In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel. In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion. There He broke the arrows of the bow, the shield and sword of battle. (Psalm 76:1-3)
There is coming a day when Jerusalem, referred to by Asaph as Salem, will be the center of the world in every way. From His Throne in the Holy City, the Messiah will govern the nations, who will be called upon to come to the house of the God of Jacob where “He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths” (Isaiah 2:3). In that day, the Almighty will restore this earth to how it was intended to be from the beginning — and that truth brings us to the point of this devotion.
Jerusalem was originally referred to as Shalem (aka Salem), a name derived from the same word from which we get שלןם shalom — commonly translated as “peace.” However, the word is more appropriately translated as “wholeness, completeness — in other words, things are the way they are supposed to be. Later Abraham called this place Yahweh Yireh (Genesis 22:14) which is literally rendered as, “The Lord will see to it.” Interestingly, combining the word יראה yireh — He will see to it — with שלם shalem, the result is Yirehshalem or ירושלים Yerushalayim (Jerusalem). So it is that the name Jerusalem means, “The Lord will see to it that everything is complete and the way it is supposed to be.” This will come to pass when Messiah takes His Throne and rules the nations with a rod of iron, and the Law goes forth from Zion, “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).
When this becomes reality, it will be a glorious day for all those who love God and desire to serve Him. In the meantime, however, we live in a broken world; a world that stands in opposition to the Creator’s Will and purpose. For us this means we often struggle to walk faithfully in His ways, being continually badgered by a hostile culture determined to do what is right in their own eyes. Consequently and unfortunately, this can often result in poor choices, mistakes and bad attitudes. But hang on; there is coming a day when everything will be as it is supposed to be. Everything that has been broken will be made whole and complete, including everything in our life that longs for that great day of redemption. I realize that we have been saved and all things are made new but I would contend that we are being saved, and one day, we will be saved — the Lord will see to it!
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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