THE STORY OF SHALOM

When I visited Israel years ago, I was impressed by the incredible significance and the lessons to be learned everywhere we went! The names of gates, cities, streets…  the walls, the mountains, even the rocks cry out with the eternal story and link us to our Creator. I was compelled to pick up little rocks everywhere we went, as though I needed to preserve and savor every connection to the Holy Land. 

That same sense of wonder is aroused as I study the word of God and learn the lovely language of Israel. I’m in love with the Hebrew alphabet! Or, I should say, the aleph-bet! In Hebrew, unlike any other language, every letter has a story, a meaning, even a numeric value—and every jot and tittle has significance! I LOVE THAT!

This morning I woke up meditating on the word ‘shalom.’ I pictured it written in Hebrew with the lovely shapes of the letters, and started taking them one by one, thinking about what each letter teaches.

Isn’t it beautiful? Shin, lamed, vav, mem. I just went into my photoshop and added the little dots, called niqqud, over the right branch of the shin and the upper left of the vav. 

Let’s go letter by letter… 

1. First, the shin, on the far right, resembles a menorah like the one used in the tabernacle. It burned with oil and the fire was never to go out. Remember, God said He is a consuming fire and we know He never slumbers or sleeps. Yahovah watches over His people day and night. So, the menorah symbolizes Yeshua who said, “I am the light of the world.” He came down to show us the way and guide us to the Father of lights. 

This lovely letter is actually pronounced, “sh,” just like you were hushing a baby and rocking him to sleep. Whenever you’re feeling anxious or worried, imagine the Lord of Creation holding you in his arms and whispering, “Shhh, I got you! I AM your defender and protector who never sleeps. I see everything clearly and always, always know the way! In my presence there is no darkness. So, you can rest in Me.” 

2. Second, the lamed, the 12th letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet, and the one that clearly looms high above every other letter. It is right in the middle, at the heart of the whole list of 23 letters, and because it is the highest, it is said to represent the King of Kings. 

This idea is even more developed by its neighboring letters on each side of it. Interestingly, on the one side the preceding letter represents the throne of glory and the other side is the mem, which represents malkut, the kingdom. When these three letters are put together, they spell the word Melekh, which means king. Surprise! Yeshua is right there, standing, leading, sovereign and powerful, watching over you! 

מֶלֶךְ

If that’s not enough, the lamed is shaped like a shepherd’s staff. So add this letter to the first one and you already have an incredible message:  “Shhh, I got you! I know the way and I will guide you as a shepherd guides his precious lamb. Follow me. I AM King of the Universe!”

3. We’re already blessed and we’re only half-way through the word! Now we come to the incredible humble vav. It is shaped like a tent peg and the very first time it is seen in the Torah is in the very first sentence. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The vav is the 6th word of the Torah and literally connects the heavens and the earth in this first sentence of the entire Bible.

.רֵאשִׁית, בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵת הָאָרֶץבְּ

The tent peg also reminds us of the silver pegs in the Tabernacle that bound the curtains in the place where God would meet and dwell with us. Of course, tent peg also points to the large stakes that literally pinned Yeshua to the cross. Truly, this is where heaven came down and made a way for the sons of Adam to be accepted in heavenlies. By accepting those nails into his own flesh, He established peace with God on our behalf. He PAID it all! 

So the lovely little vav seems to whisper a reminder that heaven has come down, and His presence is promised. He has said, “I AM Yahovah your God. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Trust in God; trust also in me. I am with you always. I will hold your life in my nail-pierced hands.  I bind you to me FOREVER!” 

4. Last but not least, the mem. Centuries ago it was first written to resemble waves, up and down three times, because the Hebrew word for water is mayim. What a great illustration of the Torah, God’s Word, as a fountain of wisdom for all who find it. And again, “whoever drinks the water I will give him will never thirst again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!” (Jn 4:14)  

Remember the time Messiah stood up on the last day of the feast called Hoshana Rabbah, and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!” (Jn 7:37-38) 

The passage goes on to describe how this living water referred to the Holy Spirit that was yet to be sent. Is there any better way to have peace than by God’s Word and the Holy Spirit in our lives?
So, to wrap it up, isn’t it beautiful how the very letters of the word shalom instruct us?

Let's sum it up... 

It begins with a message about the unending fire of God, the light of the world, wrapping His arms around us as a Father holding His child and shushing us to calm our fears. We are held by the all-seeing Father of lights!

Then, we are gently reminded that He is King of the Universe, still on the throne. He has risen up above anything that would threaten to undo us. He is our living Shepherd. Nothing can separate us from His great love and no one is more powerful!

He is bound to us just as Yeshua bound himself to the cross to prove the extent of his love and bring us the promise of heaven. We are secure!

He gave us everything we need in unending supply, including living water, a fountain of life bubbling up. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer and gives unlimited wisdom, unending comfort, and HIS incredible peace! Do not fear!

No matter where you are and no matter what you’re facing, remember what Jesus said: 

“My peace I give to you. 
Not like the world gives, give I to you. 

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

SHALOM!

John14:27