THE GOD OF PEACE
Wednesday – August 15, 2018, Elul 4, 5778
Welcome back to this Bible Study from the wonderful Book of Hebrews. The featured photo was taken just outside of the restaurant Archer’s on The Pier in Rockland, Maine. An excellent restaurant by the way.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (KJV)
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
What a wonderful prayer, I have even placed it at the end of this teaching for you and have spoken this prayer over every reader just as our writer of Hebrews did over all of his/her readers. As I have discussed before in these teachings, the word “now” is not always a reference to time but is a conjunctive tying one idea with another. In this case the “now” ties together his request for prayer and his prayer spoken on their behalf. There are those who believe in silent prayers however I do not and see no Bible model for that idea. That is not to say we cannot have conversation with God silently. However, if we are looking to take what is supernatural and bring it into the natural it must be decreed aloud. We commonly hear the phrase; “my thoughts and prayers are with you”. The thoughts are useless concerning any situation in my life or yours. The prayers if they are asking God to do something absent a God given decree from our mouth are equally worthless.
Now I will turn to the phrase “God of peace”. The word “peace” in this context is talking about wholeness, nothing missing and nothing broken. The word “peace” is singular in number and feminine in gender meaning that it is productive in our lives. Like everything else in the Word of God, the peace of God is productive or active only when it is declared (decreed) in faith, motivated by love. God is the author of peace, it is part and parcel of God, when mankind was made in His image and likeness it was placed within the spiritual DNA. This was dead for a season but restored by the sacrifice and Resurrection of Christ Jesus. Now every aspect of peace is as much ours as it is God’s by faith. According to Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary this word peace is defined as prosperity, one, quietness, rest, and being set at one again. Brother and sister think, meditate on this, the prosperity of God is our prosperity. His oneness with Jesus and the Holy Spirit now includes us being one with Him. His tranquility or quietness is our quietness or tranquility. His rest or provision is our rest and provision. Finally, like the first Adam and like Jesus the last Adam we are one with God in Christ Jesus. This is not theoretical pie in the sky this is our reality. Whether this is functioning in our lives is wholly dependent upon us. First, we must cross the bridge of whether or not we believe any of this. Next have we received it by faith and declare (decree) it irrespective of our apparent circumstances? The Word of God will change our circumstances and our whole way of thinking. To successfully walk with God is not for sissies (cowards). Jesus is not carrying us in the absence of obedience to the Word of God, and our acting in faith, in love, led of the Spirit of God. That is only for placards we like to put on our walls.
The writer of Hebrews now proceeds to tell us that this God of peace is the One who brought our Lord Jesus from the dead. This would make sense now that we have studied the word peace. Peace is a word of productivity; the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus has certainly been productive. The One who raised Jesus from the dead completely restoring Him has also raised us from the dead completely restoring us as well. O what a God! The Grace of God (Holy Spirit) has again given or spirit man life and we once again can hear from and communicate with God. We are renewing our minds. All of us saved or not are in the image and likeness God. However, Christians have the responsibility of renewing the mind which conforms our thoughts to the thoughts of God. We then begin to talk more and more like God, and to act more and more like God. The Word of God that we receive as Truth also impacts this physical body giving us health and longevity. And, not to far down the road we will all receive that uncorrupted, immortal, body like unto our Saviors. O what a day that will be!
There are those who believe that Jesus only died physically upon the Cross but we know that is not true for all of our sin was put upon Him and the wages of sin is death, spiritual then physical death. At the point of spiritual death Jesus cried out in anguish to His Father for they had not be separated ever, for eternity. A price had to be paid to restore spiritual life as well as immortal physical life. Jesus did that for us all for the joy set before Him!
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Hebrews 13:20-21 (TLB)
20 And now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus,
21 equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he who became the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting agreement between God and you, signed with his blood, produce in you through the power of Christ all that is pleasing to him. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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