Sermon Central
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The Promise Of Peace Series
Contributed by Brian Bill on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: The peace that comes from God is perfect.
King James Version: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
English Standard Version: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
New American Standard: “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee.”
Amplified: “You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.”
Perfect Peace
The first part of Isaiah 26:3 contains a powerful promise: “You will keep in perfect peace…” The word, “keep” means, “To guard, protect or maintain.” It’s a military term meaning to protect a camp or castle. The enemy is unable to get in when God’s peace protects us. With God as our guard we have nothing to fear, do we? Psalm 85:8: “…He promises peace to his people…” Psalm 29:11: “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”
The phrase, “perfect peace” is literally, “shalom, shalom” in Hebrew. The word “perfect” is not in the original. With Isaiah’s use of colorful language and vivid vocabulary, it’s striking to me that he doesn’t use an adjective to describe God’s peace but simply repeats the word. One commentator says it means, “In peace, peace.” Spurgeon said that “God does nothing by halves, but everything by doubles.” When a word is repeated in the Bible it’s done for emphasis, like an exclamation mark. An example of this is when I hear so many of you say, “The Super, Super Bowl Champion, Green Bay Packers.” As Pastor Andy taught last week “Shalom” means completion and fulfillment and refers to entering in a state of wholeness, unity, and a restored relationship.
In my experience most people fail to find peace that lasts because they’re looking for it in the wrong place. Peace is not found in pleasant circumstances or in people or in having a lot of possessions. Peace is internal, not external and can only come from the God who is peace, peace. 2 Thessalonians 3:16: “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.”
As we’ve learned in our Summer of Promise series, some of God’s promises are conditional, meaning that there are certain conditions that we must meet in order for them to be fulfilled. There are two such conditions in Isaiah 26:3 and one in verse 4.
God Keeps Us in Perfect Peace…
1. When we keep our minds mindful. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast…” A double dose of peace comes when we discipline our minds to stay centered on God. The word “mind” refers to mindset or a frame of mind. Most of us need to reframe our focus so that instead of getting all caught up in our problems, we set our gaze on God. J.N. Oswald writes: “This means that God’s superlative peace is given to those whose minds are intentionally riveted on God.”
