[This post completes the series considering the seven compound names of Jehovah. Please see the first post for the introduction and the comment on “Jehovah-Jireh”. See the previous post for the comments on “Jehovah-Rapha”, “Jehovah-Nissi”, and “Jehovah-M’kaddesh”. (Ed.)]
Jehovah-Shalom: “The-Lord-Is-Peace” (Judges 6:24)
After Gideon realized he had seen the Angel of the Lord face to face, he feared for his life. The Lord comforted him by saying, “Peace be with you; do not fear.” One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that the Lord gives us peace that He might send us out to war! In response, Gideon built an altar to worship God, which he called Jehovah-Shalom: The-Lord-Is-Peace. As believers, we possess a twofold peace: peace with God, and the peace of God.[1] First of all, “having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Christ Himself is our peace, and has reconciled us to God through His work on the cross. As children of God, we can also experience inner tranquility in all our circumstances through confidence in His love and power. “Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7).
Jehovah-Tsidkenu: “The-Lord-Our-Righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16)[2]
The prophet Isaiah wrote that we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Even our best efforts could never tip the balance to earn favor with God. It is only of His doing that we are in Christ Jesus, who became our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30). “In Christ Jesus” expresses a new position, a vital union like a branch abiding in the vine. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). On the cross, our iniquity was laid on the Lord Jesus in exchange for His perfect righteousness. “God sees my Savior, and then He sees me, ‘In the Beloved,’ accepted and free” (Civilla Martin). Although we couldn’t do anything to earn our own righteousness, it is a family trait of the new birth: “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practises righteousness is born of Him (1 Jn. 2:29). It is interesting to compare Ephesians 6:14 with 1 Thessalonians 5:8, where the breastplate of righteousness is called the breastplate of faith and love. Righteousness is faith working through love (Gal. 5:5-6)! Let’s practise expressing our faith through love as we witness to others about the gift of righteousness.
Jehovah-Shammah: “The-Lord-Is-There” (Ezekiel 48:35)
The amazing prophecy of Ezekiel ends with a description of the Millennial temple in the city of Jerusalem, which will be filled with the glory of God and will be called “The-Lord-Is-There.” In Revelation 21:2-4 we are given a vision of New Jerusalem, our heavenly home: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” What a hope! Even now, throughout our journey of life, the Lord Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). He is always with us: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). May we also be encouraged in our corporate fellowship around the Lord Jesus, realizing that “where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).
As others have observed, these seven compound names of Jehovah are beautifully incorporated into Psalm 23:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. [Jehovah-Jirah]
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. [Jehovah-Shalom]
He restores my soul; [Jehovah-Rapha]
He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. [Jehovah-Tsidkenu]
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. [Jehovah-Shammah]
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; [Jehovah-Nissi]
You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. [Jehovah-M’kaddesh]
[Yes, because Jehovah is my Provider, my Peace and my Righteousness; because He is always with me; because He is my Banner and my Sanctification]:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Endnotes
[1] Similarly, Jesus told His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (Jn. 14:27).
[2] Jehovah-Tsidkenu and Jehovah-Shalom are combined in Psalm 85:10: “Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed.” God’s essential attributes of love and holiness intersected at the cross of Christ; His mercy provided what His righteousness demanded. “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).