Jehovah Shalom – The Lord Is Peace
Judges 6:22-24
St. John’s United Church of Christ
Pastor Juvenal Cervantes
March 1, 2026
“Then Gideon perceived that He was the Angel of the LORD. So Gideon said, ‘Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.’ Then the LORD said to him, ‘Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.’ So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it Jehovah Shalom…” (NKJV)
As we look at our world and our lives, individually, there is one salient similarity: we need peace. The president of the Mormon Church issued a message to his followers: Pray for Mexico. The aftermath of the death of “El Mencho,” the leader of “El cartel de la nueva generacion,” caused havoc in Mexico. Seventeen airports closed, cars are being burned, and stores are being looted.
Then we hear the news of the U.S. and Israel's bombing of portions of Iran, killing the leaders of that country. Iran retaliated by bombing several embassies of key allies of the United States.
As we think about our lives. Some of us are concerned about our spouse, our children, or our parents, our health, our job, or our relationships. We need peace, peace that cannot be explained apart from God.
1. The Context: Peace in the Middle of Chaos
The Book of Judges records one of the darkest periods in Israel’s history. There was no king. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. The nation was trapped in a cycle: Sin, Oppression, Crying out, Deliverance.
In Judges 6, Israel is oppressed by Midian. The people are hiding. Crops are destroyed. Fear fills the land.
And where do we find Gideon? Threshing wheat in a winepress — hiding. Peace seemed impossible.
Yet it is in this broken, fearful setting that God reveals Himself as Jehovah Shalom — The Lord Is Peace.
2. Gideon’s Fear: “I Have Seen the Lord”
When Gideon realizes he has encountered the Angel of the Lord, he cries out in terror:
“Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face.”
Why was he afraid? Because in Scripture, sinful humanity cannot stand before a holy God without fear of judgment.
But listen to God’s response: “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die.”
Before God changes Gideon’s circumstances, He changes Gideon’s heart.
3. The Meaning of “Jehovah Shalom”
“Shalom” means more than the absence of conflict. It means: Wholeness, Completeness, Restoration, Harmony with God, Peace is not merely something God gives. Peace is who God is.
Gideon did not name the altar “God Gives Peace.” He named it “The Lord Is Peace.”
4. Peace Before Victory
Notice something powerful: Midian was still in the land. The enemy had not yet been defeated.
The battle had not yet begun. Yet Gideon builds an altar and declares: The Lord is Peace.
This teaches us: Peace is not the absence of trouble. Peace is the presence of God. God did not promise Gideon an easy battle.
He promised His presence.
5. The Altar of Peace
Gideon built an altar. Altars represent: Worship, Surrender, Remembrance. We cannot experience Jehovah Shalom without surrender.
Peace comes when we trust: God’s sovereignty, God’s timing, God’s power.
6. The Fulfillment of Jehovah Shalom
Jehovah Shalom finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He is called: “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The One who said, “Peace I leave with you…” (John 14:27)
Through Christ: We have peace with God (Romans 5:1); We can have the peace of God (Philippians 4:7); The same God who spoke peace to Gideon speaks peace to us.
7. Application: Where Do You Need Peace?
Are you: Fighting fear? Facing uncertainty? Hiding in your own winepress? God’s word to you today is the same: “Peace be with you; do not fear.” Before He changes your situation, He offers you Himself. And when you truly encounter Him, you will discover: He is Jehovah Shalom — The Lord Is Peace.
Imagine standing in the middle of a storm. The wind is still howling. The waves are still crashing. But suddenly, you realize the Master of the storm is standing beside you. The storm may still rage. But your heart becomes still. Because peace is not found in calm circumstances — it is found in the presence of the Lord.
Brit Kjos, author of A Wardrobe from the King, shares a poignant story of peace. Long ago, a man sought the perfect picture of peace. Not finding one that satisfied, he announced a contest to produce this masterpiece. The challenge stirred the imagination of artists everywhere, and paintings arrived from far and wide. Finally, the great day of revelation arrived. The judges uncovered one peaceful scene after another, while the viewers clapped and cheered.
The tensions grew. Only two pictures remained veiled. As a judge pulled the cover from one, a hush fell over the crowd.
A mirror-smooth lake reflected lacy, green birches under the soft blush of the evening sky. Along the grassy shore, a flock of sheep grazed undisturbed. Surely this was the winner.
The man with the vision uncovered the second painting himself, and the crowd gasped in surprise. Could this be peace?
A tumultuous waterfall cascaded down a rocky precipice; the crowd could almost feel its cold, penetrating spray. Stormy-gray clouds threatened to explode with lightning, wind, and rain. In the midst of the thundering noises and bitter chill, a spindly tree clung to the rocks at the edge of the falls. One of its branches reached out in front of the torrential waters as if foolishly seeking to experience its full power.
A little bird had built a nest in the elbow of that branch. Content and undisturbed in her stormy surroundings, she rested on her eggs. With her eyes closed and her wings ready to cover her little ones, she manifested peace that transcends all earthly turmoil.
Jesus said, “My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives peace, let not your hearts be troubled” (John 14:9). Be at peace, God is with you.