Bible Study on word Shalom

Bible Study on word Shalom

Read Numbers 6.24 – 26 in different versions.

1.       What do you notice?

2.       The word Peace is the Hebrew word “Shalom”  - What sort of Peace does it Describe?

3.       Give out circles name each segment as follows

a.       Relationship with God

b.      Relationships with friends

c.       Relationships with family

d.      Relationship with Spouse

e.      Health

f.        Work

g.       Money /wealth

h.      Inner calm / serenity

Then color the segment showing to what leave of Peace you feel within that Category – is shade it 100% if you are fully at peace with God or your work or 30% or.

Talk over your image with another person explaining what you have drawn.

Definition of Shalom “a comprehensive sense of well being,  not only your spiritual connection to God, but  life connections—bodily health, contentedness, social relationships…. It is about Completeness, wholeness, fullness.”

4.       What does this mean when you are wishing someone Shalom as in Numbers 6?

5.       Read Jer 29:4-7 what do you know about the Context of these verses? 

6.       The word that is translated Welfare (ESV) or Prosperity (NIV) Prosperous (GNT) is the word “Shalom”.  Why was Jeremiah encouraging them to seek the Shalom of the foreign nation where they were being held captive?  What might that mean for us?

7.       Read Jer 29:11.   This is many people’s favourite verse. (the word welfare = Shalom) In the light of your earlier discussion what does this mean about God’s plans for you?

8.       Read these 3 NT Verses and discuss what they teach us about “Shalom / Peace” (Note the Greek word for Shalom or Peace is Eirene)

a.       John 14:27

b.      Col 3:15

c.       Hebrews 13:20-21 – Notice that God is the God of peace

Notice that v20 looks back to what God has done – WE have an eternal hope through the resurrection and forgiveness through the blood, which has established an eternal covenant

Notice that God continues to work to equip us… So that we may Do his will, and accomplish every good thing

9.       Go to the person you originally shared your circle diagram with in Q3 and pray for each other.  Finish by reading Numbers 6 :24-26 as a blessing over each other.

What would a world Look like where shalom prevailed?

·         all marriages would be healthy and all children would be safe.

·         Everyone would have enough

·         Israeli and Palestinian children would play together on the West Bank; their parents would build homes for one another.

·         In offices and corporate boardrooms, executives would secretly scheme to help their colleagues succeed; they would compliment them behind their backs.

·         Tabloids would be filled with accounts of courage and moral beauty.

·         Talk shows would feature mothers and daughters who love each other deeply, wives who give birth to their husbands’ children, and men who secretly enjoy dressing as men.

·         Disagreements would be settled with grace and civility.

·         Schools would no longer need police presence or even hall monitors; students and teachers and janitors would honor and value one another’s work.

·         At recess, every kid would get picked for a team.

·         Churches would never split.

·          No father would ever again say, “I’m too busy,” to a disappointed child.  

·         Divorce courts and battered-women shelters would be turned into community recreation centers. Every time one human being touched another, it would be to express encouragement, affection, and delight.


If you want you can sing the Jewish song Havenu Shalom Alechem

How to cope when others get it wrong.

How to cope when others get it wrong.

I had few moments when I got it wrong on Sunday – great time at Church- then home and boom – something happened & I blew my fuse. The amazing thing is Peter never seemed to take offense and my hope is neither did those who heard me vent.  I was reading about the dangers of taking Offense at things that are said and done to you and the danger of offense becoming a root of bitterness.

Coping with the things that are done to you which might cause offense seems to be based around Jesus teaching about denying yourself and taking up your cross.

Like Peter – we need to accept God’s plan is not always my plan.  I have to give up Control, insisting things are gone my way.

Like Peter – we need to give up Pride – thinking we know best.

Like Peter we need to give up any sense of Self entitlement.

Matthew says in 16:25 “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”  The way up is down.

For Jesus this was no theoretical exercise. It was not merely a metaphor for a little bit of self-denial.  Read Philippians 2:1-11.

How to cope when you get it wrong.

How to cope when you get it wrong.

Matthew 16:13-28 has Peter Swinging from the Buzz of recognizing Jesus truly was the Messiah and Jesus telling he was a Rock, and he and this insight would be the foundation of Jesus community. To the bewilderment of Jesus saying he was going to die in fulfillment of God’s plan, to the Belligerent rejection of Jesus plan – This shall never happen to you.  That is a big swing in a few short moments. The swing was complete when Jesus called him a stumbling stone to God’s purposes.  What a swing Foundation stone to Stumbling stone.

Step One when you get it wrong is pick your self up and start again.  Peter was invited to be a follower of Jesus still.  Blowing it from time to time is not blowing it forever.  Falling means it is time to get up again.  Peter is presented with a choice, an invitation to follow Jesus or to turn away in shame – Jesus said to him “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”  Here is Grace which doesn't treat failure as forever.