The Names of God Lesson 7 - Fairhaven Baptist Church

The Names of God

Lesson 7

Jehovah-Shalom

Text: Judges 6:11-24

Intro: so far we have primary focused on the Exodus journey. The Nation in a new relationship with God discovering who He is. However, as they continued in their quest to the promised land, they continued to discover new aspects of God. This is why I have said from the beginning that we cannot put God in a box, and just color Him with one color. He is many things to us, at many different times. I am glad that even today, God is still in the business of enlightening us to different aspects of His character. The Nation had seen God as their shield, their strength, their fortress, their defender, their provider, their healer. They had seen God in the way He has dealt with time of conflict, time of want, time of pain. This time tho, it is not about what He can do to our enemy, it is not about what He can give us physically, it is about what He can do for us Spiritually. Give us a peace that surpasses all understanding. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

So let’s get into tonight’s study, and Discover the God of our Peace,

Back Ground,
1. The time of the Judges,
  1. Possession of the Land,
    1. In Chapter 1, we see, Vs.1 after the death of Joshua. This is a continuation of the story of Israel.
    2. It gives us the events of Judah, Simeon, fighting against the Canaanites, as well as Benjamin fighting against the Jebusites.
      - Judges 1:18&19 “Also Judah took Gaza with the coast thereof, and Askelon with the coast thereof, and Ekron with the coast thereof. 19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.”
      - Judges 1:21 “Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.”
    3. As you read the rest of Chapter 1, a theme becomes apparent:
      - vs.27 Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of the lands they were to possess.
      - vs.28 Israel did not drive out the Canaanites,
      - Vs.29 Ephraim did not drive out their people where they took possession,
      - the same for Zebulun Vs.30, Asher Vs.31, Naphtali vs.33, vs.34,35,36 more of the same.
        
        The Nation wanted to take the land, but was unwilling to take compleat possession of it.
    4. God wanted them to take the land, but the Nation refused.
  2. Rebuked for their Action/ In-actions,
    1. Judges 2:1-4 “ And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you. 2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? 3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. 4 And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spake these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice, and wept. 5 And they called the name of that place Bochim: and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.”
      - think about what is being said here, of all the troubles the nation will face, how many of them will stem from this point here?
    2. God makes it clear, God was the one who was making the way, He was the power of the exodus, and He would never break His covenant with them.
      - Then He makes it clear what His conditions were: make no league with them, tear down their altars.
      - What was the result? You didn’t do it, why?
      - Now, the result, God said I will not drive them out, they will be thorns to you.
    3. We must live in the consequences of the life we choose.
      - If we have areas in our lives, and we refuse to tear down the things against God, and we choose to dwell with the enemy, there will be consequences for that.
  3. The Place of Weeping,
    1. It is interesting that this message came at Bochim, the place of weepers.
    2. After the Nation heard the words of God, they cried.
      - I think they were truly saddened because of this, but being sad is different from repentance.
      - God will use these events to teach the difference between sorrow and repentance.
    3. This is the beginning of the cycle of the book of Judges:
      - The Cycle is simply this: 1, the people follow the Lord, 2, the people begin to slip in their commitment to the Lord, 3, the people begin to accept the practice of idolatry, 4, the Nation goes into bondage to an enemy, 5, the people cry for deliverance, 6, the Lord raises a deliver/ judge, 7, the Nation is delivered, and rejoices. Back to 1.
      - this brings us to….
2. Gideon,
  1. 6:1 “ And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years ”
    1. I think that pretty much says it all.
    2. The Midians, Amalekits, and the “children of the east” all came against Israel.
      - There is never a shortage of enemy of the Lord, and of His people.
    3. Their treatment of Israel was ruthless,
      - they wanted to destroy the people, not only destroy them, but make them suffer while they were doing it.
      - They came like a swarm of grasshoppers, and consumed the land,
        
        they destroyed fields, not just taking them for themselves, but destroying them. They killed livestock, and tried to starve out the nation.
        
        Vs.6 tells us Israel was… “Greatly impoverished”
        
        it was about more than killing the people, this was about making them suffer.
        
        And let’s keep in mind why this was happening, it was Israels decision.
  2. 6:7 “ And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites, ”
    1. after everything else, now it’s time to turn to God.
    2. I wonder if they would have turned to God earlier, what they could have avoided?
    3. God sends a prophet to remind them of what He had done for them in the past, and to encourage them not to fear.
      - And God could uses many different ways to bring deliverance:
        
        He could use plagues, He could overthrow the enemy with His power, He could use an angel to do it, any number of ways, but this time, God chooses to raises a deliver, by the name of….
  3. Gideon,
    1. how often we forget who we are, Gideon’s name means feller, like to fall a tree,
      - but in this context, more as to fall a man in battle, warrior.
        
        He was one of God’s chosen people, yet…
    2. vs. 11 tells us Gideon was threshing wheat, while hiding from Midianites.
      - He wasn’t exactly living up to his name,
    3. Gideon starts off by asking Questions:
      - First, Why is this happening? I think it is good to evaluate the situation, try to find out why something is happening. Pray about it.
      - Second, Bring to Mind the deliverance of the Lord in the Past, We should remember our testimonies.
      - Third, He Showed Humility, Who am I, I am of the least, when we know who we are, then we are not deceived into thinking we can do it on our own.
      - Fourth, Gideon goes to prepare a offering for the Lord,
        
        OK< what was the condition of Israel at this time? Hardship, there was nothing,
        
        What was Gideon doing when the Lord appeared to him? Getting wheat to eat,
        
        Now look what he does, out of his need, not out of his abundance Gideon offers to the Lord,
        
        How many would have made the excuse: It would be wasteful for me to offer our only food to God, and try to offer less?
      - He offered a goat, 5 gallons of flower to make cakes with, fixed it, and then gave it to the Lord.
    4. When Gideon did as the Angel told him, laid the flesh and the bread on a rock, the Lord consumed it with fire, and then “departed out of his sight” Vs.21
      - what would go through your mind:
      - knowing what had just happened, perhaps the last of your food, and then the angel up and leaves?
        
        Worry, disparity, regret???
        
        Not Gideon,
  4. Peace be unto You,
    1. Vs.22-24 tells of Gideon’s response
    2. instead of worrying about all the other things that went on, or might happen, Gideon simply chose to trust in God,
      - built an altar, and name the place Jehovashalom,
Meaning,
1. Jehovah-Shalom,
  1. God of Peace,
    1. As a Noun the word Shalom means completeness, health, and welfare
      - it is an expression that implies harmony with God and with man.
      - It also indicates being at ease, both in mind and body, Inwardly an outwardly.
    2. As a verb, Shalom means to be complete or finished.
      - For Gideon, Shalom was a solemn promise of God fro restoration of Israel.
        
        To be restored to health, to be restored to security, to be restored to a proper relationship with God,
        
        It was also a promise that God would finish what He had said He would do.
      - And Gideon could rest in that fact.
Application,
1. Peace,
  1. What is better than Peace?
    1. Wealth, security/ Fame, Luxury?
      - Men have shown over many times that they can have all these other things and not have peace,
      - at the same time, men have shown they can have none of these things and have peace.
      - Peace isn’t a by product of earthly things, it is a result of Knowing God is in Control.
    2. What would a man trade for peace?
      - What could a man hold on to that is more important than having peace?
  2. What Did Gideon trade for Peace,
    1. Gideon, and the Nation of Israel was “greatly impoverished” according to vs.6
    2. Gideon and the Nation had been in bondage to Midianits,
    3. Gideon was having to hide to get wheat.
    4. What did Gideon really have to hold on to?
      - Gideons family offered no solution,
        
        yes he had heard the stories, he mentioned them earlier (but this is a sad cometary because of what his father did),
        
        His father was an idol worshiper, Vs.25-27, he had build altars to Baal,
        
        was it his father that told him the stories he stated in vs.13? He said it was.
      - How do you tell of the greatness of God, but build an altar to Baal?
        
        Perhaps his father was searching for peace, but looking in all the wrong places.
  3. Do We have Peace?
    1. How has our life been?
      - Are we under attack? Are we in Famine, and feel improvised? Has our land seemed to have been trampled and left desolate?
      - Are we seeking help form small g gods?
      - Or are we placing our trust in the one true God,
      - the God that came to Gideon?
    2. What God Gives,
      - God restored His promise with Israel, Vs.14
      - Vs.16, it is not because of us, but because God is with us,
      - We can have deliverance today as well, and even tho we may still be in battles, have a famine in the land, we can have peace, knowing that God is in charge, and will complete His work in our lives,
      - Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”