Names of God Pt 4

Yahweh Shalom - Lord of Peace
TEXT: Genesis 16:1-13
Wouldn’t it be great that when we come to Christ all of our problems, stresses and fear went away?

C.S. Lewis said, “Life with God is not immunity from difficulties, but peace in the mist of them.”

The result of settled faith is perfect peace. 

We have to come to the point of recognizing our own utter sinfulness and our deep need of a redeemer before we can find peace. 

Only when we are at peace with God can we have peace with others. 

Only when our mind is settled in God can we tolerate the changing circumstances that often come with life.

The word “peace” comes from the Greek word eirene, the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word shalom, which expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquility in the soul that is unaffected by outward circumstances or pressures. 

The word eirene (pronounced e-rainy) strongly suggests the rule of order in place of chaos. 

When a person is dominated by eirene (“peace”), he has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct himself peacefully, even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be very nerve-racking, traumatic, or upsetting.

The Hebrew counterpart, the word shalom, indicates that this dominating peace ultimately gives rise to overcomer in one’s soul. 

Rather than allowing the difficulties and pressures of life to break him, a person who is possessed by eirene (“peace”) is whole, complete, orderly, stable, and positioned for blessing.

Isaiah 26:3-4 

The title Jehovah Shalom occurs only once in the Bible, in Judges 6:24: “Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and called it, The Lord Is Peace”. 
The book of Judges describes a difficult time in the history of Israel. 
Lacking both unity and faithful leadership, the nation had fallen into a vicious cycle of apostasy and idol worship. 
Because of their idolatry, God gave them over to their enemies until they repented. 
Deliverance followed, but it didn’t take long until they found themselves returning to apostasy.
Israel was oppressed by the Midianites, who left them hiding in caves, little to no food, little to no livestock and few tools. 
With uncertainty in their hearts, they cried to God for help. 
He reminded them that their disobedience caused their troubles, but He also sent them Gideon.
Gideon, it has to be said, was perplexed as to why such ill had befallen his people. 
He never doubted that God had delivered them from Egyptian slavery, but where was God when they needed Him most? 
Why such tragedy and suffering? 
Was He still with them? 
Although the Lord then commissioned Gideon to save Israel, he felt weak, frail, and incapable. 
However, his uncertainty and fear were dispelled by God’s promise, “I will be with you” (Judges 6:16). 
To confirm the identity of his supernatural visitor, Gideon asked for a sign. 
Witnessing the food he prepared for the angel miraculously consumed by fire, Gideon was filled with even greater fear.  
He had seen the Angel of the Lord face to face! 
The immediate divine response was this: “Peace be to you. Do not fear, you shall not die” (Judges 6:23). 
As a result of these words, Gideon’s heart was infused with confidence and courage. 
He experienced peace in the truest sense. 
Building an altar to the Lord, he called it, “Jehovah-Shalom”, or “The Lord is Peace”. Come what may, he could now confront the enemy and undertake great exploits for God. His encounter with the God of Peace had taught him that he was not alone.
“Prince of Peace” - Isaiah 9:6. 
During His ministry, the Lord Jesus brought life to the dead, healing to the diseased, liberty to the captive, and peace to the brokenhearted. 
“peace by the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:20), 
thereby making reconciliation possible for every sinner, He spoke to His disciples, saying, 
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27). 
After rising victoriously from the dead, Jesus’s very first words to His fearful followers were a repetition of “Peace be with you” (John 20:19,21).
Our world craves peace, but they can’t seem to find it.