Man of Peace
1 Chronicles 22-24; 1 Thessalonians 3
“…’You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side. His name will be Solomon, and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name’...”
1 Chronicles 22:8-10
God’s desire was for the temple, which carried his name, to be built by a man of peace. Peace and rest from all enemies on every side was the gift God granted to Solomon. God values peace, and even withheld the honor of building the temple from David, a man after God’s own heart, because he had shed much blood on the earth.
Do we value peace?
Entertainment today glorifies violence and many people pay to see men hurt each other for sport. Even when we know the destructive impact on health later in life, we still support violent entertainment. Our bodies are now the temple of the Lord. God still values peace and rest in the temple of the Lord. The Church is the collective temple of the Lord where God also values peace-making as one of our expressions of gospel witness. Peace with God brings the peace of God and enables us to be Christ’s ambassadors of reconciliation in the world.
Who is building leaders for peace?
“Lord Jesus, your peace is a gift. I pray for opportunities to share this peace today, for your glory.”