What does Jehovah Shalom mean?

Jehovah Shalom

Jehovah Shalom means “The Lord is Peace” or “The Lord Is Our Peace.” It is one of the many names for God in the Bible. We find it in Judges 6:24 in connection with the story of Gideon.

Jehovah Shalom and Gideon

The book of Judges tells of the days when the children of Israel were just settling into the “Promised Land.” The surrounding peoples resisted the Israelites moving in. And the Israelites, themselves, found it difficult to always trust God and remain faithful to Him.

Too often, they let their pagan neighbors lead them into idolatry and turn them away from serving the God of heaven. As Judges 21:25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

From time to time, a leader—called a “judge”— would arise to call the people back to God. But before long, the Israelites would turn again to the false gods of the people around them.

Because of their sins, they forfeited God’s protecting care, and their neighbors often made war against the Israelites and oppressed them. Their lives were filled with anxiety, suffering, and all kinds of problems, both personally and as a community. In short, it was anything but a peaceful time for the Israelites.

Gideon was one of the judges whom God raised up to bring His people back to Him. At this particular time, the Midianites were attacking Israel, taking their flocks and harvests, filling them with fear, distress, and uncertainty about the future.

Many of the Israelites were cowering in caves and the mountains from fear of their enemies (Judges 6:2, 3). Gideon was threshing wheat in a secluded place, trying to keep it from being found and taken by the Midianites when the Lord appeared to him and called him to deliver His people from their tormentors (verses 11-14). When Gideon realized it was God speaking with him, he feared for his life.

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.’ So Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it The-Lord-Is-Peace [Jehovah Shalom]” (verses 23, 24).

At a time when there was no peace in Israel or in people’s hearts, God came offering relief from their troubles. Gideon’s story is a remarkable reminder that no matter how difficult life may become, God can bring peace into our lives when we trust Him and follow His plan for us.

It took Gideon a while to believe that God could really use him to deliver Israel. Their enemies, the Midianites, were much more numerous and powerful. But when Gideon placed himself in God’s hands, the Lord gave the Israelites an amazing victory over their enemies and restored peace. Gideon found God to truly be Jehovah Shalom—the “Lord Who Is Our Peace.”

Jehovah Shalom and you

Today, God still brings peace into troubled hearts. He is still Jehovah Shalom—the “Lord Is Our Peace.” The story of Gideon tells you that when your life is all upset—in your times of greatest distress—that is when God often brings peace and relief. And He will bring you peace if you trust Him and let Him carry out His plan for your life. That was true for Gideon, and it is true for you today. God is Jehovah Shalom.

What the Bible says about the peace God offers

1. There is no real peace apart from God. “The wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest. . . . ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’ ” (Isaiah 57:20, 21). The wicked have no peace because they will not trust Jehovah Shalom—the “God of Peace.” When troubles come, they have only themselves to rely on—and there is no peace there.
2. God does not promise us freedom from trouble, but He does promise us His peace that will give us the ability to deal with the troubles we experience. Jesus said, “These things have I 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). Jesus is victorious over sin and the troubles that sin causes. And if we place our hand in His, through His strength we can overcome and experience the peace He offers.
3. The peace that Jesus gives frees us from fear and worry. His peace “rules” in our lives. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). “Let the peace of God rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15).
4. Trusting God will bring a richness of peace into our lives. “You [God] will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah 26:3). “Great peace have those who love Your law. And nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165).
5. Jesus and His salvation are the source of our peace. “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we are covered with the righteousness of Jesus—this is the greatest blessing of the peace that Jesus gives.

The peace that is beyond our understanding

There is a richness to the peace that God gives us that we can never fully understand. But we can experience it. The apostle Paul wrote, “Be anxious for nothing. . . the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6, 7). Whatever you are facing in life right now, God says to you as He said to Gideon, “Peace be with you; do not fear” (Judges 6:23). He is Jehovah Shalom—the “Lord Is Our Peace.”