Isaiah 9:6 (Amplified) says, "For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father (of eternity), Prince of Peace"
The gift of Christmas through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, was peace with the Father. We read in Isaiah 54:10 & 13 (Amplified), "For though the mountains should depart and the hills be shaken or removed, yet My love and kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace and completeness be removed, says the Lord, Who has compassion on you." Verse 13 says, "And all your (spiritual) children shall be disciples (taught by the Lord and obedient to His will) and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children."
As Christians, we are heirs of Christ and are the spiritual children spoken of in the last verse. We have been born again by the Spirit. The Father made a declaration concerning the cross is Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) saying, "For this is like the days of Noah to Me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not e angry with you or rebuke."
I asked the Lord what this verse meant and He told me that the cross would be to you and me like the rainbow was to Noah. Every time it rained, Noah could look at the rainbow and know there would never be another flood. Every time we look at the cross, we should know that God will never be angry or rebuke us like He did in the old covenant. Only then would we be able to walk in and enter into this peace and rest.
As Christians, we have failed to understand all that the cross brought to pass in our new lives. We are to labor to enter into this peace according to Hebrews 4. Jesus said in John 14:27 (Amplified), "Peace I leave with you; My peace (My Own peace) I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled)."
Read what Jesus said in John 14:27 in conjunction with what the Father said in Isaiah 54:14, "You shall establish yourself in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order); You shall be far from even the thought oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you, Behold, they may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from Me. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall fall and surrender to you."
The Hebrew word for "peace" as in Prince of Peace from Isaiah 9;6 and Isaiah 54:10-13 is listed in the Concordance as "shalom." The Hebrew word "shalom" means, "safe, happy, friendly, also welfare i.e. health, prosperity, peace, familiar, favor, friend, great, good health, perfect (such as to be at peace, all is well, be well, wholly, to be safe (in mind, body and estate), to be completed, (made) to be friendly, (to reciprocate) make amends, make and end to, finish, make good, beat peace, make restitution, restore, reward, surely."
When Jesus was born, the Lord sent angels to announce to the world that "God has made a peace covenant with men who would respond to His Prince of Peace." From the very moment you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, the Father declared that He was at perfect peace with you. All of the things we've blamed on God through the years, weren't from Him at all. Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) says, "For this (the cross) is like the days of Noah to Me; As I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, So have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you."
I don't believe that Noah ever feared another flood. Every time it rained, he saw the rainbow and rested in God's promise. On the other hand, we Christians, should see Christ's cross and be able to "rest" in "Shalom," knowing that God's promise to us is that "I will not be angry with you or rebuke you." This is our Prince of Peace and is the fruit of our Savior. When Jesus paid our ransom, all debt was cancelled and "Shalom" was restored to God's people.
This "rest" was spoken about in Hebrews 4:3 (Amplified) which says, "For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest, in accordance with His declaration that those (who did not believe) should not enter My rest; and this He said although (His) works had been completed and prepared (and waiting for all who would believe) from the foundation of the world."
We know that Jesus is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." This peace (Shalom) was ours from the Father from the beginning and is now ours again through the cross. The next time you look upon the cross, let it be like the rainbow was to Noah and then rest in your faith of grace and Shalom.
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