Jehovah Shalom: the Lord is Peace

(Judges 6:1-24)

Gideon was a man of fear.

He was hiding for fear of the marauding Midianites when the angel appeared to him. He was fearful upon receiving the message from God, and asked for two different signs to confirm it was really God's message. Then, when he realized that it wasn't just an angel, but God Himself (a Theophany: an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ), Gideon was afraid he would be struck dead.

Yes, Gideon certainly was a man of fear. --Yet God called him a "mighty man of valor". (v.12) Despite Gideon's fears and insecurities, (or maybe even because of them) God did use him to bring victory and at least a measure of revival to Israel. Afraid or not, he led an army against impossible odds and saw God fight for His people in a remarkable way. When it came time to act, he showed great boldness in performing that which God had told him to do.

So what changed?

When he realized that he had seen God, Gideon was afraid, and rightly so. He had doubted God to His face, and had even accused Him of forsaking His people. —A glimpse of the Holy God always brings us to the inescapable knowledge of our own sinfulness. Yet God's reply to this culmination of Gideon's fears was not rebuke, but peace.

"And the Lord said unto him, Peace, be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die." (v.23)

And there, having met with God, Gideon found peace with God that gave him the courage to take action for God and to obey, whatever the cost. Gideon named the altar he built that day in memorial of his meeting with God Jehovah-Shalom, or, the Lord is Peace.

He was headed --at God's command-- to a battle, yet God had patiently assured him every step of the way that He would bring victory over the enemy.

Gideon's people were not yet at peace, but Gideon nevertheless could rest in God's promise of victory and truly declare that "the Lord is peace".

In this wicked world, we are not at peace. We are not to be at peace with the world, for "the friendship of the world is enmity with God"  (James 4:4), but we serve the God of peace, who has promised us the victory, which He has already won. (Romans 16:20, I Cor. 15:57)

Externally, there may not be peace in this world, but we can have peace internally, however wildly the enemies may rage without. All we have to do is run to "the God of peace" and rest in His victory.