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The Names of God: Jehovah Shalom

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(yeh-ho-vaw’ shaw-lome’)
The Lord Is Peace

Use in the Bible: In the Old Testament Jehovah-Shalom occurs only once in Jdg 6:24.

Variant spellings: None

TWOT Reference: None

Strong’s Reference: 3073

Jehovah-Shalom in the Septuagint: eirênê kuriou…peace of the Lord

Meaning and Derivation: Meaning and Derivation: Jehovah is translated as “The Existing One” or “Lord.” The chief meaning ofJehovah is derived from the Hebrew word Havah meaning “to be” or “to exist.” It also suggests “to become” or specifically “to become known”…this denotes a God who reveals Himself unceasingly. Shalom is a derivative of shâlêm (which means “be complete” or “sound”) Shalom is translated as “peace” or “absence from strife.” Jehovah-Shalom is the name of an altar built by Gideon in Ophrah.

Further references of the name Jehovah-Shalom in the Old Testament: Jdg 6:24

Comments

    • Robert, I’m not a scholar, or an expert on Catholicism, but I grew up in the Catholic church, and am now a born again Christian who chooses to worship and fellowship in a protestant church. I can tell you how I view the difference between the two churches based on my experience, if that will help you with your question.

      The Catholic church taught me some of the foundational truths, but with a twist, because traditionally, the Catholic faith is based on works, and not on grace, so the “twist” was that the truths always had a little addition to them. For instance, I learned that I am a sinful being, and must do certain rituals to “pay” for my sins. So I went to confession, did penance (assigned rote prayers), and took communion to seal my restored relationship with God. (It was true that I’m a sinner, but I was led to believe that the way to deal with that was through a series of rituals.) Although we spoke of grace, it remained a mystery to me, because there was always a work that I must apply to accomplish forgiveness. Never was it said that the price had been fully paid by Christ on the cross of Calvary.

      When I was 26 years old, I lost my Dad to cancer. That was the point when I needed to really know and understand what happens to us when we die. The Catholic religion had taught about purgatory – was my Dad suffering, and in need of prayers and candles lit to free him? (Again, the church had indicated that there must be a payment made by each of us to be worthy of Heaven.) I began to pray and ask God to show me the truth. (Note that I had at least gleaned from Catholicism that God loves us and is interested in our personal lives.)

      Through a series of events, I attended a Bible study at a protestant church that was teaching on the topic of the Attributes of God, using the book by that title by A. W. Pink. Each week we would cover one attribute, using Scripture to reveal God’s true nature. I was so excited to be studying Scripture! (The Catholic church that I attended as a child/teen discouraged us from reading the Bible, saying that it was only for the priests to read; ordinary people could not understand it.) One week we studied God’s love, and I was in awe! We looked at examples of His great love for us, culminating, of course, in the sacrifice that Jesus made for Me on the cross! I was told that, if I were the only person on the planet, Jesus would’ve given Himself for me.

      The next week, we learned about God’s mercy, and I found out that mercy is not getting what we deserve, which is eternal punishment in Hell for our sin. Because of what Jesus had done on the cross, my simple prayer of repentance and acceptance would forever seal my place in Heaven.

      Which brings us to the topic on the third week: grace! I learned that, not only was I not getting what I deserve, but I was being given all of the blessings of eternity, starting at that moment of repentance, and carrying me through this life as a child of my heavenly King, with a personal relationship with Him!

      Hope you’ve borne with me as I’ve told my story, Robert. There are many unbiblical teachings within the Catholic church, but the one that I find to be the most egregious is the lack of teaching about grace, and what’s been added to the plan of salvation in the form of works-related sacraments and rituals.

      If you are evaluating your own place in the Catholic church, I would recommend that you begin with a prayer. Ask God to forgive your sins. Make the decision to follow Christ, turning away from sin. Then pick up your Bible and begin to read the Gospel of John. (New King James Version is good, as is the English Standard Version.) God will show you what is true, and He’ll help you sort out where you should fellowship and worship Him. He’ll lead you to a place that embraces the Bible, and It will become your map on the journey of life!

    • Hi Robert.
      The Catholic “religion” as you’ve called it, found its beginning in the 4th century AD/CE. While the history is generally complex, the simple end of it was that it got started when the Roman Emperor, Constantine, joined the political power of Rome, to the growing church. This created a socio-religio-political empire that joined culture and faith into a single mix.

      While a lot of good did take place through the work of the Catholic Church, a lot of bad took place too. It had become sufficiently bad by the 1500’s that a priest by the name of Luther had protested against it, by writing up what we now know today at the Wittenburg Thesis.
      His protestation results in what we now call– Protestantism.
      Throughout the past 500 years, numerous new denominational groups have arisen, each with their own form of protestation against what would consistently become a dying work of God, due to the intransigence of men/women who started off godly, and wound up slowly becoming stodgy, and “religious.”
      The most recent, or modern work of Grace has given rise to what many call the “born-again” or evangelical movement.

      A lot of backlash has also arisen against the Catholic church, for no other reason than the same basic complaint that Luther had made.
      Jesus also nailed this mentality in the gospels with his rebukes against the religious leadership.

      Without going into a very lengthy, and complex set of points and counterpoints– if you can follow Jesus, and remain in the Catholic Church, then there is no real reason why you should/could not remain. As my wife was raised Catholic, attended parochial school, etc…, and then left, and most of the Catholics I know have also left, I’m going to encourage you– if you want to follow Jesus– then follow Jesus.

      Following the teachings of Catholicism is not the same as following Jesus. So, please–
      follow the four basic “tenets” of what we call biblical christianity.

      1- Pray to God, in Jesus’ name. Not in the names of saints, don’t ask already dead saints to pray to God for you. There is only one mediator between God, and man, and that’s Jesus Christ.

      2- Read the bible for yourself. Not knowing your background, please start with the gospel of John, and then to Romans. Where you go from there is up to you– but please read the bible, praying, and asking for perspective as you go forward. 2 Timothy 2:15-16. There are some really great bible teachers out there who will focus on providing you with biblical teaching, and will not focus on the standard “church teachings” of catholicism, or other denominations. If you’d like mp3 access to their materials, post back, and we can provide you with more than you could benefit from… Promise– we’ll not overwhelm you.

      3- Connect with others who follow Jesus. Not just attend church, but actually locate, and connect with those who follow Jesus, and aren’t just social-christians. Hebrews 10:23-25. Ephesians 4.

      4- Tell others about Jesus. This does not save you. It’s more an outworking of the faith, and belief in Jesus that you already possess, which has shown up in your life.

      In connecting with others who follow Jesus, and who have remained in the Catholic church, I only know of one group. A monk by the name of John Michael Talbot. He runs an active monastery in Arkansas, called- God’s Little Portion.
      http://www.littleportion.org/index.cfm?load=page&page=5

      More than anything– we want you to follow Jesus. So, above all else– PLEASE, follow Jesus. Not an organization, or an institution.
      Grace and Peace be with you,
      In Christ.

    • Robert~

      As I’ve written before, I was a Mormon for 40+ years before being born again into the body of Christ. After leaving the LDS Church, I vowed that no one was going to deceive me again, and in addition to seeking the truth of the Bible, I’ve done a great deal of study of other pseudo-Christian religions, Catholicism being the mother of them all. Sadly, people who view the RCC as Christian have fallen into the oldest deception in the world, counterfeiting. On the surface, this and many other churches appear to be Christian because those looking fail to see past the two or three things that one would obviously expect to see in a Christian religion such as the name of Christ, the use of the Bible, good works, and statements of being a sinner and of needing a Savior. It is only when one looks past the facade that it can be determined whether a church is truly biblical.

      Oftentimes, I hear people say that we shouldn’t make the judgment about whether someone is saved because we don’t know his or her heart, but nowhere does the Bible say that we must know a person’s heart. We are told in God’s Word that we can know people by the fruit (Gal. 5:22-23), by fruits (Matt. 7:20), and by works (Jam. 2:26). All things considered, we can know people by what they think (believe), what they say, and what they do. Here are just a few beliefs and practices that go directly against the revealed Word of God:

      ~The Pope is the head of the Christian church as God or Christ on Earth.
      ~The Pope is infallible with matters regarding the RCC
      ~Extra-biblical Scripture (Apocrypha)
      ~Truth comes from Scripture and church (RCC) tradition.
      ~Apostolic succession
      ~RCC only true (complete) church on Earth.
      ~The body and blood of Christ are present in the Eucharist (transubstantiation).
      ~Praying to saints
      ~Mary is queen of heaven and co-redeemer (RCC stance varies as to what this means).
      ~Purgatory
      ~Buying indulgences (no longer done)
      ~Worship through images, statues
      ~Forbidding to marry (priests and nuns)
      ~Forbidding the eating of certain foods (meat on Fridays)
      ~Priesthood only to select males
      ~Canonization of some saints
      ~Mary was sinless.
      ~Mary was a perpetual virgin
      ~Mass is a repetition of Christ’s sacrifice.
      ~Salvation by faith and works
      ~Prayers for the dead are effective.
      ~Baptism of infants
      ~The assumption of Mary

      In addition, one need only look at the history of the Roman Catholic Church to see that its works aren’t those that were done or taught by Christ. The Crusades, the Inquisition, the Papal infighting, the rampant sexual abuse, and other horrors that this denomination has participated in and condoned since its inception have nothing to do with Christ, regardless of how it uses the name and image of Him. Don’t misunderstand me; true Christians aren’t perfect; they are sinners who have been saved and who grow to be like Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. However, it is obvious that there is a big difference between what the Catholic Church has done for some 1600 years and what true Christians do. Finally, if you want to find out how the Catholic Church really views itself, especially in contrast to other denominations, you can find a transcript for Vatican II online. It is, in part, an exercise in political correctness, simultaneously claiming God’s sole power and authority on Earth while allowing the rest of us status as “incomplete brethren,” whom it is increasingly trying to lure into its fold through ecumenical talk.

      I hope this helps.

      Yours in Christ~
      Barbara

      P.S. I do believe that there are individual Catholics who have given their lives to Christ but have not been freed from its clutches, so we need to pray for them, that they will “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Th. 5:21). This is so very important because we have been commanded to “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Th. 5:22) and to “…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove [them]” (Eph. 5:11).

  3. Actually, while He certainly is our Peace, the name “Jehovah” is not biblical. It is simply a combination of the Hebrew title “YHWH” with the vowel points from “Adonai”, combined to help with pronunciation. I would prefer that Christians not use this name, but I know that won’t happen because it works so well in so many of our praise songs (sarcasm). But it is truly a stumper for the cultists at my door who fumble over the origins of their religion. I tell them if they can’t even get the name of God right, how can anything else be correct?!!

    • Will answer your post this way…my name is Mark ( not you of course) but I carry several titles. To my son I am Pops, but he also calls me dad. My dad calls me son, but at times he may use my given name. Over the years he has labeled me with a few nick names like horsefly, etc. Recently I had the privilege of working with a Russian crew…to them I was Marco. One of the fellas, his name Michail, his friends call him Misha yet Americans call him Mike. I will not belabor the point but even though I have a written legal name recorded I do answer to dad, son pops, etc. Why because I hold those titles and each title explains a function. And my friend Misha also answers to Mike simply because he understands there are many languages on this planet. And I have this feeling the God that created you and I knows that even though we are both named Mark, He will not confuse us one for the other. I also think He will answer to one of His many titles. So in the spirit of Shalom (שלום which is the Hebrew spelling), let us see where we can agree leaving seeking to bring unity and understanding leaving strife outside where it belongs. Have a great day :>)

  4. WAS LUTHER A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

    Psalm 85:8
    I will hear what GOD THE LORD will speak for HE will speak peace unto HIS people and to HIS saints but let them not turn again to folly

    Psalm 85:10
    Mercy and truth have met together
    Righteousness and peace have kissed each other

    Proverbs 8:8
    —ALL— the words of —MY MOUTH—are in righteousness
    There is nothing froward or perverse in them

    Proverbs 11:30
    The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life
    And he that winneth souls is wise

    Proverbs 15:4
    A wholesome tongue is a tree of life
    But perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit

    1 Timothy 6:3
    —IF—ANY MAN— teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words even the words of our LORD JESUS CHRIST and to the doctrine
    which is according to godliness

    1 Timothy 6:4
    He is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words whereof cometh envy strife railings evil surmisings

    LOVING THE LORD

  5. The course of these blogs within the context of shalom engender true witness to the Spirit of God in His Word. Unquestionably, those who read, discuss and practice the Word of God will be immersed in the Spirit of our God. Jesus breathed on the apostles and said “receive the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit builds the church (which is His body Eph 1:22-23) in the book of The Acts. (intentionally abbreviated this direction, pardon please) We want to witness personal testimonies that are powerful yet can be unintentionally critical. The better way is our confidence and knowledge of Jesus within the bible that is the record and source of our faith and confidence. Peace brethren.

  6. I agree, and feel led to add this.

    Ephesians 4:1
    Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
    Ephesians 4:2
    with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
    Ephesians 4:3
    being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
    Be Blessed and Loved by Our Great Father & Christ

    • a tolerant walk worthy :>) …the neat thing is one day we can all sit down to chat with Paul. He was a little fella but his words carry the patient work of one called

  7. Boy did Oswald Chambers hit the nail on the head in his Sept. 5th devotional “My Utmost for His Highest” about this peace and rest issue. I see it to be imperative as a follower (emphasis on follower) of Yeshua that we focus our attention on HIM and not ourselves and the GOD ordained circumstances we find ourselves in whatever they may be, good, bad, comfortable or not. Anything other than this is religion, which along with the bible, theology, faith, service, etc. can be placed at least at the side of HIM if not before HIM. Yeshua never established a religion of any sort. Please show me where HE specifically does?

    Please don’t bristle at comments encouraging us to allow HIM to stretch us. I’ve always enjoyed the so called “Hard sayings of Jesus” that don’t seem to fit in what I playfully call “churchianity”. Luk 14:26 KJV, Mar 7:27 KJV to name a few.

    All love and peace.

    J.