“So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD,
and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace.” (Judges 6:24, NKJV)
Gideon was scared to death. No one can see the face of God and live. And yet, here he stood and declared: “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face” (Judges 6:22).
All Gideon could do was articulate his predicament. Nothing he could say, nothing he could do could help him. Nowhere to turn. Nowhere to hide.
It was in that dire strait that God spoke. “Peace be with you; do not fear, you shall not die” (Judges 6:23). Gideon’s response was to build an altar as a tribute to Yahweh-Shalom. The Lord God pronounced peace where there should have been judgment.
Years later the prophet Isaiah would explain how we could possibly have peace when we only have reason to expect judgment. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4–5).
The penalty His. The peace ours. The glory to our triune God!
- In what way is Christ our peace?
- How can we possibly come before God without fear and with great joy?
