We say it often, and Yahushua said the word quite a bit. He actually greeted His disciples several times by saying "Shalom aleichem," meaning, "Peace be unto you."
In John 16:32-33, Yahushua said:
John 16:32 - Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
HalleluYah. Words of shalom. In Messiah and in His words, we do have peace, shalom. While the world chases its own things that do not bring peace, we who know Yahushua are the only ones truly able to receive the peace that the world seeks.
We are the only ones able to experience the peace that this world is seeking in so many ways. The world, while it does seek to entangle us with its turmoil, in Yahushua and in His words we do have shalom.
Shalom is the Hebrew word most commonly translated "peace," but it actually means much more. According to the theological word book of the Old Testament, the word "shalom" means as follows. It says the general meaning behind the root of shalom is of completion and fulfillment, of entering into a state of wholeness and unity, a restored relationship.
Sin has caused the relationship between us and our heavenly Father, the most important relationship there is, sin has caused a broken relationship. But in Messiah, we are able to experience a restored relationship. What a blessing, a total peace, a total wholeness, a total unity, a total completion and fulfillment and a restored relationship.
That's what this world needs, brethren. They need a restored relationship with Yahweh. They don't need a religion. They need a relationship that can be totally restored in Messiah.
Many do seek shalom in their lives. The world seeks it diligently, but in all the wrong places, and they will often marvel at those who do possess it.
The truth is shalom is something only a believer in Yahweh can possess, because there is no shalom unless we first have shalom between us and Yahweh. Yahweh is the source of shalom and order. Unless we are in submission to Yahweh in our hearts, we will not have shalom.
In the Torah, we read about one of the things reaped from sin. One of the curses of sin, in Deuteronomy 28:66-67:
Deuteronomy 28:66 - And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:
Deuteronomy 28:67 - In the morning thou shalt say, Would Elohim it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would Elohim it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Clearly, this is a picture of a person who lacks shalom in their life, who lacks unity, wholeness, fulfillment, completion. Yahweh says that sin creates this kind of a condition, where we're never satisfied.
We are told, though, that we need to seek shalom.
Psalms 34:13 - Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Psalms 34:14 - Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psalms 34:15 - The eyes of YAHWEH are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psalms 34:16 - The face of YAHWEH is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psalms 34:17 - The righteous cry, and YAHWEH heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psalms 34:18 - YAHWEH is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psalms 34:19 - Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but YAHWEH delivereth him out of them all.
Do we catch that, brethren? Even though we do have the shalom of Yahweh, many are the afflictions of the righteous. We will suffer affliction. We will go through trials and tribulations. We will face opposition in this life, but we have a promise: Yahweh deliver us out of them all. That we can believe, that we can trust, that we can set our hope in.
Every one of us experiences difficulties, challenges, tribulations, trials. Don't think it strange, because we all face them, but Yahweh delivers us out of them all. HalleluYah. What a blessing.
2Timothy 2:22 - Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on YAHWEH out of a pure heart.
So we're called to share this together with those that call upon Yahweh out of a pure heart, follow righteousness, follow faith, follow charity, follow shalom and flee youthful lusts, with others that call on Yahweh out of a pure heart. HalleluYah. Yahweh promises to give us shalom.
Psalms 29:11 - YAHWEH will give strength unto his people; YAHWEH will bless his people with peace.
There's a promise for you. You ever feel times where you could really use some strength and some peace? A lot of times, that's what people pray for. Whenever we get prayer requests, a lot of times we'll hear people that desire strength and shalom.
Yahweh will give strength to His people. Yahweh will bless His people with shalom. Peace is a great blessing. How can someone receive this peace?
Shalom is promised to those who keep their heart, soul and mind upon Yahweh.
Isaiah 26:3 - Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:4 - Trust ye in YAHWEH for ever: for in YAH YAHWEH is everlasting strength:
Strength and shalom all based on trust. When we keep our mind focused on Yahweh, Yahweh will keep us in perfect peace.
It's when we look around at the waves around us, when we begin to behold other things, and don't keep our eyes on the Messiah, who is calling us to do awesome and wonderful things--we may even have to walk on water--but when we keep our eyes and mind and focus on Him, because we trust in Him, then He will keep us in perfect peace.
Psalms 4:5 - Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in YAHWEH.
Psalms 4:6 - There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? YAHWEH, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Psalms 4:7 - Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
Psalms 4:8 - I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, YAHWEH, only makest me dwell in safety.
When we trust, we have no inner turmoil, and we have no fear, for we know that Yahweh is in control of our lives. We have submitted ourselves to His care. To those who love His Torah, there is a promise:
Psalms 119:165 - Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.
Another translation would be, "Nothing would cause them to stumble."
We need to have a love for the law of Yahweh, and great peace will be ours, and we will not be caused to stumble.
Proverbs 3:13 - Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Proverbs 3:14 - For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
Proverbs 3:15 - She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Proverbs 3:16 - Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
Proverbs 3:17 - Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
All her paths are indeed peace, shalom, and pleasantness.
Proverbs 3:18 - She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.
As we shared recently, Yahweh says the Torah is our wisdom, and so we receive wisdom through our love for wisdom, our love for His law, our love for His Torah.
Deuteronomy 4:6 - Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
Isaiah 48:17 - Thus saith YAHWEH, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am YAHWEH thy Elohim which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.
Isaiah 48:18 - O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea:
Brethren, it's when one's mind strays from the wisdom of Yahweh, from the Torah of Yahweh, from Yahweh Himself, and begin to walk in fear, and in the ways of the world, and in doubt that we lose shalom. That's when shalom is lost.
But one doesn't have to continue going that way. We do have a way of reconciliation. In the same way that knowledge of righteousness from the teaching of Yahweh and the Torah and the commandments, His law brings us peace.
Yahushua the Messiah, who is the Living Word, the Living Torah made flesh, which dwelt among us, which brings us the righteousness we need to be at peace with Yahweh, Yahushua the Messiah also brings us peace.
If we consider all the turmoil, strife, and everything that the world glorifies, this is awesome news. This is really good news.
Isaiah 52:7 - How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy Elohim reigneth!
Before Yahushua came, there was John the Baptist. He guided the feet of his followers into the way of shalom, as his father prophesied about him.
Luke 1:76 - And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of YAHWEH to prepare his ways;
Luke 1:77 - To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Luke 1:78 - Through the tender mercy of our Elohim; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
Luke 1:79 - To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Concerning Yahushua, who was born six months later, it was said:
Luke 2:11 - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is the Messiah the Sovereign.
Luke 2:12 - And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Luke 2:13 - And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising YAHWEH, and saying,
Luke 2:14 - Glory to YAHWEH in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
With Yahushua, we can believe that His mercy is ever upon us through our repentance and faith in Him, bringing shalom between us and Yahweh, a restored relationship.
Some think, "I've gone too far from His paths. I've fallen out of favor with Him. Maybe I committed the unpardonable sin."
They lack shalom within them, and their life hangs in doubt before them. But if such a one would only turn back to Yahweh again, and begin walking in the way of righteousness again, and seek Yahweh's cleansing and strength again, and seek to serve Yahweh faithfully from that day forward in Messiah, we know such a person can look back at that dark time in their life as a mere bump in the road.
Unless one chooses to start walking the right path again, the way and the things they've said may indeed be true. We have a choice every day what path we will tread, which path we will follow. As long as our heart beats and we have a desire, we have the opportunity to receive the mercy of Yahweh through our repentance and faith in the Messiah, Yahushua.
You don't have to worry, because if you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit, Yahweh's Spirit is not going to draw you. You're not going to have a desire. You can't come to the Father unless the Father draws us. If we have blasphemed the Spirit of Yahweh, we won't have a desire, and the Father will not draw us, and so we don't have to worry about that. As long as we have a desire to turn to the right path again, we have the opportunity to receive His mercy.
Psalms 103:11 - For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
We never want to underestimate the mercy of Yahweh. He expects us to forgive one another many, many times, 70 times 7. Do we believe He wants our mercy to ever exceed His? But there is power in the blood of the Lamb, and He can cause us to be so clean, it will be as though we had never sinned.
Someone says, "But I have so many difficulties overcoming this thing."
1John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We must believe 1 John 1:9, that He is faithful and just to forgive us. We must believe these glad tidings. When we truly, finally, truly from the heart believe in the Good News, we turn away from sin, committing our hearts to not turn to the right or left, and trusting in the Good News of His mercy through Yahushua our Master, we have to believe the Good News.
When we believe it, then the shalom will come. We have to believe it. The shalom will come by faith. Yahushua said the peacemakers are blessed.
Matthew 5:9 - Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of YAHWEH.
When we bring Yahushua to the nations, to our families and all we know, we're peacemakers. We're peacemakers, because we're bringing peace between Yahweh and our fellow man. When you bring peace between another person and Yahweh, you're also bringing peace between you and that other person.
It's sin that causes division between us and Yahweh. It's sin that causes division between man and man. Were it not for sin, we would all be at peace with each other, because we would all be at peace with Yahweh.
Many seek unity and shalom--and that's a good thing to seek--but if every one of us focus on shalom with Yahweh, the shalom with each other will automatically come.
Yahushua brings us truth and shalom. He brings it to all who will receive Him. But those who reject Him, there is no shalom. In another sense, Yahushua also brings division. When we were in Yahushua, peace will not truly exist between us and the world.
There will be more division between us and the world. In fact, He said, "Don't even think I came to bring peace."
What He meant by that was that when we receive Him and become at peace with Yahweh, we automatically become at variance with the world.
The world can have unity with each other, but it's not a holy unity. The enemy, Yahushua said, if the enemy was divided against himself, his kingdom wouldn't stand.
They do have a kind of unity to do wrong, evil. Otherwise, it wouldn't be of any use at all. Between us and the world, and those who follow the enemy, there is no peace. Yet, we still possess peace. We possess peace from Yahweh that passes all understanding, passes all knowledge.
Colossians 3:14 - And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Colossians 3:15 - And let the peace of Elohim rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
We need to continually let the peace of Yahweh rule in our hearts, even as we are at variance with the world. Be thankful for the things He's done. Sometimes our fears and trials will test our faith and get in the way of keeping His shalom.
If we have faith in Yahweh, and walk in His ways, and keep our mind focused on Him and His Word, we will remain in His shalom.
To truly have His shalom in our hearts, we need to set our hearts and minds on spiritual things, not on the things of this world, but on spiritual things.
Romans 8:6 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
If we spend our time focused on things of this world, whether it be the news--what they ought to put on the websites about the news media, they ought to put a title at the top that says, "The Bad News."
When you look down through the headlines, it's one bad news after another. The world has a tendency to bring things to us that are not good, things that will not give us shalom. We can become depressed.
The latest thing is swine flu. The latest thing everybody has to be afraid of now and walk in fear and dread and horror, lose their peace over is the swine flu. How about we just focus on Yahweh? How about we just not worry about our life?
Let's focus on Yahweh, and Yahweh can protect us from the swine flu. I think the world may be a little too worried, because they may have to kill all the swine. Maybe that would be a good thing. But if we're focused on sin, focused on the fears of this age, we're going to be carnally minded and lose the peace of Yahweh.
The world wants us to focus on sin, because sin is the world's focus. The news is just one story after another of how sinners sin and why we need to be afraid.
But the Good News of Yahushua is why we should not fear those who kill the body, fear death, and be brought under bondage through fear of death.
The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom, and the wisdom we receive brings life, not death, and peace, shalom. The wisdom of Yahweh is found in His Word, and we know Yahushua is the Living Word, and so He can bring peace.
Life and peace are a whole lot better, so let's take hold and put on the new man.
Romans 8:6 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:7 - Because the carnal mind is enmity against YAHWEH: for it is not subject to the law of YAHWEH, neither indeed can be.
The old man, who does not seek to be subject to the law of Yahweh, was put to death when we received Yahushua the Messiah. In Yahushua, the new man reigns and lives in us. It's no longer we who live; it's Messiah who lives in us.
Yahushua Himself was subject to the law of Yahweh; therefore, He will do those works in us that He did when He was on the earth. He will keep the Torah in us, as we have the spiritual mind subject to His Torah to bring us life and bring us shalom.
Colossians 3:1 - If ye then be risen with the Messiah, seek those things which are above, where the Messiah sitteth on the right hand of YAHWEH.
Colossians 3:2 - Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
On the things above, where righteousness dwells.
2Peter 3:13 - Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
2Peter 3:14 - Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;
There's a connection between shalom and being without spot and blameless. Righteousness and peace go hand-in-hand. Unrighteousness, sin and disorder and division are also companions.
Let's be diligent to be found by Him in shalom in no matter circumstance we're in. If we were to die at that moment, or if Yahushua was to come at that moment, will we be found by Him in shalom, without spot and blameless?
If we look forward to the new heavens and earth, where righteousness dwells, and that is our focus, looking forward to these things, being diligent to be found by Him in shalom because we're seeking the things which are above, not on the things of the earth, our affections are on the things above, not on the things of the earth, we're spiritually-minded, subject to the law of Yahweh, not carnally minded, which is not subject to the Torah, we can be found >>
Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Galatians 5:23 - gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
There is no Torah against these things. The keeping of the Torah brings about these things. Peace really can only come through righteousness, by His Spirit. It is the Spirit of Yahweh that leads us to walk in righteousness.
Ezekiel 36:27 - And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
The peace will come when we walk in the statutes and commandments of Yahweh. The peace will come when we, through faith, believe Yahweh places His righteousness upon us through Yahushua.
Peace will come through righteousness. Righteousness brings the restored relationship. The reconciliation--we need to be reconciled to Yahweh. Isn't that a beautiful word? Reconciled. I love that word.
2Thessalonians 3:16 - Now the Elohim of peace himself give you peace always by all means. YAHWEH be with you all.
Beautiful. But to the wicked and unforgiven:
Isaiah 57:20 - But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
Isaiah 57:21 - There is no peace, saith my Elohim, to the wicked.
Indeed, since the wicked do not seek that reconciled relationship, that restored relationship through Yahushua the Messiah, they choose not to turn to righteousness through Yahushua the Messiah, they choose not to turn away from their unrighteousness, there is no peace.
Yahushua brings peace, and He left His peace with His disciples.
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Yahushua left His peace with His disciples, and He brought it again in John 20:19 when He was resurrected.
John 20:19 - Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Yahushua and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
"Shalom aleichem, peace be unto you." Can you imagine what they were thinking at that moment? All of a sudden, they're locked in this room, and Yahushua stands in the midst and says, "Shalom aleichem."
I found it very true, Yahushua does not give peace like the world gives. He gives peace beyond understanding. There is an important principle we need to follow: we need to keep our mind stayed on Him and His Word and not fear.
Are we anxious, brethren? The King James has "careful." To be anxious is to be worried. Are we worried about something? We don't have to be. We pray, give thanks, let our requests be made known to Elohim, and we let it go. The peace of Elohim which surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts.
We don't have any need to be anxious. Our requests are known to Yahweh. He knows them. He's the most powerful Being in the universe. Whatever situation we're in, we don't have to worry. Yahweh is in control--not man, not Satan.
We don't have to worry about Satan, what he's going to do next, what rock he's hiding under every day, where he's going to come from behind the bush and scare us.
We don't have to worry. We have to be on guard, but we don't have to worry. Yahweh is in control. Satan would like us to fear him instead, but we're called to fear Yahweh.
We need to let our prayers be given with thankfulness for all that Yahweh has already done. Just trust Him. Trust Him. He's the most powerful Being in the universe. Is there anything He can't do? Consider the lilies.
But beware of the alternative. Going our own way will not bring peace. It might look so on the surface at first. It might look like it does, but it doesn't. The world thinks it will have peace, but it doesn't.
Romans 3:16 - Destruction and misery are in their ways:
Romans 3:17 - And the way of peace have they not known:
When they finally declare, finally stand up in some corner of the world and say, "We have peace, we have safety," look out.
1Thessalonians 5:3 - For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
They are trying to bring peace. They have their peace plans. They have their peacemakers, but they don't realize unless we're at peace with Yahweh, there is no peace. They don't realize we're created with a need that only Yahweh can fill. Only His peace is true peace.
They'll try to fill it with money, drugs, drinking, or fleshly pleasures, or maybe a home, maybe a husband or wife, maybe even a congregation, pastor, or some man somewhere. But temporary things can only bring temporary peace.
Only Yahweh can bring an eternal, true, genuine peace. Everything else is a counterfeit. Only Yahweh can bring a righteous peace that lasts throughout all eternity, because He is eternal. He is the Eternal One.
Everything in this world, look at everything around you--in your room, outside--everything you see is all temporary. It's all temporary. Even you in your flesh are temporary. In Yahweh, we will endure forever, but everything else is temporary.
James 4:14 - whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
What is our life? What is our life? It's just a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. If we seek eternity, brethren, we need to seek to be filled with the Eternal One, the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 - For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty El, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
The Prince of Peace is Yahushua the Messiah, through whom we can have righteousness and, therefore, salvation and a restored relationship with Yahweh, by His mercy.
Psalms 85:7 - Shew us thy mercy, O YAHWEH, and grant us thy salvation.
Psalms 85:8 - I will hear what El YAHWEH will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
Psalms 85:9 - Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
Psalms 85:10 - Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Beautiful. Righteousness and peace go hand-in-hand. Let's not turn again to folly, brethren. Let's seek to always remain on the road of righteousness, for righteousness and peace not only goes hand-in-hand; mercy and truth are met together.
When we have salvation through Yahushua the Messiah, mercy and truth, righteousness and peace--a beautiful picture.
You read in the scriptures, Yahushua is the brightness of the glory of Yahweh.
Hebrews 1:3 - who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
It's talking about Yahushua here. When Yahweh's righteousness is dwelling in us, through Yahushua dwelling in us, the brightness of Yahweh's glory also shines in our hearts.
Psalms 80:3 - Turn us again, O Elohim, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
The brightness of the glory of Yahweh.
2Corinthians 4:6 - For YAHWEH, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of YAHWEH in the face of Yahushua the Messiah.
Cause His face to shine. Therefore, this Shabbat, my brethren, may this blessing be upon us and our children.
Numbers 6:24 - YAHWEH bless thee, and keep thee:
Numbers 6:25 - YAHWEH make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
Do we get this? Yahushua is in this blessing. A revelation would cause us to understand that Yahweh blesses us and keeps us by the brightness of His glory, Yahushua the Messiah shining upon us, giving us grace, mercy. And when His face shines upon us, we are saved.
Psalms 80:3 - Turn us again, O Elohim, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.
Numbers 6:26 - YAHWEH lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
The ultimate goal, the culmination: give us shalom. Therefore, we receive His shalom, because the plan of salvation is in this blessing, if we can read it between the words.
Numbers 6:27 - And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
In this, the name of Yahweh is upon us, written on our foreheads. Truly, the shalom and peace that passes all understanding is upon us. In that, we are truly blessed. That's the blessing we need to seek. Let's seek that blessing.
Let's seek the shalom of Yahweh, and let's walk in the shalom of Yahweh. Please don't hide it. Share the shalom of Yahweh with all that you know.
May Yahweh bless you and may Yahweh have mercy on us all.
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