Jehovah-Shalom

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 9
In the times of the Judges we read of the Midianites sorely oppressing the children of Israel. When they cried in their distress to the Lord, He sent a prophet with a comforting message. Then an angel of the LORD (Jehovah) appeared to Gideon, a young man, threshing wheat by the winepress to hide it from the marauding Midianites. The Angel of the LORD, Jehovah Himself, astonished the young man by saying, " The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor " (Judg. 6:1212And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor. (Judges 6:12)), and forthwith commissioned him to be the deliverer of Israel from the yoke of the Midianites. Gideon, seeing that the One, that spoke with him, was the Angel of the LORD, asked for a sign, which was granted. Gideon prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour. These he presented to the heavenly Visitor, who touched them with the point of His staff, whereupon fire rose out of the rock, consuming the flesh and the cakes, and the Angel of the Lord disappeared out of his sight.
When Gideon, discovering that the heavenly Visitor was the Angel of the LORD, was in consternation, the Angel of the LORD calmed his spirit, " Peace be unto thee; fear not; thou shalt not die. Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it JEHOVAH-SHALOM [The LORD send peace]." (Judg. 6:23, 2423And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovah-shalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (Judges 6:23‑24)).