Peace in Our Time
Lord, You will establish peace for us, since You have also performed for us all our works. Isaiah 26:12 NASB
Since – ki is a very flexible conjunction in Hebrew. TWOT notes: “(kî) as though, as, because that, but, certainly, except, for, surely, since, that, then, when, etc.” The range of meanings is broad. Context must determine (when it can) how we are to read the word. In this verse, instead of concentrating on the existence of peace, let’s think about the reason the prophet gives for establishing peace. Clearly (ah, that might be the word ki in Hebrew), the prophet suggests that peace is not a function of politics, economics, education, equality, human rights or any of the typical positions we hear about so often. According to Isaiah, peace is the result of what God does. How do we know this? Ah, that’s ki. We know peace is God’s work because God has also performed all the other community and cultural accomplishments that make us a people. In other words, it is God’s prior faithfulness that gives us the confidence to announce that peace will come. But it won’t come on any other terms. God alone performed the actions necessary to call His people into existence and God alone will bring peace.
Now let’s briefly look at the verb translated “establish.” It’s šāpat. It means “to set, to ordain.” Here it is in the imperfect tense, that is, a yet-to-be-completed action. God’s peace isn’t like signing a treaty or passing a law. It is a process, a divinely ordered and divinely guided process that is ongoing. In fact, it hasn’t stopped since Isaiah, and it won’t stop until the creation is returned to its original purpose. So don’t hold your breath for a Middle-East Peace Treaty. Oh, what men do may be part of the process, but I can pretty much guarantee you that Torah isn’t going to pour forth from Zion as a result of an agreement between the PLO and the Knesset. Real peace seems to be a distant hope in this world. Unless . . . .
Ah, you were waiting for me to say, “Unless the King returns.” Yes, that is also part of the process. But there’s a lot to do before that happens. What I want to say is this: “Unless you and I do what we can to restore the world now.” In other words, since it is God who will truly bring about peace, our tasks are preparing for that eventuality. We are getting the world ready for the King. And that means all the little things we do that create small slices of Kingdom recovery are essential. We can’t save every starfish on the beach, but . . . . You know the rest.
Now try reading the verse with a few of the other meanings of ki. “You will establish peace ki You have also performed.” Certainly. Because. For. When. Surely. Maybe the umbrella of meaning helps remind us that there is more than one way to look at God’s involvement with peace, and we need to recognize them all if we are going to do what’s necessary now.
Topical Index: ki, since, šāpat, peace, Isaiah 26:12
Peace. Shalom. Balance. Orderly systems performance. Restoration of communication breakdowns. Homeostasis within organisms and between all of creation. Getting hooked back up to the central circuit because our little wire problem has been resolved and we aren’t a shortout danger to the larger grid any more: I can’t do any of that!
I woke up thinking about the use of the word “works” in the NT, and the story Yeshua tells of the judgment of the sheep and the goats. I realized that the word “works” is not talking about sin; it means GOOD works; the actions of love. However, not all actions of love result in peace, or, reconnection with the big picture. The world does a whole lot of actions that look just like love, but those actions do not result in furthering the kingdom of God. Very evil people seem to live exemplary lives with fantastic – looking marriages and huge charity projects and great health practices and solid connections with others to their credit, but I fear they were who Yeshua was saying that His Father will announce that He “never knew you” to. So many Christians and good Jews are going to find this out, too. And so many of us, too, who spent a lifetime in the trenches of the Law, hustling so hard, are going to see a whole lot of our “good works” burned like “wood, hay, stubble”, and just ourselves saved by the skin of our teeth. WHY?
In Revelation 4:11 the 24 elders worship by giving “glory, honor and power” to God, and Yeshua taught us to pray by likewise giving to Him “the kingdom, the power and the glory”. now, what kingdom, power and glory do we ‘have’ to give Him? Well, its obvious we usurped the throne created in our hearts for Him, and its likewise obvious that when we sit on that throne we seek the glory (credit) for, well, what? That would be those “good works”, would it not? Works done in our own strength, and for our purposes – however good those purposes may be. What power do we have to hand back over? The power of choice; of will. When we decide what ‘good’ is, and what motivation is to do it, are not these our choices? But the prayer teaches us to pray “Thy will (power) be done”. How? By using our will to choose His will to do those works. Yeshua said “I work, and My Father works”. He did nothing without His Father; He buried His will in His Father’s will, and showed us how.
Good done in our own strength (power of will) is called “dead works” by Paul; good deeds done in the flesh because we chose to do them for our reasons (motivation). These are works that Yeshua stood in the temple and told His disciples that the reward for such had already been enjoyed; there was no further reward. The only way to turn the power back over to God is to get out of the driver’s seat of the will and to quit using the power of our own motivations; our own choices. Our choice (will) exists to choose His will.
Living God’s choices through me: this is a learned process, but we have to start somewhere, for our little wiring will not be safe to hook back up to the main line (restoration of peace) until our transformer (will) gets transformed. Until then, good works are just dead works, for the branches are still not getting sap from the main Vine to grow with. There is only one way to get new life: lay down ours. There is only one way to do what He is choosing; quit doing our own choosing. Love is not love unless it is getting sap from the Vine, for He only equips and powers what He designs. We have to choose to let Him “perform for us all our works” by quitting our own performance of them. Vicarious life: time to start over! Again!
Yes, “Real peace seems a distant hope in the world. Unless…..”
“Unless…..you and I do what we can to restore the world now”?
Does that make real peace less of a distant hope in the world? Maybe so, in some small sense, but I’m not so sure that, in the big picture, us doing what we can to restore the world now makes that much of a difference to the coming advent of peace in the world. I wish it would. I wish we had the power to affect a peace that quickly spread across the earth in a lasting way. But no such hope, unfortunately. Even Messiah coming, the “Consolation of Israel”, the “Prince of Peace”, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”, hasn’t made that happen, YET! And how much of the reason for Messiah coming in the first place was due to Israel restoring the world before He came? Not much as I see it.
I do believe it does make a difference, in a small since, for us to restore the world now, though even then I’m not so sure it’s even a very lasting peace that we affect. I think we should do what we can, when we can, but I actually wonder if It may be that our efforts to restore the world through our own righteousness of living, mostly just assures that WE, OURSELVES, are on the right side of God’s judgment when “Adonai is coming out from His place to punish inhabitants of the earth for iniquity”, and to bring peace in the world. Showing grace to the wicked usually doesn’t teach them righteousness. They continue to act wrongly. They don’t perceive it and they either don’t believe there is a God they will have to answer to for their unrighteousness, or they don’t believe He will bring them down as surely as He promises He will.
Nevertheless, in the meantime, I, myself, will pursue living a righteous life, even if only because He is worthy, and even if only because it is good for those whom I love in my little world, and even if only because it keeps ME on His good side. However, if and when the time comes, I will also heed His instructions when “Adonai is coming out from His place to punish inhabitants of the earth for iniquity”. I will go and enter my room, and shut my door behind me. I will hide for a little while, until the wrath is past.
“Though grace is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness. Even in a land of uprightness he will act wrongly, not perceiving the majesty of Adonai. Adonai, Your hand is lifted up, yet they do not see it; They will see Your zeal for the people and be put to shame. Yes, fire will devour Your enemies.” [Isa 26:10-11]
“Go, my people, enter your rooms, and shut your doors behind you. Hide for a little while, until the wrath is past. For behold, Adonai is coming out from His place to punish inhabitants of the earth for iniquity. The earth will disclose her bloodshed, no longer covering up her slain.” [Isa 26:20-21]
I agree. There is no peace for the wicked. In fact, we have to quit getting along with the world (its version of ‘peace’) before we can have peace with God. I think we are reluctant to go all the way with that because it leaves the rest of the world nowhere to hide; which is decision time for them. We have to bring the boil to a head. Time to pursue peace without the world, which will bring the wrath of the world down on us. Fasten your seat belt!
What difference does it make? I don’t think we have any idea of the impact on the world that we have. Perhaps, it’s the focus that needs to be defined though. As this passage so clearly points out, it’s God who establishes peace, not us. Our “job” (or is that Job?) is to do the work ordained for us as a sacrifice of love. It’s interesting that the day to day sacrifices done in the temple, and especially, those performed during the feast of tabernacles points towards them being effectual for the nations (70), not just the children of Israel. It always blows my mind when I read of the loathing of Israel by the surrounding nations and yet, those same nations owed their present existence (by God’s wrath on them being restrained) to those they despised. If that sounds strangely familiar, look at the Messiah who is the epitome of Israel and what they were called to. All the nations live in the benefit of His sacrifice of love, including Israel. And, what’s our job as christ (ians), little christs? Perhaps to impose mercy and grace and justice in every endeavor we’ve been gifted with as a sacrifice of love to God and, to those made in His Image. Does it matter if our endeavors end in peace? Peace will come, in God’s time and of His making, meanwhile, every sacrifice we do in bringing mercy where mercy doesn’t exist and grace and love, is also a covering for the nations. Even the ones who despise us.
And then there’s Noah.
The on-goingness of God’s divine plan does ask for our participation.
“continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God
who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”
Yes, peace is the goal — His peace. “Peace I leave with you; My peace
I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.”
Our key contribution is our true submission to Him. That way, He’ll direct
our paths, He’ll prompt our obedience, and He’ll empower us to do His will.
There’s no more significant task for man on this earth than to follow Him.
Yeshua set the standard. Yeshua IS the standard.
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 25:15. Today, 26 Nissan, is the day it is believed that Joshua died at 110 years. Joshua was one of only two people from the original group who was allowed to enter the Promise Land. But, even in his death, Joshua speaks to us…he was a man of obedience. “As the Lord had commanded Moses, His servant, so Moses commanded Joshua, and so Joshua did. He left nothing undone of all that the Lord had commanded Moses.” Joshua 11:15. May we commit ourselves to finding and fulfilling what the King has for us to do…as individuals, families, congregations, communities and as a people.
From a person that does not pray much all peace and joy from God is only made possible through faith in God and verbalizing our concerns, in thoughts or expression, so that God can hear our heart beating in line with his then he will provide wisdom.
As Laurita said the deeds that are aligned with His power. Cloth the naked, feed the hungry, provide quenching for those that thirst and visit the captive in all humbleness. Question what does this really mean… Literally or by the example Yeshua showed?
Prayer is our lifeline to the King. Sincere prayer from God’s children doesn’t go unheard. He listens…things change…most of all, our relationship with him grows deeper. Try it. You may be surprised at what happens.
I used to pray repetitive prayers three plus times a day in the past… Then someone said I am praying wrong I should pray what is truly on my heart. I responded if I have nothing then the only prayer I know is the Our Father… Again in the repetitive pray syndrome.
Yes earnest prayers are answered that I can bare witness of. But morning, meals and night prayers I just cannot catch onto.
When I have issues for which I have reached a dead end I pray and the leave it there and things are resolved how only God knows.
Maybe I have the wrong idea about praying?
Thank you for the advice, Judi. Skip once wrote about prayer maybe I should go back three years and revisit those discussions as well…
Entering into the presence of the Lord to talk with Him can be intimidating. As I’m learning to lean into my comfort zone, I’m discovering how much He delights in hearing from His children. He desires that we come to Him with our praise, thanksgiving and concerns. It’s not repetitive to Him. He never tires of hearing us saying “thank you.” In fact, I’m pretty sure He is offended when we don’t…even if multiple times a day and before/after every meal. It feels repetitive to us, but not to Him. Likewise, hearing our praise or listening to our concerns are not tiring to Him. It’s hard for us to comprehend because WE would get tired of hearing the same thing over and over. But, the Hebrew Scriptures are full of repetition…all inspired or commanded by the LORD. After studying the book of Leviticus and the sacrificial system, I have a heightened awareness of how Yeshua, the ultimate sacrificial Lamb, has made it possible for us to enter into the presence of HaShem and talk directly to Him. My gratitude has increased exponentially…things I’ve known in my head are working their way into my heart.
Seeker, do you think God needs to hear you checking in with Him three times a day so that He knows that you are still alive or is He really waiting to hear about how you are feeling, deep down inside, about how you are responding to Him, how He is responding to you? He knows where you physically are but does He know where are you emotionally? How are you relating to Him? Mad, sad, scared, joyful, powerful, peaceful or some derivative thereof? Have you told Him lately? Might He be waiting to hear? Is He afraid of what you might say? Are you nervous about telling Him?
If you “have nothing in your heart” then maybe you are not living the life that you should be but I doubt it. Just thinking. Start digging. You can and will find it if you are honest. It is there.
Just pondering on some of the things I have been learning lately from one much wiser than me.
Judi and George. Thank you for the words of support and inspiration to enter into the verbal relationship with God.
No He knows everything of everyone which in its self is amazing I work with 20 000 people and can maybe only relate to 60 of them after 12 years…
What I hear is that you both are maybe reminding me that through my silence I may be creating a void between me and God like the rich man and Lazarus parable…
Talk as often as I can, say thank you and mean it, bring praise and show amazement I will take this advise to heart and try overcome my conviction of God knows all so do not worry he will always be in control… We must surrender to allow his control and one way is through honest deep felt prayer…