Peace On Earth ---What is the Hebrew Meaning of Peace?

There seems to be a contradiction in the Bible when Jesus was born the angels said, “Peace on Earth good will toward men Luke 2:14.” But then Jesus said this: Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34. We also see several examples in the Old Testament where God actually wanted the enemies of Israel destroyed who were passing their children through the fire as a sacrifice.

I heard a sermon yesterday about the world “Shalom”  He was talking about Star Trek where Leonard Nimoy made a Vulcan hand sign of “Live long and prosper” which was taken partially from a Rabbi giving a blessing at his synagogue.  If we keep with the Hebrew definition of peace than we see that peace is not a land in tranquility, but more like John the apostle wrote which is a wholeness of soul (mind, will and emotions) and body.

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

“When we hear the word peace we usually associate this to mean an absence of war or strife but, the Hebrew meaning of the word shalom has a very different meaning. The verb form of the root word is shalam and is usually used in the context of making restitution. When a person has caused another to become deficient in some way, such as a loss of livestock, it is the responsibility of the person who created the deficiency to restore what has been taken, lost or stolen. The verb shalam literally means to make whole or complete. The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of being in a state of wholeness or with no deficiency. The common phrase shalu shalom yerushalayim (pray for the peace of Jerusalem) is not speaking about an absence of war (though that is part of it) but that Jerusalem (and by extension all of Israel) is complete and whole and goes far beyond the idea of 'peace.'"

What does grieve like the rest of men mean?  (Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 1 Thess. 4:1)

Jesus pissed and took a dump like the rest of men, he got tired (fell asleep in the boat) like the rest of men do, he cried at the tomb of Lazarus…maybe not like many men who not want to be seen crying in public, he got angry at the money changers, and he got hungry like the rest of men.  The Christmas song “Away in the Manger “no crying the baby Jesus makes” is not true.  Jesus was human.

As Christians we can expect a certain amount of hostility in this world when we strive against sin.  The biggest guilt trip the enemy had been throwing at me lately, is guilt on going through grief during the holidays.   Going on year five has been very hard in spousal loss.  But then I looked in the Bible at the patriarchs and I saw how Abraham and Jacob had a hard time after the loss of their wives, and I felt literally Satan leave me.  He took his guilt and condemnation with him too.  Abraham had a lot more faith than I did, but he struggled when he got remarried with his new wife.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Hebrews 12:4

As a Christian, I get beat over the head all the time about my flaws.  There is something I heard one time that if we are not resisting temptation (this hostility with the world), than we just “give in.” So it’s a constant struggle in life to not give into what everyone else is doing in life to take the road less traveled in life.

You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. James 4:4

Friendship with the world is not cutting out unbelievers from our life, it’s a general attitude in going along with this world’s way of thinking.  As Christians we are given this promise:

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Philip 1:21

Losing a loved one, we don’t have to feel guilty about missing them, we realize that they have gained, and now we have to find the purpose that God has for us in the absence of our spouse.  

I heard a good teaching on “steps.”  God has our blessing, it’s the steps we need to take to get to our blessing.  I had a prophesy from God, not to rush the last step of my life, like I ran down my stairs and missed a step and broke my ankle.  Like Jesus, I am trying to walk in step with what the Holy Spirit has for me (walk in tune with God’s voice) in this life and what the calling God has for me.  For a while my husband was plowing the same field, but he was taken and I was left.  It’s sort of like the rapture.  It hurt my peace of mind in life.

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

A person's steps are directed by the Lord, and the Lord delights in his way. Pslam 37:23

That night two people will be asleep in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left." Luke 17:34-35

I believe that guilt and condemnation come in when we are trying to achieve something that we are incapable of achieving.  I am trying to overcome grief and depression on my own strength so I come into condemnation that I am not measuring up to being an overcomer.   The answer to “peace” is realizing that Jesus is our peace.  The chastisement of our grief, depression, sicknesses and mental torment is laid on Jesus, he took that for us so we don’t have to bear it in this world.

Coming into that victory is coming into alignment that Jesus took that for us.  Satan left the oppression over my mind, because he was trying to get me to bear it.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

I believe many Christians get under condemnation when we struggle against sin and fail to recognize that it’s Christ in us the hope of glory.  God enables us and give us the strength to accomplish tasks in life and when we fall short of the glory of God we get in condemnation because the battle is not ours---it’s Christ within us and tapping into the vine (Jesus) inside of us.  It’s getting out of the “me” and realizing that it’s “we”-----we are co-laborers in this struggle in life together.  Christ has already walked the perfect walk for me.

For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. Philip 2:13