Refuge Week 7: Jehovah Shalom & Jehovah Raah

We will begin this week’s study with Jehovah Shalom: The LORD is Peace. It has been estimated that out of approximately 4,300 years of recorded history, there were around 300-500 years of peace, approximately 10.000-14,000 wars, which killed roughly 200-500 million people. Approximately 6,000 to 8,000 peace treaties were made, many of which were broken. The world will continue to experience conflict until Jesus returns, at which point true peace will finally be established on the earth. Until then, we have the opportunity to experience God’s peace daily, as we trust Him in all circumstances.

Jehovah Shalom was first revealed during the time of the Judges. This was a dark time in Israel’s history, spanning approximately 300-350 years from the death of Joshua to the start of Saul’s monarchy. After Joshua and his generation died, “another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the LORD or remember the mighty things He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10b NLT).

“Israel forgot God’s person and power, forsook Him, and began to fear other gods who are no gods at all. A new generation arose which forgot Him, who, as Jehovah Jireh, had provided redemption from bondage in Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb, and with great and mighty wonders had led them out. They were no longer mindful of Him, who, as Jehovah Rapha, had healed their sicknesses and sorrows” (preceptaustin).

“They suffered defeats because they turned their backs upon Him who, as Jehovah-Nissi, had been their banner of victory in trial and struggle. They would not sanctify themselves to Him, who, as Jehovah Mekoddishkem, had sanctified them to His cause, but they corrupted themselves with idolatries and their abominations. Thus, they lost their purity, peace, prosperity, and liberty” (preceptaustin).

“In those days, there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Judges 21:25 NASB95

The period of the Judges was characterized by cycles of disobedience, defeat, repentance, and deliverance. It was in this context that Jehovah Shalom came to Gideon. Judges 6:1-3, 6 says, “The Israelites did evil in the LORD’s sight. So the LORD handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds. Whenever the Israelites planted their crops, maurauders from Midian, Amalek, and the people of the east would attack Israel….So Israel was reduced to starvation by the Midianites. Then the Israelites cried to the LORD for help” (NLT).

One day, Gideon “was threshing wheat at the bottom of the winepress to hide grain from the Midianites” (Judges 6:11b NLT). The winepress provided a secluded place for Gideon to work in secret, indicating his fear and attempt to evade the Midianite oppressors. The Angel of the LORD [preincarnate Christ] appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior.” Imagine Gideon’s surprise! He immediately questioned the LORD as to how God could be with Israel when they suffered ruthlessly at the hands of the Midianites. Gideon thought the LORD had abandoned them (Judges 6:13). But God had not abandoned them. The reason for their conflict was that they had sinned against the LORD.

Now that they had cried out to Him in repentance, God was sending them a deliverer through Gideon. The Angel of the LORD said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” (Judges 6:14b NLT). Gideon responded to Him by saying, “‘But Lord [Adonai],’ Gideon replied, ‘how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!’ The LORD said to him, ‘I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man” (Judges 6:16 NLT).

Gideon then asked for a sign to make sure he had really heard from the LORD. When Gideon realized it was the Angel of the LORD who spoke to him, he cried out in fear!

“‘It is all right,’ the LORD replied. Do not be afraid, you will not die.’ And Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and named it Yahweh [Jehovah]-Shalom (which means ‘the LORD is peace’).” (Judges 6:24a NLT emphasis added).

God had Gideon reduce the size of the army through a process of elimination so that Israel would not boast in their own strength. Gideon delivered Israel out of the hands of Midian with just 300 warriors. Don’t you love that the pre-incarnate Christ came to Gideon, the weakest and least of Manasseh? God’s strength is always perfected in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9), and we can experience His power and peace when we exchange our inability for His ability. It reminds me of the little boy who gave Jesus all he had, only five loaves and two fish. Little is much when placed in the Master’s hands!

Alexander MacLaren said, “Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but the presence of God.” He is the essence (Ephesians 2:14) and enabler (2 Corinthians 5:17) of our peace. The Greek word for peace in the New Testament is “eirene,” and means “the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is. This is the direct result of redemption by Christ (Eph. 2:15-17) and consists primarily of a state of conscious reconciliation with God (Romans 5:1), although it is often used in a broader sense to denote all the blessings which accompany and flow from that reconciliation (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:3; 2 Thess. 3:16). God’s peace is independent of outside conditions and is the fruit of an objective, real salvation with God” (Zodhiates, CWSB Dictionary #1515).

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”

John 14:27 NASB95

There is a difference between having “peace with God” and experiencing the “peace of God.” When we get saved, we are eternally at peace with God through Jesus Christ (Col. 1:20). Yet, during our Christian journey, there are times when we fail to experience the peace of God. Colossians 3:15 says, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful” (NASB95). This verse is book-ended by verses 1-14, which tell us to put on the new garment of Christ, and verse 16, which adds, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” The only way for the peace of God to rule in our hearts is by clothing ourselves with Christ (saying “yes Lord”) with a heart of thanksgiving and feeding on His Word.

“If the Spirit of God has done a work in your heart and in my heart, then we both have free access to the Father. That’s where peace begins. From that point on, it’s a matter of our choice to let it permeate our lives, putting on the new garment” (Wayne Barber). The Holy Spirit will let us know when we have “lost” our peace. He operates like a referee in our hearts to convict us the moment we get our eyes off of Christ.

One indicator that we’ve lost our peace is when we have conflict with our brothers and sisters in Christ. The peace of Christ affects our relationships (Ephesians 4:1-3). If we are not rightly related horizontally speaking, chances are we are not rightly related vertically. Romans 12:18 says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (NASB95). At times, living in peace with others is unattainable due to their unwillingness to be reconciled. This passage shows that it’s not about them, but about us and our willingness to forgive. Being a peacekeeper and a peacemaker is not always the same thing. We must be willing to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:14-15).

A second indicator that we have lost our peace is when we walk in the flesh (Gal. 5:17-21). The remedy for this is found in 1 John 1:9, which encourages us to keep short accounts with God and confess our sins to the Father. We all trip and stumble in many ways and need to have our fellowship with God restored to continually experience His peace.

Another indicator that we are not experiencing His peace is when we are overwhelmed by the circumstances of life. In these moments, if we aren’t careful, we will find ourselves in the pit of despair. Philippians 4:6-8 provides the antidote, reminding us to bring all our anxieties to the Lord in prayer, “and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7 NAB95). Remembering His faithfulness to us in the past helps us experience His peace.

Are you allowing God’s peace to permeate your life? He is Jehovah Raah, our Good Shepherd who leads us beside still waters and desires us to experience HIs peace every moment of every day. Psalm 23 is one of the most well-loved passages of Scripture and perfectly depicts life with the Shepherd. I’ve always found it comical yet endearing that God’s Word compares us to sheep.

Like sheep, we often stray, lack self-sufficiency, and need guidance and protection from a shepherd to navigate life’s dangers and find purpose. Their strong flocking instinct causes them to follow the group or a leader blindly, sometimes leading to seemingly foolish actions, like wandering into danger or getting stuck in simple obstacles. They have poor problem-solving skills compared to animals like dogs or pigs, often panicking or freezing when faced with threats rather than escaping. They rarely act independently and have a strong reliance on a shepherd for direction and protection. Limited spatial awareness and a tendency to scatter make them fearful and skittish animals. Studies have shown that sheep can recognize patterns and faces, indicating a level of cognitive ability. They can also recognize the shepherd’s voice.

“All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way;”

Isaiah 53:6a NASB95

“Bethlehem was the ancestral city of King David, who had been a shepherd boy on those same hills. He went on to become the shepherd king and write Psalm 23 with the beautiful words, ‘The LORD is my shepherd.’ The image of the Shepherd King was an important pointer to the coming Messiah. In the Old Testament, Ezekiel the prophet speaks the words of the Lord Himself who says, “I will come and be the Shepherd of My people Israel” (Dwight Longenecker). I love Micah’s prophecy about Jesus spoken 700 years before His incarnation:

“And He will arise and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God.”

Micah 5:4a

He goes on to say in verse 5, “This One will be our peace.” Think about it. The angels came to the Levitical shepherds, the very shepherds raising the sacrificial lambs. These angels announced the birth of the Shepherd King, who was also the sacrificial “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). Psalm 23 gives a beautiful description of what our Good Shepherd does for His sheep. I am amazed at the attributes of His names that shine through this psalm.

• Psalm 23:1 “The LORD is my shepherd [Jehovah Raah]; I shall not want.” Because Jehovah Raah is our shepherd, we have everything we need in Him. Here we see a glimpse of our great Jehovah Jireh, who provides for our every need.
• Psalm 23:2 “He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.” Kay Arthur says, the psalmist ” is not referring to enforced rest for the sheep. Rather, he is saying that because the shepherd meets the sheep’s needs, the sheep can lie down” (Lord I Want to Know You, 145). Because Jehovah Raah is our shepherd, we have peace and rest in Him. Here we see a glimpse of Jehovah Shalom, who guards our hearts and minds in His peace.
• Psalm 23:3 “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Our Jehovah Raah is also Jehovah Rapha, restoring our souls – giving us His righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu) through His sacrifice.
• Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” What confidence we have, even in the face of death, because of His presence with us. Here we see Jehovah Shammah (the LORD is there).
• Psalm 23:5a “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.” Jehovah Raah protects us from the enemy within and without, revealing that He is also Jehovah-Nissi (our banner) and Jehovah Sabaoth (the LORD of hosts who fights our battles).
• Psalm 23:5b “You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.” As Jehovah Raah, our Shepherd, God also reveals Himself as Jehovah Mekoddishkem, the LORD who sanctifies us, transforming our minds through His Spirit and Word.

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

Psalm 23:6 NASB95

Week 7 Reflections

Day One: Jehovah Shalom

1. Read Judges 6:1-6. What was happening to Israel and why? How does this relate to Judges 21:25 & Judges 3:6-7?
2. Read Judges 6:7-10. When did God intervene? What did He remind them of through the prophet?
3. Read Judges 6:11-7:22. How did God show His strength through the weakness of Gideon and the people? Why do you think it was important in this circumstance for Gideon to know God as Jehovah Shalom?

Day Two: Jesus is our Peace

1. Read the following verses and note what you learn about Jesus: Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:78-79; John 20:19-21; Acts 10:36; Col. 1:20; Isaiah 53:5, John 16:33; 2 Thess. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:33
2. What do the following verses teach you about how to experience the peace of Christ continually? Philippians 4:6-9; Colossians 3:15; Romans 8:5-8; Galatians 5:16, 22-23; Isaiah 32:17; Eph. 2:14-17; Psalm 94:19; Matthew 6:25-34; Ephesians 4:1-3; Isaiah 26:3-4

Day Three: Jehovah Raah/The Good Shepherd & the Sheep

1. Read Psalm 23 and list everything the Good Shepherd does for His sheep.
2. Read the following verses and note what you learn about Jehovah Raah: Genesis 48:15; Isaiah 40:11; Micah 5:4-5; Ezekiel 34:11-16
3. What do the following verses tell us about Jesus as the Good Shepherd and His sheep? Hebrews 13:20-21; John 10:1-16, 25-30; Isaiah 53:6; Matthew 18:12-14

Journal Prompts

What does it mean to you that Jesus is your peace? Are you experiencing His peace today? What things in your life could be causing you to lose your peace? How are your relationships? Have you done everything you can to live at peace with others? Are you willing to forgive and entrust the other person to the Lord? Is there any sin in your life you need to confess? Are you overwhelmed with circumstances? Take some time to present your anxious thoughts to the Lord. How have you experienced life with the Shepherd based on Psalm 23?

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