Yeshua is everything to us: our salvation, our hope, our future, to name a few. It is important to get to know Him as well as possible. We can do this by interacting with Him and also by reading the Bible. It is the word of Yehovah and Yeshua is the living Word of Yehovah. This series, entitled “Who Is Yeshua?” will consist of twenty-one articles. Each article will explore a different section of the Bible to discover different titles and roles of Yeshua and our response to each role. In the fifteenth article in the series, Yeshua is Sar Shalom.
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; dominion will rest on his shoulders, and he will be given the name … Sar-Shalom [Prince of Peace] (Is 9:6)
In English, we say that Yeshua is the Prince of Peace and we are speaking the truth, but not the complete truth. In Hebrew, sar means prince, leader, ruler, but the Hebrew word shalom means much more than just an absence of war or conflict. The root word of shalom is shalam. It is used several times in Exodus 21 and 22 where Moses is giving instructions to the Israelites concerning Yehovah’s commands to them. In this instance, Moshe is discussing the compensation (shalam) that must be paid in case of personal injury to another or in case of damage to another’s property. In these two chapters shalam is translated as “make it good”, “shall surely pay”, “make full restitution” or to “restore”. (“The True Meaning of Shalom” by Doug Hershey, firmisrael.org) Yeshua paid full restoration for our sin in order to restore our relationship with Yehovah (Rom 5:1).
As if paying our debt wasn’t enough, Yeshua provides even more for us. He restores to us all that has been lost through our own sinful choices as well as all that has been stolen or destroyed due to sabotage from our enemy, hasatan. Yeshua restores our dignity, our true identity in Yehovah, and our lost dreams (Col 1:22). He heals our soul wounds as well as our physical ailments (Is 53:5). Everything that was lost to us through the fall of Adam and Eve or through our own fault, is restored to us (James 1:4). In order to experience all that Yeshua provides, we must have an active personal relationship with Him. The more we seek Yeshua and trust Him, the more He restores to us.
Another definition of shalom is “full of well-being; healthy, prosperous.” Shalom has been used as a greeting for centuries, even during Yeshua’s time. In Luke 24:36, the resurrected Yeshua surprised his disciples by suddenly appearing in a room with locked doors and greeting them with “shalom aleikhem” or “shalom to all of you.” This greeting is a blessing, a wishing someone to be completely well and prosperous. Only in Yeshua can we realize our full potential.
We are restored, not only for our own pleasure, but in order to be fully prepared and equipped to carry out our assignments in the Kingdom of Heaven (Heb 13:20-21). Yehovah’s underlying purpose is to establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. He created and fully equipped Adam and Eve for such a purpose. When they succumbed to the deception of hasatan, Yehovah made new provisions, at great sacrifice to Himself and to Yeshua, in order to carry out His kingdom-building plan. Yehovah is establishing His kingdom on earth, not only for His own pleasure, but for us as well. He graciously allows us to participate in His great work. As a result, we are blessed abundantly as we participate in His work. When we seek Yehovah with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength, we will experience true shalom.
Now may the Lord of shalom himself give you shalom always in all ways. The Lord be with all of you (2 Thessalonians 3:16).
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