Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it “The LORD is Peace.” To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:24 (emphasis added)

“The Lord is Peace.” Or “The Lord is Shalom.” Also “the Lord of Peace”, “The Lord, ‘All-is-well.’”, and “Adonay is our Peace”. This wasn’t the name of the altar as much as Gideon was proclaiming that the altar was dedicated to the Lord who IS Shalom. An object that was a symbol by which the nations of the world could call it. A name that symbolised the special relationship between God and the Israelites on account of the peace that He showed toward them. Powerful stuff. Moreso when you read around the verses and see that this is before Gideon did anything. At all. At this point he is working in secret hiding from the Midianites. He sees an angel that he doesn’t recognise is an angel. Discovers it is an angel and expects to die (vs 11-22). The angel declares in vs 23 “Peace be to you! Don’t be afraid. You shall not die.” Then Gideon built the altar.

Personally, I really enjoy that Gideon didn’t know he was talking to an angel. The angel (a man from Gideon’s point of view) shows up sitting under a tree. Didn’t walk up. Just there. They have a whole discussion about Israel’s subjugation and God’s seeming indifference to it. This guy who showed up tells Gideon that he can deliver Israel. Gideon isn’t having any, not because he scoffs or mocks or doesn’t believe. He just can’t see it. He is the lowest of the low. The ordinary. Average Jehoshaphat. This echoes the kind of ‘Who me? Really?’ that Mary had when Gabriel visited her (Luke 1:34). But he has an inkling.

He’s getting the idea that the Lord might be speaking to him. And he doesn’t want to miss it. So he drops into hospitality. In verses 17-18 Gideon says “If now I have found favour in your sight, then show me a sign that it is you who talk with me. Please don’t go away until I come to you, and bring out my present, and lay it before you.” The angel agrees. Gideon makes it. Sets it before the angel. And the angel consumes it with fire from his staff and disappears. This is very much like when the angel appeared to Samson’s parents in Judges 13: “So Manoah took the young goat with the meal offering, and offered it on the rock to the LORD. Then the angel did an amazing thing as Manoah and his wife watched. For when the flame went up towards the sky from off the altar, the LORD’s angel ascended in the flame of the altar. Manoah and his wife watched; and they fell on their faces to the ground” (verses 19-20). Their reaction is the same as Gideon’s when the full realisation of angelic visitation hits: we saw God’s representative and we’re going to die. But they come to the conclusion that Gideon does and that Hagar did (Genesis 16:13): if he was going to kill us, he already would have. And they all speak of God as gracious, merciful, and feeling blessed He saw them. Gideon and Hagar named or dedicated things in honour of the experience.

We don’t deserve to see God. That’s a fact of the flesh right there. The flesh is sinful. The flesh is NOT in a state of inhabiting righteousness. The flesh is fallen. The flesh is lacking that which is required to interact with God. We gave it up. It’s gone. No longer part of the human DNA. But God interacts with us anyway. God finds a way because He is merciful. He cannot appear before us face to face, so Jesus volunteers to get that back. To pay the price of sin. To remove the barrier humanity erected. In the space of time between our betrayal and our redemption, God sent angels. They could see us face to face because they were not pure righteousness. They are a reflection of pure righteousness — as we once were — and as such we can withstand their presence — although often with a lot of shock, falling down, and fumbling. The message is always the same at the beginning: Don’t fear. A call for us to recognise that we are not being smitten, we’re being smooched. That the desire in the heart of the Almighty is to have peace between Himself and His creation.

There was Peace in the Garden. On a daily basis the wind of the Lord blew through, the Holy Spirit moving over the face of the earth as He moved over the face of the waters (Genesis 3:8, Job 38:1, Acts 2:2). Man and Woman embraced strife. They had to leave the Garden to protect them from staying in that state eternally (Genesis 3:22-23). Ever since then He has been bringing His message of peace to humanity, culminating in the ultimate Peace — removal of the barrier between God and Man (Luke 2:14). No more penalty. No more condemnation. No more keeping ourselves away. We can go in. We can meet up. We can hang with the Almighty God — IF we choose to. It’s true for you. It’s true for me. It’s true for every human on this planet. I heard Sekou Abodunrin (@sekoutoure on Twitter) say, ‘God as our Father, is an enemy-loving God. It was while we were enemies that Christ died for us.’ This is the gospel. The Good News. No. More. Barrier.

The empty tomb has become the altar to replace all other altars. It is the eternal mercy seat of God Most High. The place where the door was opened to us. In that doorway stands the cross, the Christ, Jesus the Living One. When we choose, we can pass through His sacrifice and in Him — by Grace through Faith — we can enter into God’s presence. God’s Peace. We can inhabit shalom. The Learning Center of the Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (firmisrael.org) gives several meanings because the Hebrew conveys so much more than the English:

1) make it good, shall surely repay, make a full restitution, or restore. A sense of fullness and completeness in our whole being.
2) well-being and good health.
3) inner completeness and tranquility
4) absence of war

All of that wrapped up into one word. And Gideon here proclaims Yahweh as the Lord of Shalom. The One who has achieved mastery and exercises leadership and great power in restoration, fullness, completeness, well-being, good health, inner completeness, tranquility, and absence of a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism between God and humanity. This is much more than an idle stone structure. This is a proclamation. This is a declaration. This is a respectful, reverential monument in awe of this gift of relationship between Yahweh and His people. The Lord doesn’t leave it there.

Isaiah 9:6 prophesied “For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Jesus was that Prince of Peace (Matthew 1:22-23). This Prince wasn’t going to be a spoiled child. An idle wastrel. No. Isaiah 9:7 declares “Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of Armies will perform this.” The Father greatly desires peace between us. Between us and Him. He loves us. I can’t say that to you enough. He loves you. Erase the image of a hating God, a vengeful God, an arbitrary smiter. God is motivated by love. Everything He does — whether we understand it or not — is done in love. Love to us. Love for us. Love OF us. Love, love, love, love.

Put a new image into your mind. The image of the Lord of Shalom. Yahweh is patient. Yahweh is kind. Yahweh doesn’t envy. Yahweh doesn’t brag. Yahweh isn’t proud. Yahweh always behaves with absolute appropriateness. Yahweh rejoices in the truth. Yahweh bears all things up. Yahweh believes. Yahweh hopes. Yahweh endures with absolute patience all that occurs. Yahweh and His love never, ever, EVER fail.

Put a new image into your heart. The image the Lord of Shalom has of YOU. We are called to be in Jesus. To abide in the Word. To walk in the ways of the Lord. What does that look like? What does being in Jesus look like? How does Yahweh see you? You are good. You are totally and fully restored. You are complete. You have good health. You enjoy well-being. You have inner completeness. You are tranquil. You don’t walk in strife, but get along with mercy and forgiveness. You are joyful. You are patient. You are kind. You are good. You are faithful. You are gentle. You have self-control. You have love toward others and love toward Him.

We echo Him. We are made in the image of Him, both male and female (Genesis 1:27). We have His Spirit (John 3:34). We are in Jesus, which means our spirit is the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29-30). We are all chosen. Before the creation of the world He picked each and every one of us and destined us for His Kingdom (Ephesians 1:4). We only need to choose Him. To open the door and let Him in (Revelation 3:20). It is OUR choice. HIS gift by Grace. His Peace to us. But it is OUR choice. Do we believe it? Do we receive it? Do we walk in it? Our choice. And I hope you choose it today. And every day. Step by step. Moment by moment. Fully complete inside and out. Full of tranquility. Full of His Perfect Love. With fear driven totally and utterly away from you in your cocoon of His Love. Enjoying the Lord of Shalom, the Prince of Shalom, and the experience of Shalom — nothing missing, nothing broken. Amen.

Daily Affirmation of God’s Love: Psalm 105

He Who Provides. He Who Sustains. He Who Heals. He Who Guides. He Who Loves. Yahweh Elohim, Yahweh El-Shaddai. Yahweh Adonay. Adonai-shalom. The Lord God Almighty. These are impressive titles that try to convey to us both the majesty of God and the various dimensional roles He inhabits toward us. It is a VERY impressive list. It is more impressive when you start to think of Him as your Father. I am not knocking any parent on the planet here. Not my own. Not ones I have heard about. Not good ones and not bad ones. Not myself, either. But if you think of it. Whether your kids were newborn, toddling, teen-ing, ‘adulting’, or beginning to develop into an actual human that can function; wasn’t there a limit? Wasn’t there a line? Isn’t there a point we all get to where we declare ‘Nope. I’m out. Me time.’ Isn’t there is a certain level of hassle that we can’t handle? Where we stop? God never stops. He is ever there willing to help those who follow Him. Good times, bad times, if you’re not careful you’re going to destroy yourselves times. He is there. He has open hands. Open arms. Sheltering wings. Protecting winds. Guiding pillars. Whispered words. There is nothing that He doesn’t use to communicate. Dew on a leaf. The chirp of a bird. Twinkling eyes. Dappled glades. Misted mountains. Billowing clouds. They all speak. A kind gesture. An unexpected hug. A joyful laugh. A way too wet baby smooch. The world and everything in it is an operatic collage of sights, sounds, feelings, motions, sensations, and tastes that proclaim ‘I made this’. ‘I made this for you.’ To see us smile. To hear us laugh. To feel us relax back into His embrace. Because He loves us. Because He wants good things for us. Because He enjoys us. Take a moment to feel it. To bask in the warmth of His love. To feel it touch your cheek, warm your hand, and ruffle your hair. We are precious in His sight. Let Him appreciate you. He made you. He loves you. You are the sparkle of a jewel to Him. The shine of precious stones. A treasure beyond comparison. You have such worth. Your words. Your thoughts. Your Self. You. He LOVES you. That is Truth.

Your Daily Confession of God’s love to YOU:

Today God loves that I _______.