Covenant of Peace - Part 2
We are continuing our study on peace today.
Yesterday we ended our conversation by saying that it requires great faith to live. Now why would I make such a statement? This world system is under the dominion of satan. We live in this earth, which is mainly operated through the world system. We are operating through the Word system, God’s method of operation, God’s way of doing things, God’s way of thinking. His thinking in counter to the way the world thinks and does things. And that is where we run into so much resistance and so much pressure from the world to do things the world’s ways. Even our Christian brothers and sisters sometimes, out of their concern for us, want us to do things the world’s way. The world’s way is quicker and puts a band-aid on the problem immediately. God’s Word way gets to the root of the problem and permanently heals it. No band-aids allowed in God’s world. We don’t need them.
Let’s continue talking about God’s covenant of peace. He says it won’t be removed. Covenant is forever. Once a covenant is made with someone else, it is a forever connection, a forever binding between two people and all those who come after them in the generations to come. It is not a lightweight agreement. It is a forever agreement. It is not a contract with loopholes. It is forever.
Concerning the covenant of peace, I think the Lord says it best in Jeremiah 31:3. Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you. He draws us through His agape-hesed love to Himself so that His peace can become a part of us. When we know how much He loves us, we will not question His care for us in all situations, regardless of how impossible they may be to resolve. All things are possible with God. And all things are possible to those who believe. Believe, and receive.
The Old Testament word for peace is shalom. What an abundance of words are listed in the Hebrew-Greek Study Bible for shalom, which originates from shalam. First let’s look at the original word shalam---to be whole, to be sound, be safe, to be uninjured, to keep safe, to make secure, to be peaceful, to live in harmony with God, to be complete, finished. “The principal meaning of shalam is completion and fulfillment. It is the desirable state of wholeness in which relationships are restored.”
Now let’s look at shalom: health, security, tranquility, good condition, success, comfort, well, peaceful, whole, secure, safe, happy, friendly, healthy, sound, wholeness, safety, soundness, health. “Shalom is clearly depicted as a satisfied condition, an unconcerned state of peacefulness, on the part of Abraham’s ancestors. It is a sense of well being. In Gen. 26:29 it means to be unharmed or unhurt. …And so, shalom is a harmonious state of soul and mind, both externally and internally. …Though shalom can mean the absence of strife, it usually is much more. It expresses completeness, harmony, and fulfillment. To wish one shalom implies a blessing, but to withhold it implies a curse.”
Let’s look once again in the New Testament and close our Pearls with these scriptures.
Philippians 4:6,7 we are told not to fret or have any anxiety about anything and the result will be this. The peace of God that passes our human understanding will guard us, keep our hearts and minds calm. Remember that great peace have those who keep their hearts and minds stayed on Him. This is an exercise of our will, our decision-making mechanism, our choice maker.
Once again, in Colossians 3:15 we are told to let the peace of God rule in our hearts, staying in a peaceful state.
I Peter 3:11 tells us to seek peace, to pursue it, not just to desire it but to go after peace with everything in us.
And then in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 we are told that the very God of peace will sanctify us through and through. He will set us apart for Himself. He will separate us from the things that are not of peace so that our spirits, souls and bodies are whole and preserved (kept from destruction, kept intact, which is untouched by anything that harms, left complete and entire) and found filled up with no part lacking, free from impurity.
I don’t know about you, but I am going to pursue peace with everything that is in me. I challenge you to do the same.
Yesterday we ended our conversation by saying that it requires great faith to live. Now why would I make such a statement? This world system is under the dominion of satan. We live in this earth, which is mainly operated through the world system. We are operating through the Word system, God’s method of operation, God’s way of doing things, God’s way of thinking. His thinking in counter to the way the world thinks and does things. And that is where we run into so much resistance and so much pressure from the world to do things the world’s ways. Even our Christian brothers and sisters sometimes, out of their concern for us, want us to do things the world’s way. The world’s way is quicker and puts a band-aid on the problem immediately. God’s Word way gets to the root of the problem and permanently heals it. No band-aids allowed in God’s world. We don’t need them.
Let’s continue talking about God’s covenant of peace. He says it won’t be removed. Covenant is forever. Once a covenant is made with someone else, it is a forever connection, a forever binding between two people and all those who come after them in the generations to come. It is not a lightweight agreement. It is a forever agreement. It is not a contract with loopholes. It is forever.
Concerning the covenant of peace, I think the Lord says it best in Jeremiah 31:3. Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you. He draws us through His agape-hesed love to Himself so that His peace can become a part of us. When we know how much He loves us, we will not question His care for us in all situations, regardless of how impossible they may be to resolve. All things are possible with God. And all things are possible to those who believe. Believe, and receive.
The Old Testament word for peace is shalom. What an abundance of words are listed in the Hebrew-Greek Study Bible for shalom, which originates from shalam. First let’s look at the original word shalam---to be whole, to be sound, be safe, to be uninjured, to keep safe, to make secure, to be peaceful, to live in harmony with God, to be complete, finished. “The principal meaning of shalam is completion and fulfillment. It is the desirable state of wholeness in which relationships are restored.”
Now let’s look at shalom: health, security, tranquility, good condition, success, comfort, well, peaceful, whole, secure, safe, happy, friendly, healthy, sound, wholeness, safety, soundness, health. “Shalom is clearly depicted as a satisfied condition, an unconcerned state of peacefulness, on the part of Abraham’s ancestors. It is a sense of well being. In Gen. 26:29 it means to be unharmed or unhurt. …And so, shalom is a harmonious state of soul and mind, both externally and internally. …Though shalom can mean the absence of strife, it usually is much more. It expresses completeness, harmony, and fulfillment. To wish one shalom implies a blessing, but to withhold it implies a curse.”
Let’s look once again in the New Testament and close our Pearls with these scriptures.
Philippians 4:6,7 we are told not to fret or have any anxiety about anything and the result will be this. The peace of God that passes our human understanding will guard us, keep our hearts and minds calm. Remember that great peace have those who keep their hearts and minds stayed on Him. This is an exercise of our will, our decision-making mechanism, our choice maker.
Once again, in Colossians 3:15 we are told to let the peace of God rule in our hearts, staying in a peaceful state.
I Peter 3:11 tells us to seek peace, to pursue it, not just to desire it but to go after peace with everything in us.
And then in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 we are told that the very God of peace will sanctify us through and through. He will set us apart for Himself. He will separate us from the things that are not of peace so that our spirits, souls and bodies are whole and preserved (kept from destruction, kept intact, which is untouched by anything that harms, left complete and entire) and found filled up with no part lacking, free from impurity.
I don’t know about you, but I am going to pursue peace with everything that is in me. I challenge you to do the same.
posted by Rev. Kialeen Potterton @ 4:06 PM
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