Peace שָׁלוֹם

Our word for today is a very well-known Hebrew word recognized by most people. שָׁלוֹם peace, prosperity, success, welfare, healthy, intact, completeness, wholeness. It is used 236 times in the Old Testament. A good example of this word is found in our chapter that we are still in Genesis chapter 26 where our word is used twice. Earlier Isaac’s men were quarrelling with the herdsmen of Gerar over a well. Genesis 26:28-31 So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you, that you will do us no harm, just as we have not touched you and have done to you nothing but good and have sent you away in שָׁלוֹם peace. You are now the blessed of the Lord.” So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. In the morning they rose early and exchanged oaths. And Isaac sent them on their way, and they departed from him in שָׁלוֹם peace. So we go from conflict to peace or you could say broken then made whole or fractured then intact. This is what God does in our relationship with him and in our relationships with others.  Our word is not just the absence of conflict but rather the making whole, complete, or restored. So peace is more of an internal inside out thing than an outside appearance or outside circumstances sort of thing. This is what God means when he says in Isaiah 48:22 “There is no שָׁלוֹם peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.” Which is described in a great way in Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. And in Isaiah 26:3 You keep him in perfect שָׁלוֹם peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. So peace is really about our relationship with God and others from an internal inside out way. Notice the connection with not following God’s direction and not having peace in Isaiah 48:18 Oh that you had paid attention to my commandments! Then your שָׁלוֹם peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea. God is the one who accomplishes this peace through his Son Jesus as predicted hundreds of years beforehand through Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of שָׁלוֹם Peace. Of the increase of his government and of שָׁלוֹם peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over  his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. This peace that Jesus brings is detailed in Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Now watch how amazing this peace with God is spelled out in verse 2-5. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Wow! That is what I call being made whole and complete through Jesus’ work of Peace.