The LORD Our Peace
Rev Nguyen Gia Hien (Pastor, Brisbane BPC)
Do you and I truly have peace in our hearts? Many think that they can just live with optimism without any worries, but life in this world is not as simple as they think. You and I do not know what may happen to us and to our loved ones tomorrow. Today you and I may live in peace when we are still healthy and have a stable job, a nice family, and money in the bank, etc. However, without Christ, our peace will disappear and worries and insecurities will occupy our hearts when we lose our jobs, when we fall sick, when our family happiness falls into pieces, when we lack money, when we are misunderstood, criticized, or opposed, when our secrets are exposed, or when we have to encounter difficulties, trials, threats, dangers, natural disasters or death, etc. Thank God and praise the LORD that He is All we need. He is our Peace in all situations. We have learnt that the LORD is our Righteousness, Jehovah-tsidkenu (Jer 23:6), our Sanctifier, Jehovah-m’qadishkhem (Exod 31:13; Lev 20:8; 21:8), our Shepherd, Jehovah-rohi (Ps 23:1), our Provider, Jehovah-jireh (Gen 22:14), and our Banner or Victory, Jehovah-nissi (Exod 17:15), our mighty Defender, Jehovah-sabaoth (1 Sam 1:3), our great Healer, Jehovah-rapha (Exod 15:26), our omnipresent and omniscient LORD, Jehovah-Shammah, or The LORD is there (Ezek 48:35). Today we are learning the name Jehovah-shalom, which means “The LORD Is/Sends Peace” (Judges 6:24). Then, what does His name mean to you and me and what are our proper attitudes?
Background to Jehovah-shalom
The Book of Judges tells us about the failure of sinful and totally depraved human beings, even of God’s chosen people Israel, in keeping God’s commandments and serving Him faithfully as well as about God’s judgement when He chastised them and about God’s great mercy and deliverance when they repented and cried unto Him for help. Chapter 6 tells us about the wickedness of the children of Israel when they forsook the LORD and did evil in His sight and about God’s judgment when He let the Midianites and the Amalekites and the nations from the east come to oppress the children of Israel so much that they cried unto the LORD, and He sent a prophet to remind them of God’s faithful deliverance and their unfaithful worship. Then the Angel of the LORD (the preincarnate Christ) appeared unto Gideon to encourage him and send him to deliver His people from the oppression of the enemies. Gideon was so frightened and assumed that he would die when the Angel cause fire to consume his offering and Gideon acknowledged that he had seen the Angel of the LORD, but “the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die” (v 23). Then Gideon built an altar unto the LORD and called it Jehovah-shalom, which means the LORD is peace or sends peace.
The LORD Is Our Peace
How can sinful and rebellious human beings live in peace with the holy and righteous God? Thank God for His grace, love and mercy when He sent His only begotten Son into this world to die for our sins and to bring us back to Himself in reconciliation. Jesus Christ is “The Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6), “the King of peace” (Heb 7:2) and “he is our peace” (Eph 2:14). When Jesus was born, a host of angels praised God, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Truly, through the bloodshedding death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, He is able to make us reconciled with God and accepted before Him so that we may have peace with God, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed” (Isa 53:5), and “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1; cf. Eze 45:15, 17) “And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven” (Col 1:20).
Moreover, Jesus Christ rose again and is still able to give us His own peace so that we may enjoy God’s peace in our hearts in all situations, “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” (John 14:27; cf. 16:33) and still speaks to our troubled hearts “Peace be unto you” (John 20:19, 21, 26). Thank God and praise the LORD! Dear friends, the Lord Jesus Christ alone is our Peace with God and Peace of God. May God help us appreciate Him, love Him, and maintain our living fellowship with Him as having Him, we have His true peace, and without Him, we have no true peace at all.
How to Obtain God’s Peace
Acknowledge God’s Sovereignty: No matter what may happen to us, it is always good and wise for us to acknowledge God’s sovereignty so that we may have peace in our hearts as He is able to make all things work together for our good, “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt 10:29-31), “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28).
Fear God and Depart from Sin and Evil: God’s Word confirms twice that “There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked” (Isa 48:22; 57:21), so we should not envy those who are doing wicked things against God and His Word even when it seems that they are prosperous because they have no true peace in their hearts at all. We also should fear God and depart from sins and evil as sins always trouble our souls and separate us from the God of peace. The only way is to come back to the LORD in repentance right away to restore our fellowship with Him and enjoy His peace again (1 John 1:9). May God sanctify us and help us live a holy life to enjoy His peace always, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 5:23)
Humbly Trust in the LORD, and Commit Everything to Him: David shared his experience, praying to the LORD, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee” (Ps 56:3). Truly, trusting in God and His Word is honouring Him and He will honour us by keeping us in perfect peace, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isa 26:3). In all situations, let us come to God, pray to Him, and commit everything to Him, and “Be careful (anxious, worried) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6-7), “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Ps 37:11). How wonderful it is when the peace of God keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus! The peace that we cannot fully understand and others will be surprised when they see that we are still calm and peaceful in such a danger, trial or fatal illness!
Hear God’s Word, Do God’s Will and Follow His Guidance: Jonah ran away from God’s will and he got all the troubles for himself as well as brought troubles to others (Jonah 1). It is always wise for you and me to hear our Shepherd’s voice (God’s Word), do His will, and follow after Him alone, “I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly” (Ps 85:8), and “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Ps 119:165), and “But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile” (Rom 2:10), and “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil 4:9).
Keep a Close Fellowship with the LORD: Knowing that the LORD Himself is our Peace and All we need, we shall keep a close fellowship with Him in all situations. If the LORD is with us and for us, we shall have His peace and All we need – His joy, His grace, His love, His strength, His wisdom, His victory, His righteousness, His holiness, His guidance, His protection, His salvation, His glory, etc. Three friends of Daniel still had peace when they were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace for the sake of their faithfulness to the LORD and His Word. Why? Because the LORD was with them (Dan 3:16-30). Daniel still had peace when he was cast into the den of lions! Why? Because he maintained a constant fellowship with the LORD in prayers and “because he believed in his God” (Dan 6:10-23).
Truly, grace and peace come from God the Father and the LORD Jesus Christ alone (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; etc.) and true peace is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22; cf. Rom 14:17). It is always wise to come to the LORD Himself in all situations, and let the Holy Spirit and God’s peace control our hearts and minds, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom 8:6) and “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful” (Col 3:15).
Thank God for His precious promises of peace, and He alone is able to give you and me His true peace in all situations, “The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace” (Ps 29:11) and “The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace” (Num 6:26).
