Shalom

In Genesis we get the story of Joseph. His father, Jacob (aka Israel) loved him more than any of his other sons. (Think folks like Reuben, who slept with Jacob's concubine and Simon and Levi who made the family move after they killed an entire town.) He made Joseph his famous "coat of many colors." He made his preference for Joseph so obvious that his brothers "hated him and could not speak peacefully to him" (Gen 37:4).

I was interested in that phrase -- "could not speak peacefully to him." The word there is שָׁלוֹם -- shâlôm. You know that word. It was (is) the standard Jewish greeting. "Peace." It is a prayer for peace for those to whom it is given. What was interesting to me, however, was the root of the word. The root word for the Hebrew word for "peace" is shâlam. "Yeah, sure, we can see that. So?" The root word of the Hebrew concept of peace is safety. Now, that makes sense. We can find peace when we are safe. Carried in that root concept of "safety" is the idea of making amends, because we can find safety when we are in right relationship with others. So the word is used to express completion, to making payment, to recompense and restitution. All of these are included in the Hebrew notion of safety, and the Hebrew notion of peace is predicated on that kind of safety.

I was interested in all of that because I was reading in Romans where Paul writes, "Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom 5:1). Now, how do we have peace with God? It is because, justified by faith, we are now safe with God, complete, the payment is made, the recompense complete, the right relationship restored. You see, peace with God (with anybody) is not achieved by a mere cessation of hostilities. Genuine peace only occurs when safety is achieved. When payment is made. When the relationship is restored. Only then is there peace.

We see this in reverse in Romans 8 where Paul says, "The mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God" (Rom 8:7). Of course it is. The mind in opposition to God cannot be at peace with God. There is no right relationship, no restitution, no safety. The need there is that things would be made right, and we lack the ability to do that ourselves, so "In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself" (2 Cor 5:19). No reconciliation; no peace. In Christ we have reconciliation with God.

Lots of people think that we can just flip a switch and be at peace. It doesn't happen that way. Peace is not an option when safety is not present. Peace with God is not an option when reconciliation is not there. It's possible to fake it, but genuine peace doesn't exist when we are not in a right relationship with God because genuine safety doesn't exist when we're not in a right relationship with God. In the end, then, if you want peace, you must be safe in God's hands. That's why Paul says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts" (Col 3:15). "Be in right relationship with Christ and you will be at peace. Let that rule." How are you doing with peace? All I am saying is give that peace a chance.