This week, there’s been a lot of news about the conflict in the Middle East, especially as the war continues between Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel. Israel has brutally bombed Lebanon in their blood thirsty pursuit to annihilate its enemy.
Despite a supposedly cease-fire in the Iran war, Vice President JD Vance elaborated that, “Lebanon is not part of that cease-fire.” Their hope is that through military might, they can achieve peace or at least a cease-fire. However, God’s people cannot use the ways of the world to accomplish God’s will, no matter how they try to justify their evil actions (Deuteronomy 18: 9-14, Romans 12:2):
- Force
- Greed
- Deception
As God’s people, we are commanded to surrender our evil and selfish ways to God’s will (Galatians 2:20, James 4:7). We are called to be different from this power-hungry world, not to try to rule just like it.
We do not trust in the comforts of this world; we rest in the love and provision of God (Psalm 37:3-5, 1 John 2:15-17). Jesus rebuked His Disciples for wanting to use earthly might to do God’s will and bring peace (Luke 9:51-56).
What Is Peace
Peace means different things to each of us, but ultimately it is where we find comfort or solace: money, security, accomplishments, or pleasure.
Peace is defined as “A state of tranquility: freedom from disturbance.” Unfortunately, because we each have a different perspective on peace, it is often misunderstood. Things don’t have to be perfect or exactly the way we want them to be for us to experience peace.
The world expects and demands a feel-good peace that will not last because we live in a temporary and fallen kingdom. But God’s people know a different type of peace that the world does not know or understand (Isaiah 26:3, John 14:27, Philippians 4:7).
That is why the Bible has a lot to say about peace and where it comes from (Acts 9:31, Hebrews 12:11-14; 13:20-21).
Despite what chaos is going on in the world, God’s people still have peace because we put our faith in God, not our circumstances. God’s people cannot put our hope into the temporary things and greatness that do not satisfy (Ecclesiastes 5:10, 1 Timothy 6:17, Hebrews 13:5).
The peace of God is deeper and everlasting than any temporary peace or cease-fire that mankind can negotiate or manipulate (Romans 15:13, Philippians 4:7, Colossians 3:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:16). The apostle Paul remembered his Jewish education about peace and why it is important for God’s people and this fallen world.
Šālôm
The Torah tells us how everything God created was good, and there was peace in the world/garden at first (Genesis 1:10-31, 2:8-15). Both God and man were able to rest after they finished their work; God knows the peace that comes only from rest after a hard day’s work.
After the fall, sin and chaos entered the world, and the peace was broken, and work became harder (Genesis 3:16-19). Thanks to God’s love and grace, He had a plan to bring peace back into the world, even though mankind is evil and full of chaos (Genesis 6:5).
The Hebrew word in the Old Testament for peace is šālôm, and it can also mean “Welfare, prosperity, safety, or health,” depending upon the context it is used in.
God promised to give His people peace if they obeyed and trusted Him (Leviticus 26:3-6, Deuteronomy 28:1-7, Isaiah 32:17-18, Ezekiel 37:26). That is why Judaism emphasizes pursuing peace (Psalm 34:1-32):
- Rodfey Shalom (active pursuit)
- Shalom Bayit (peace in the home)
- Derehel Shalom (way of peace)
- Universal peace
- Truth and justice (tzedek)
Despite our Jewish forefathers expecting and wanting a military and political Messiah to come to the rescue, he instead came as a humble servant to show them a different kind of peace (John 3:16-19).
Jesus offered a peace that this fallen kingdom cannot understand or accomplish (Matthew 11:28-30, John 14:27). He emphasized peace with God over peace with the world (Matthew 10:34-36).
Our Lord taught and practiced peace by faith, not by force, like our Jewish forefathers wanted (Matthew 5:9; 26:52-53). Not much has changed over the last 2000+ years.
Pope Leo
In other big news this week, there was a big feud between Pres. Trump and Pope Leo over the Iran war. The president insisted that he knew what the world needed better than the Pope did. To make matters worse, fellow Catholic JD Van’s interjected his prideful condemnation of the Pope and warned him about the Pope’s theology.
The Trump administration is so obsessed with power that they want to control the narrative of spiritual truth and use its positions to force faith and peace around the world. The problem is the president and JD Vance look at the world through a earthly lands and not a spiritual lens like the Pope and God’s people are supposed to do (Romans 12:2-4):
- Forgiving others
- Loving our neighbors
- Loving our enemies
- Putting others first
- Letting God avenge us
The president and his military efforts to force faith and peace contradict the basic teachings of Jesus. Even his blasphemous AI image of himself as Jesus glorified force and earthly power instead of the humility and the love of Jesus.
I am shocked by how many conservatives and high-profile Christians still support and defend a leader who contradicts the God and faith they claim to believe in. These so-called Christians straddle the fence instead of holding to the faith; they want the best of both worlds, which Jesus said we cannot do (Matthew 6:24).
Worse yet, anyone who stands on truth and opposes this administration’s ungodly and un-American actions is quickly labeled as a traitor or ignorant of Christian teachings. These self-righteous pastors need to get the plank out of their own eyes and repent of their idolatry.
Jesus warned us about those who walk away from the faith in the last days (Matthew 24:10-13). These people have placed their hope in temporary pleasures and earthly greatness that will not last, just like the paper-thin cease-fires some nations instill to look good. As I write this, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a temporary 10-daycease-fire that is nothing like God’s everlasting šālôm!
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