I love Psalm 34:14 “seek shalom and pursue it” This word Shalom, it is such a wonderful word, it is significantly bigger meaning than it first appears as the ‘absence of war’ or when we think in modern Israeli terms of ‘hello’ & ‘goodbye.
For Shalom is something we need to pursue, not just standing back and letting it happen, but chasing it. Yeshua said “Blessed are the Shalom makers, for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9. It is then that we are His sons and daughters.
Scripture, I perceive connects four thoughts with Shalom: trust, righteousness, justice and wisdom, for each one is connected to Shalom:
1. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusted in You.” The Hebrew behind “perfect peace” is “Shalom Shalom”. To obtain God’s full and perfect Shalom, we ought to remain waiting and meditating on what He has declared in His Word, who He is and what He is doing. This will quieten our minds from the busyness of life and the troubles we have in it. By submitting our minds to trust in what God is doing even in our day and in our lives.
2. Isaiah 32:17 “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness, quietness and confidence forever.” The words: work and effect are synonyms meaning that shalom is the result of righteousness, as are an enduring rest and confidence, because of the Lord’s doing. And as the next verse teaches, this brings shalom at home.
3. Isaiah 59:8 “The way of peace they know not; and there is no justice in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goes therein does not know peace.” Here the prophet connects peace and justice, not just for us but also for leaders; both Israel’s and ours we all need the conviction that peace and justice go hand in hand.
4. James 3:17 “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without variance, without hypocrisy.” James seems to summarise how to obtain that kind of Shalom: we must trust in God, seek His wisdom, and do what is right in pursuit of justice, and obtain & apply the truth in Mercy.
By trusting in God, walking in the Spirit we will as the apostle Paul declared in Galatians 5:22, we will obtain “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, shalom, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness”. This will be manifested in our lives when we seek & pursue it.
Then we can have that Shalom of and with God, because we did our bit, and we can be confident that He will do His bit, or give us that understanding, that we need to know that His thoughts are higher than ours. Therefore we “are anxious in nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the shalom of God, which passes all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Messiah Yeshua.” Philippians 4:6-7
So we get this Shalom from God because we allowing our mind to stay on Him, through prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving, as an act of worship, by meditating on His Word. Not man’s peace (the absence of war) but the shalom that shall surpass all understanding. As such this shall protect your hearts and minds. This is the strength we have in God. Not our own strength and ability. It is given to those that are in Messiah Yeshua.
That promise of Shalom as a gift to us was given by Messiah Yeshua in John 14:27 “Shalom I leave with you; My Shalom I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.” This is the true Shalom that we should pursue; the Shalom from God through and in Yeshua, and not just for us, we need to pass this on to all we come in contact with.
This Peace is brought to us, whether we are Jews or Gentiles through faith in Yeshua. I do not need to remind you of one of the titles of Messiah, namely “Prince of Peace” – “Sar Shalom” Isaiah 9:6. How did He bring us this shalom? “The chastisement of our peace was upon him.” Isaiah 53:5, Friends, we can walk in this peace if we know Him!
Finally can I spur us on to pray for Israel, that despite the obstacles they face, that they may find True Shalom in Messiah by trusting in Him, by walking in righteousness, by pursuing justice and obtaining the wisdom that comes from God above.
Shalom in Messiah
Paul Cohen
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