Shalom

Read: Isaiah 9:1-7

He will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

IN WORD

When Abraham went out to battle and came back victorious, recovering all that the invading kings had taken, he encountered a man named Melchizedek, “king of righteousness” (Hebrews 7:2, NIV), who is also identified as the king of Salem—literally, king of shalom. David’s son Solomon, whose name comes from the same word shalom, was lauded for establishing “peace on every side” (1 Kings 5:4)—the golden age, and a brief one, in Israel’s history. Now, many centuries later, Isaiah speaks of a future ruler—a son who is a Father, a wonderful counselor, and a mighty God, who will be called Prince of Shalom.

What is this shalom that seems so elusive yet so desired? It’s the fullness of life, the abundance of God’s blessings, that state of being in which all is well and life is as it should be. We all long for it but see only brief glimpses of it in our lives—those fleeting moments when everything on the to-do list is done, those vacations that seem so idyllic, those times of joy when everything seems to fall into place or our desires are fulfilled. This shalom is an aftertaste of the Garden of Eden and a foretaste of the City of God, and it stirs us deeply. This is what life is all about. Deep down inside, we just know it.

IN DEED

This is what Jesus came to offer. The King is all about shalom. When He promised a more abundant life (John 10:10), this is what He was talking about. When He told His disciples that His words would give them fullness of joy (John 15:11), this is the picture. He comes for our shalom, a characteristic of the Kingdom we will always be stepping into more deeply and fully. And we can begin now.

How? By completely releasing our concerns into the hands of this Prince of Shalom. Living in His Kingdom means fully trusting in the King, knowing that everything He has designed for our lives, every aspect of His government in heaven and on earth, is for our good and our ultimate fulfillment. His shalom is the overflow of His goodness to us. And He invites us to taste and see it even now.

ADDITIONAL READING: Genesis 14:14-20

When I met Christ, I felt that I had swallowed sunshine.

E. STANLEY JONES