel would once again be prosperous and rest safely, if they followed the precepts of God.
Maybe you have been asking God what to do with your life and he has told you what it is, but you just are not sure about it. If you are positive that it is what God wants you to do, then ask Him to make you sure. He will give you peace just as He did with Gideon. He is still in the business of answering prayers. And while He may not perform a miracle like He did with Gideon and the fleece (vs.36-40), he can still help you have peace about what He has for you to do as long as you have faith and are willing to do what He says. Don’t worry about feeling capable. Just get to doing whatever it is and let God work in your life. God’s grace will supply the rest.
Judges Chapter 6
In chapter 6 of Judges, we see the children of Israel once again being afflicted by the surrounding nations. And once again, it is for the same reason. They have followed after another god. Finally, the affliction is just too much for them to bear and they cry out to the true God for help.
Little do they know that help would come from a man named Gideon. A man from a poor family in the lowest of the tribes of Israel. Even Gideon has a hard time with the news at first. But he was persuaded soon enough that this was God’s will for his life and that he had to follow it. At least, after a couple tests to be sure. So God showed him that this was His will for Gideon’s life and Gideon had perfect peace in the situation from that point on. It was then that he built an altar and named the place of the altar Jehovah-shalom. As we learned yesterday, Jehovah means “the Everlasting one.” The word shalom means peace. Looking into the Strong’s Concordance, the word shalom has this as its possible meaings:
safe, that is, (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, that is, health, prosperity, peace: - X do, familiar, X fare, favour, + friend, X greet, (good) health, (X perfect, such as be at) peace (-able, -ably), prosper (-ity, -ous), rest, safe (-ly), salute, welfare, (X all is, be) well, X wholly.
I would tend to think that God’s peace granted to Gideon had him feeling all of these things.
He knew he would be safe. That God was his friend as long as Gideon was on his side. That God’s favor would be with him as he performed the work he was being called to do. And that the nation of Israel would once again be prosperous and rest safely, if they followed the precepts of God.
Maybe you have been asking God what to do with your life and he has told you what it is, but you just are not sure about it. If you are positive that it is what God wants you to do, then ask Him to make you sure. He will give you peace just as He did with Gideon. He is still in the business of answering prayers. And while He may not perform a miracle like He did with Gideon and the fleece (vs.36-40), he can still help you have peace about what He has for you to do as long as you have faith and are willing to do what He says. Don’t worry about feeling capable. Just get to doing whatever it is and let God work in your life. God’s grace will supply the rest.
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