Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
The children of Israel were under the oppression of the Midianites for seven years. So bad was the oppression that the harvest season was not a period of rejoicing. This is because the enemies of Israel would come upon them every time they harvested and devour everything. No wonder, then, Gideon was threshing wheat at the wine press as opposed to the threshing floor. This was to hide it from the Midianites who otherwise would have seized his wheat. The Israelites had not known peace for seven years.
It is in this context that the angel of the LORD appears to Gideon and calls him a mighty man of valour. He then sends him forth to save Israel despite Gideon lamenting his apparent weakness. When Gideon later realised that he had actually seen the angel of the LORD face to face, he became afraid. The LORD responded to him by saying, “Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die.” It is after this that Gideon calls the name of the place, ‘The LORD is Peace.’ Before the Israelites had enjoyed peace from the Midianites, Gideon reckoned who God was. He knew that the greatest deliverance they needed was from the wrath of God. It is He who had given them over to the Midianites, and only He could save them from them. In other words, what they needed the most was peace with God.
This is what Jesus would later come to secure for us. Because of our rebellion, we were given over to be oppressed by sin, Satan, and the world. However, God this time did not send one of us but came Himself in human form to secure our total redemption. At the cross, he purchased our pardon and, subsequently, our peace. No wonder then Christ would tell His disciples before going the way of the cross:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27).
Do you find yourself in a situation that seems to oppress you? Look to the One who is your Peace. Let nothing trouble your heart or make you anxious, for God has promised to guard your heart and your mind with His peace. All you need to do is pray.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Reflections
1. Do you long for this kind of peace? Well, you know what to do.
