The sin of disobedience of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden brought unrest and turmoil in the hearts, minds and souls of all mankind and we can see this all around us. However, Lord Jesus blessed and filled the disciples with His peace and repeated the same to them after resurrection also. In real terms what is the meaning of ‘Shalom’ or peace that the Lord has given and what should be the positive effect of that in our lives?
Real meaning of Shalom – The Jewish Oral Traditions that supplement the written or scriptural laws in the Pentateuch or the first five Books of the Holy Bible contain various interpretations of selective legal traditions that had been followed since the time of Ezra or 450 BC. This book, the Mishnah, defines the rebellion of Korah with Dathan and Abiram and 250 others against Moses as the height of strife (Numbers 16). This rebellion was not for heaven and compared Aaron’s peacefulness and Korah’s contentiousness. To realize the seriousness of the curse on the rebels, it is necessary to understand the real meaning of peace or ‘Shalom’. Peace is not the absence of disagreement or contention but serenity or inner peace with absence of stress.
God is described as the One Who makes peace with the interaction of opposites, of fire and water. Thus any argument for searching the truth leads to shalom. Absolute or true shalom is in perfection and till evil and sin continue to destroy this harmony in the world, there cannot be perfect peace. God has categorically stated ‘There is no peace for the wicked’ (Isaiah 57:21). Lord Jesus’ blessing, ‘My peace I give to you’, is the fulfillment of destruction of effects of evil and sin in our lives through forgiveness of sins and reconciliation of all believers to God through and in Him (John 14:27). The Greek word used for peace is ‘eirene’ which means ‘rest, peace of mind, health and welfare of an individual’. This word in its root form is ‘eiro’ meaning ‘to join, tie together into a whole’ as when all essential parts are joined together. This is God’s gift of wholeness, of creation being joined to Him through His Son’s finished work on the cross. This peace is the end result of an intense battle between evil forces of darkness that attempted to overcome the righteousness of the ‘Light of the world’, the Son of God on the cross and is eternal.
When King David wanted to build the Temple of God, Prophet Nathan stopped him for he could not build God’s house of Shalom, for his hands were covered with much blood of various wars (2 Samuel 7:13). His son Solomon finally built the Temple, for the peace of his time was marked by absence of war. As per Jewish legend, King David’s Temple would have been eternal, for it would have been the outcome of war and God could not permit that to be destroyed. Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and so was the one by Herod. David’s Great Son, the Messiah fought aggressively with the forces of evil for peace and this peace from the ‘Prince of Peace’ is eternal and cannot be snatched away. This perfection of peace is and cannot be from any individual but from God Himself.
Talmud, the Jewish Book of ceremonial law states that anyone who sees a kettle, or a river or a bird in a dream should expect to find shalom in his life. The three factors that prevent peace are jealousy, lust and arrogance, for these drive a wedge and destroy harmony in relationships. The pot uses the power of fire and water to cook for our sustenance without getting anything but blackening and burning, a real service without reward. A lustful individual seeks only his own joy and gratification with the only question, ‘what is in it for me?’ The pot is the exact opposite of this attitude. A river is also the opposite of jealousy, being beautiful and useful when staying within its limits but destructive on overflowing. Shalom comes from each person remaining in his place in the world while recognizing the contributions of others also. The bird teaches us the way to fight arrogance through its flexibility and lightness, to be ready and willing to make way for others and fly away. When we adopt an attitude of loving others as ourselves, as taught by our Saviour, we display the qualities of a kettle, the river and the bird in our lives and start enjoying the shalom of our Lord.
People greet each other wishing shalom, but in many this is limited only to a greeting with no meaning for their lives. It is for this reason that there is little peace in their hearts, for their interpretation of love of God teaches them to kill others who do not follow their version of God. Our shalom must be all encompassing and not exclusive. to have real meaning.
Why are King David and Jacob so blessed? King David carried out a census of the people to number his army, despite the advice of Joab, his army commanders and others. The anger of the LORD was aroused and He sent a plague on Israel that killed seventy thousand men. King David saw ‘the angel of the LORD who was striking the people’ (2 Samuel 24:17 & 24). And he then prayed to the LORD, ‘Surely, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and my father’s house’.
Gad the prophet then told David to erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Arauna the Jebusite, who offered not only the place but also the oxen and ‘threshing implements and the yokes of oxen for wood’ for the burnt sacrifices. David’s reply to Arauna shows us the way to live, worship and pray to God. He said, ‘No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which cost me nothing’. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. He then built an altar to the LORD, made offerings and the plague was withdrawn from Israel. David paid more than the value of the place, for he could understand that the Temple of God would be built at that same place later by his son Solomon.
When we receive a vision from God about something, how do we treat that and how do we try and fulfill that? Most people start looking towards God to make arrangements for its fulfillment, without any type of personal investment/commitment. And if we are denied permission to complete the assigned task, we simply turn away and look for the others to take up the work. King David was not going to get the Temple of God constructed yet he willingly made all arrangements for its smooth construction by Solomon. He also gave 3000 talents of gold of Ophir, the finest gold then available (110 tons) and seven thousand talents of refined silver (260 tons) for that. He urged the ‘nasi’ or the leaders of the people also to give generously.
As per Jewish legend the Temple was called Solomon’s Temple for it was made by his design and not exactly as per the design given by God. Despite all the negative events in his life, David remained fully committed to the LORD God. He had to flee from Jerusalem after Absalom, his son, rebelled against him. All of his people moved with David, and Zadok the priest also came with the Levites carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God (2 Samuel 15:25-26). David told them to go back, saying, ‘Carry the Ark of God back into the city. If I find favour in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place’. He surrendered himself completely to God willing to accept even his permanent exile from Jerusalem. David was called ‘man of God’s heart’ for he surrendered himself completely to follow the will of God under all circumstances.
While fleeing from Esau, his brother, to his mother’s people, Jacob saw in a dream a ladder set up on the earth with angels ‘ascending and descending on it’, with the LORD at the top (Genesis 28:12-15). He received the blessing from God with the assurance, ‘I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land’. Jacob’s name means ‘supplanter or deceiver’ and he always wanted to be what his elder brother Esau was and to receive his birthright with his own efforts. While returning back to the land, he was met by the angels of God at Mahanain (Genesis 32:1-2). Still he divided his camp, his livestock, wives and children into two groups, so that at least one will escape Esau.
He sent everyone across the brook Jabok but himself stayed back alone and wrestled the whole night with a Man, ‘the Angel of the Lord’ (Genesis 32:23-28). He continued the fight and would not let the Angel go, saying, ‘I will not let You go unless You bless me’. He was then blessed with the new name Israel, but only after the socket of his hip was put out of joint. He would not surrender to God in his heart but had to finally physically be forced to do so. The nation of Israel comprises the twelve tribes of the sons of Jacob. However, many times God referred to them as Jacob to identify their evil nature and the reason for punishment but immediately they are also called Israel to identify the expected change that God desires. God desires ‘to bring Jacob (the deceiver) back to Him, so that Israel shall be gathered to Him’, when they return to Him in repentance (Isaiah 49:5).
The prophecy is clear, ‘You (God) will give truth to Jacob’ and this is not about some facts being given but about his very being (Micah 7:20). Jacob could then understand his part in the plan of God, the very reason for the existence of the Israelites to be messengers of God to others in the world. Much of his life Jacob wrestled with the truth to understand his identity as being in the ‘image and likeness of God’. For it means the capacity to understand and discern one’s true identity and role. David could learn this in the wilderness as a shepherd and remained in that role as custodian of God’s people Israel. Once Jacob learnt this he could become Israel, a prince from a deceiver. Real peace in the life of both David and Jacob and our lives can only come when we can see our real face (real identity), real name (reason of my being) and blessing (the purpose of my life). Most people are struggling to understand this and are perpetually in a state of turmoil both inside and also outside, for they are never at peace with anyone.
Reasons for absence and the way into Shalom –Lord Jesus has taught, ‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). The two aspects of this statement reveal both the source of peace and tribulation. Our peace is ‘in Lord Jesus’ and not without Him for this is about our inner life. In His prayer to God the Father, Lord Jesus prayed, ‘the world has hated them because they are not of this world, just as I am not of the world’ (John 17:14—15). The Devil, who is the ‘god of this world’ is perpetually against the work of the kingdom of heaven and those connected to it. Then our Lord further prayed, ‘I do not pray that You (Father) should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one’. The evil one ‘comes to steal, and to kill and to destroy’ (John 10:10) and the prayer of our Saviour continues to protect us as Apostle Peter and others were from their ‘sifting as wheat’ during the sufferings, crucifiction and resurrection of the Lord (Luke 22:31).
The peace that we are given is peace with God for we are no longer in rebellion to God in our sinful ways but through forgiveness of sins we are reconciled to Him. The second is the peace of God that fills us so that we are more forgiving, slow to anger and not taking vengeance in our own hands. In this context then, the second part of our Lord’s warning is about our external life or that which is seen by others. Once our inner life is aligned to the Son of God, the visible part also starts changing.
On the Day of Pentecost the promised Helper, the Holy Spirit, who teaches us all things and the ways of harmonious living through understanding and abiding in the Words of our Lord, descended. The coming of the Holy Spirit was seen as ‘divided tongues, as of fire’ (Acts 2:3) and not in the form of a dove as on Lord Jesus at the times of His baptism (Matthew 3:16). The dove on the Son of God, the Prince of peace, is to reveal His work of bringing peace into hearts of all believers through His sacrifice. The tongues of fire on the disciples reveal the power of the Holy Spirit to burn out the impurities of their lives and transform them into what our Lord desires each one to be. The fire also empowers the word of their testimony to change the hearts of the hearers to turn to the Lord.
AS children of God we are to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord through obedience to His Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul warns, ‘those who are in the flesh cannot please God’ but we are blessed through the indwelling Holy Spirit to live in the Spirit (Romans 8:8). Lord Jesus’ call is to all of humanity, to all ‘who labour and are heavy laden (with the weight of their troubles and sorrows)’ to come to Him and be filled with His rest. He is willing but are we also ready to surrender to Him in this. Apostle Peter, who was always in the forefront to please His Lord, understood this clearly after denying and deserting Him but still reconciled to Him and by Him. He could declare and teach us to be at peace by, ‘casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7). He reveals God as a caring Father and our Good Shepherd, both, ensuring protection and provision for their family members, all believers. Secondly, when we leave our worries with them, the indwelling Holy Spirit helps us in finding ways in His power to emerge victorious.
David, the shepherd of the sheep, could relate to and praise the ‘Good Shepherd’ with an open declaration, ‘though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me’ (Psalm 23:4). We invite you to come to this great Shepherd, Lord Jesus, and place all your cares before His throne of grace and mercy and be filled with His peace and strength.
The Son of God suffered for all our sins on His body on the cross and even God the Father as Judge, turned His face from His Son due to our sins. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us to set us free from its clutches. He suffered great turmoil to bless us with His peace and restoration of our relationship with God. Surrendering to His Divine control, we enter into the state of great blessings in Him for He has a wonderful and great plan for each one of us, His children. Our peace and joy in Him is restricted to this life only but extends into eternal life in and with Him. We step forward, believe and receive in faith all that He desires to give us in His grace and mercy.
