I am now in my fifth semester of Hebrew, and I really just want to share with y'all some of what I have learned. The truth is, learning Hebrew has not been an easy process, but it has been a fun one and has definitely been worth it.
To start off our Hebrew series, I want to tell y'all all about my favorite word in the Hebrew language: shalom. I know, I know, so mainstream. It may possibly be the most well known word in the Hebrew language. It is even how Israelis say hello!
(Also, I want to clarify, what I have learned of shalom from Hebrew class specifically is more of how it is used in a modern sense. Most of what I discuss today is more in the Biblical sense, and I learned this through independent research after learning about the modern use of shalom in class).
Shalom. What does it mean?
Peace.
It's not a worldly peace. It's peace from God. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), so from that alone, we can know it is from God.
Jason Soroski says it like this in his article, "Beyond being just a simple wish for peace and happiness, the word suggests a state of fullness and perfection; overflowing inner and outer joy and peaceful serenity."
That means that when we have shalom (peace), we are whole, we are full, we are complete. And that is exactly what God does for us when we give our lives to Him.
It all goes back to the Garden of Eden. Before Adam ate the forbidden fruit, there was shalom in the world because man and God were in perfect relationship. But as we all know, Adam ate the fruit, separating all of humankind (including us) from God.
When man was separated from God, he was separated from peace. But praise God, we can have shalom (peace, wholeness, completeness, fullness, joy) again. God sent His Son to pay the price for our sins. God took on human flesh, walked the earth He created, lived the lives we could never live, died the death we should've died, was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day. Now, if we will just place our faith and trust in Him, we will be spared from the wrath of God and enter into perfect, eternal relationship (shalom) with Him. He makes us complete. He gives us peace and joy. THAT is shalom.
This word means a lot to me as someone who has struggled (and still does sometimes) with worry. Here is an example of how God's peace (or shalom shel Elohim, שלום של אלוהים) has been so real in my life. Growing up, almost every time I got invited to a friend's house for a sleepover, at about 2 AM, I would get terrified and have to call my parents to come get me. It was a never-ending cycle it seemed, and the few times they didn't have to come get me it was like a miracle.
Well, fast forward to senior year of high school, God called me to UTK, and I knew He wanted me to live on campus. It was a scary thought because well, I was such a homebody. I felt safe at home. I worried about how I would handle living on campus, but I knew it was God's Will. When I moved into the dorm, of course I had the typical "butterflies" so to speak that all college freshmen have, but in terms of that crippling fear I felt when I got homesick at sleepovers growing up, I never felt that. Not once. In fact, I loved living on campus.
God sure kept His promise from Psalm 4:8, "I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety." (And if you were wondering that "peace" there in the original text is shalom).
That is a clear example of how shalom is possible even in such a stressful, uncertain world, but it is important to note that we only find shalom in the One who is peace Himself. Jesus.
You see, Jesus is peace. The Bible calls Him "the Prince of Peace." The Jewish prophet Isaiah prophesied this of the coming Messiah:
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6 KJV).
This verse is pretty cool because in the Old Testament, we get to see that Jesus is God ("The mighty God," John 1:1), He is peace ("The Prince of Peace," John 14:27), and He is eternal ("The everlasting Father," 1 John 5:20).
I also included some New Testament verses in parenthesis there to show some of the connection between the OT and NT about Jesus and who He is. (There is A LOT more because from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible testifies of who He is).
I know that was going off on a bit of a tangent, but I would not really be talking about shalom if I didn't talk about Jesus. Peace without Him is impossible. If you want true peace, true shalom, eternal peace that can never fade, confess your sins to Jesus today and make Him the Lord and Savior of your life. If you have questions about how to do that or just more about who Jesus is, never hesitate to reach out to me. That's why I do what I do.
I feel so much closer to God after knowing (some) of the language of the Old Testament. While I do study Modern Hebrew rather than Biblical, there is so much connection between the two. I encourage you to keep up with this Hebrew series and learn some Hebrew for yourself because it will only bring you closer to Elohim (God), and you will get to know Him in a deeper, more personal way. Also, if you go to Israel someday, make sure to tell the locals, Shalom!
יש לי שלום בישוע כי הוא אלוהים והמשיח.
Translation: I have peace in Jesus (Yeshua) because He is God and the Messiah.
Transliteration: Yesh lee shalom ba-Yeshua kee Hoo Elohim ve-HaMashiach.
שלום,
לסלי
(Shalom, Leslie)
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