Names of God (Old Testament)Muestra

Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord who is peace

Read Judges 6

When Judges 6 was written, Israel was living in fear of the Midianites. Their fear changed how they lived as we see Gideon threshing wheat in the weirdest of places – in a winepress. We also read of him hiding in mountains and caves (6:2). They were living in such oppression as they hid from their enemies. Gideon and the Israelites saw this oppression as God abandoning them (6:13), yet God saw it as a consequence of their repetitive idolatry and rebellion. As they worshipped the Midianite gods, God handed them over to what they so greatly desired.

Gideon cried out to God (6:6), and the Bible is full of this language. The book of Judges, especially so with its unique repeated pattern of sin, judgement, repentance, and deliverance. God called Gideon (through an angel of the Lord,) who admitted he was from the weakest clan and was the least in his family. Sound familiar? ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5). He uses the lowly to bring about salvation and freedom time and time again, especially in His Son, Jesus, who died to redeem all of creation.

Jehovah Shalom means ‘the Lord is peace.’. It identifies God as the source of ultimate completeness and harmony. We are called to be agents of peace (1 Peter 3:8) as we humble ourselves before Him, knowing He has already overcome the world and will one day bring complete peace.

Written by BREE BOND