In the cultures and contexts within which the Bible was produced, and in the pages of Scripture itself, the word “peace” is loaded with meaning. To the Jew, the word is not only reassuring, but also stirring and exciting. This might be surprising to English speakers since in our minds the definition is limited to mean merely an absence of conflict. Yet, when Old Testament saints spoke of peace, they meant far more. In theOldTestament,our EnglishBibles use theword “peace” to translate the Hebrew word “shalom”. The concept of shalom includes the absence of conflict—no war, no hostility, no fighting. But, it adds to that the presence of flourishing. Shalom is about harmony and happiness, fruitfulness and friendship, agreement and abundance. Among God’s people, the word shalom was more than a description of a tranquil state. It became a blessing. To wish your neighbor shalom was not just to say, “I hope everything is quiet and nonviolent at your home,” but instead to say, “May your home be blessed with bounty and beauty!” The blessing of shalom echoes the creation mandate given to humanity by God. “Be fruitful and multiply,” He said in Genesis 1. DECEMBER 1 2 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. ROMANS 5: 1 “
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