Shalom. Peace.
Throughout the Word of God, Old Testament and New
Testament, Shalom and Peace are dominant themes.
God’s peace is part of the Aaronic Priestly Blessing in
Numbers 6.24-26:
The Lord bless
you and keep you;
The Lord make
His face shine upon you,
And be gracious
to you;
The Lord lift up
His countenance upon you,
And give you
peace (Shalom).
Isaiah chapter 9 predicts the coming Messiah or Anointed
One, who will be called, among other names, Sar-Shalom, the Prince of Peace.
Jesus the Messiah, God’s Anointed, is introduced by an
army of angels as one who brings “peace on earth.” As He concludes his earthly
ministry he blesses his disciples the night he was betrayed, saying, “Peace I
give to you” in John 14.27.
When I ponder the word “peace” I think of an end to war.
To me it means harmony, calmness, and quiet.
But as I consider all the special passages in the Bible
where God’s Shalom is promised, I sense something deeper.
Shalom is God putting all things right, in order, and
under His command. Yes there is harmony, but it’s God’s harmony. And it is God
redeeming our world, both individually in our relationship with Him and
globally in the establishment of His kingdom among us.
Shalom is something God establishes – the Lord gives it,
and Jesus delivers it. We respond to Him in faith and experience it in our
lives today and with an expectation of peace that not only passes all
understanding, but also becomes the standard for all understanding.
Peace reigns!
Shalom!
