God’s Name Is Peace
Yael Eckstein | November 21, 2022
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace. —Judges 6:24
Peace, shalom, is a paramount value for both Christians and Jews. Explore this elusive attribute through my devotions and what we can learn about adding it to our lives, our relationships, and our world.
How many names do you have? Most of us have more than one. For example, even though my name is Yael, to my children I am Ima, Hebrew for mother or mom. Many people have special nicknames that are used only in the context of family. A judge will be called “your honor” by someone in the courtroom, but not by his friends and family at home.
The point I am making is that our various titles and names are descriptions of our relationships to other people, of how other people experience us. And the same is true of God.
God has many different names in the Bible. God is called “the LORD,” “God,” “Lord of Hosts,” “the Rock,” and many other names. The Jewish sages teach us that none of the names we have for God is an accurate expression of who He truly is. Rather, God’s names describe the many different ways that we experience Him, how He presents Himself to us.
God’s Name Is Peace
For example, consider this verse from the Book of Judges: “So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace.” Based on this verse, Jewish tradition teaches that shalom — “peace” — is one of God’s names. And if you think about it, this makes a lot of sense.
Think about what I just said about our names being descriptions of our relationships and how others see us. God gave us the Bible so that we will know how to live our lives according to His will. He gave us instructions, commandments, and values. It is through everything written in the Bible that we know who God is and what He wants from us.
When we live according to what God taught us in the Bible, we bring the world one step closer to what He wants it look like. A world where everyone recognizes God and lives according to His will and His values is the fullest expression of who God is, of how He revealed Himself to us in the Bible.
A world where everyone recognizes and serves God is a world of peace. And as I have mentioned before, peace doesn’t just mean the absence of war. True peace, or shalom, is a perfection and wholeness where everything in Creation is aligned with the will of God.
This is the goal of everything God told us in the Bible, everything He told us about who He is. Peace is God’s name.
Your Turn:
Pray for a time when all peoples on earth are aligned in faith and service of the God of Israel. Pray for peace.