Judges 6:24
Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Gideon didn't just name the altar "The Lord Is Peace" as a nice sentiment; he built it on the very spot where God's messenger had just appeared to him. This act cemented the reality of God's promise of peace amidst Gideon's deep fear and Israel's oppression, turning a place of potential terror into a memorial of divine reassurance.
Fresh off a terrifying encounter with an angelic messenger and a divine reassurance, Gideon immediately consecrates the spot where God met him. He erects an altar, naming it "The LORD Is Peace" to memorialize God's comforting words to him in a time of extreme fear and oppression. This act of worship sets the stage for Gideon's pivotal role as Israel's deliverer, grounding his future mission in this profound experience of God's presence and peace.
In the midst of fear and oppression, Gideon encounters God. What happens next isn't just a rescue, but a profound renaming that echoes through history.
After the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, confirming God's presence and promising deliverance from the Midianites, Gideon's immediate response was to build an altar.
Building on Revelation
This wasn't just any altar. Gideon named it 'The LORD Is Peace' (Jehovah Shalom). This name was a direct response to God's own words to Gideon: 'Peace be with you.' (Judges 6:23).
Gideon's act and naming revealed a crucial truth: God's presence brings peace, even when circumstances are terrifying. It signifies that God is not only the source of salvation but also the source of inner tranquility and security, a peace that transcends outward turmoil.
Gideon was hiding, threshing wheat in secret to avoid the Midianites. How could God's peace be real in such a desperate time?
The context of Gideon's encounter is vital. Israel was suffering under Midianite oppression, with their crops being destroyed and their lives under constant threat.
Experiencing Peace in Crisis
Gideon's fear was palpable. He was hiding, and when the Angel appeared, he was likely expecting judgment, not reassurance. God's message, 'Peace be with you,' was not a denial of the difficult reality, but a declaration of His power to bring peace within that reality.
The altar named 'The LORD Is Peace' served as a constant reminder that God's intervention and His nature are fundamentally about bringing peace, even when surrounded by conflict and destruction. It's a peace that originates from God, not from the absence of problems.
Understand the original words
mizbeach · Hebrew Noun
A physical object used for religious sacrifice, worship, and consecration. It serves as a place where God meets man and where atonement or dedication is offered.
Gideon's naming of the altar 'The LORD Is Peace' immediately followed his terrifying encounter with the Angel of the Lord. This act wasn't just a memorial; it was a profound declaration of trust and a personal sign of God's reassurance in a time of national crisis and personal fear.
c. 1100 BC
Israelites Oppressed by Midianites
Following their unfaithfulness to God, the Israelites faced severe oppression for seven years under the Midianites, who would raid their lands during harvest time, leaving them in destitution.
c. 1100 BC— this verse
Gideon Encounters the Angel of the Lord
While hiding from the Midianites, Gideon is visited by an angel who declares him a mighty warrior chosen by God to deliver Israel.
c. 1100 BC
Gideon Builds an Altar to the Lord
After the angel departs and a divine sign confirms his commission, Gideon builds an altar and names it 'The LORD Is Peace' (Jehovah Shalom), a testament to God's reassurance amidst his fear and the nation's crisis.
c. 1100 BC
Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal
Later, following God's instruction, Gideon fearfully but decisively tears down his father's altar to Baal and erects a new altar to the LORD, symbolizing a turning point in his faith and leadership.
Abraham also built an altar and named the place after God's provision, showing a pattern of commemorating God's faithfulness in specific locations.
Exodus 17:15Moses built an altar after a victory and named it 'The LORD Is My Banner,' highlighting how God's presence brings victory and peace.
Isaiah 9:6This prophetic passage describes the Messiah as the 'Prince of Peace,' directly linking the concept of peace to God's ultimate deliverer, a theme echoed in Gideon's altar name.
John 14:27Jesus offers a different kind of peace than the world gives, a spiritual peace that comes from relationship with Him, which resonates with Gideon's experience of God speaking peace amidst turmoil.
jfbJudges 6:24: "Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
24-32. it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him—The transaction in which Gideon is here described as engaged was not entered on till the night after the vision.
clarkeJudges 6:24: "Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites."
Gideon built an altar - and called it Jehovah-shalom - The words יהוה שלום Yehovah shalom signify The Lord is my peace, or The peace of Jehovah; and this name he gave the altar, in reference to what God had said, Judges 6:23 , Peace be unto thee, שלום לך shalom lecha, "Peace to thee;" which implied, not only a wish, but a prediction of the prosperous…
Gideon didn't just name the altar "The Lord Is Peace" as a nice sentiment; he built it on the very spot where God's messenger had just appeared to him. This act cemented the reality of God's promise of peace amidst Gideon's deep fear and Israel's oppression, turning a place of potential terror into a memorial of divine reassurance.
Fresh off a terrifying encounter with an angelic messenger and a divine reassurance, Gideon immediately consecrates the spot where God met him. He erects an altar, naming it "The LORD Is Peace" to memorialize God's comforting words to him in a time of extreme fear and oppression. This act of worship sets the stage for Gideon's pivotal role as Israel's deliverer, grounding his future mission in this profound experience of God's presence and peace.
Fresh off a terrifying encounter with an angelic messenger and a divine reassurance, Gideon immediately consecrates the spot where God met him. He erects an altar, naming it "The LORD Is Peace" to memorialize God's comforting words to him in a time of extreme fear and oppression. This act of worship sets the stage for Gideon's pivotal role as Israel's deliverer, grounding his future mission in this profound experience of God's presence and peace.
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c. 1100 BC
Gideon Gathers Israelite Forces
Gideon rallies the tribes of Israel, and God dramatically reduces his army through a test of their water-drinking habits, ensuring the victory would be attributed to divine power, not human might.
c. 1100 BC
Victory Over the Midianites
With a small, divinely guided force, Gideon achieves a miraculous victory over the vast Midianite army, leading to a period of peace and prosperity for Israel.
"Then Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it, The LORD Is Peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites." — Gideon didn't just name the altar "The Lord Is Peace" as a nice sentiment; he built it on the very spot where God's messenger had just appeared to him. This act cemented the reality of God's promise…
