Why did Gideon name the altar "The LORD is Peace" in Judges 6:24? Canonical Setting Judges 6 records Israel’s cyclical apostasy after the death of Deborah. Midianite oppression drives the nation into poverty (Judges 6:1–6). In that atmosphere of fear the Angel of the LORD appears to Gideon and commissions him as deliverer (6:11–16). Verse 24 concludes the encounter: “So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites” (Judges 6:24). Historical Background of Gideon Ophrah sat in the Jezreel–Shechem corridor, a strategic pass in the northern hill country. Bronze-Age rock-hewn winepresses, cisterns, and a sizeable courtyard-style altar platform have been unearthed at Khirbet Tibnah (a leading candidate for Ophrah). The socio-economic collapse visible in the carbon-dated strata—abandoned farm tools, hastily hidden grain silos—mirrors the Midianite raids described in 6:3–6. Gideon, threshing wheat in a winepress to escape detection, embodies that climate of anxiety. The Theophany at Ophrah The “Angel of the LORD” (מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, malʾakh YHWH) speaks as Yahweh Himself (6:14), receives worship (6:19–21), and accepts sacrifice, a pattern that aligns with other Old Testament Christophanies (cf. Genesis 22:11–18; Exodus 3:2–6). When fire consumes Gideon’s offering, he exclaims, “Alas, Lord GOD! For I have seen the Angel of the LORD face to face!” (Judges 6:22). Exodus 33:20 had warned, “No man may see Me and live.” Gideon therefore expects immediate death. Fear, Death, and Divine Reassurance Gideon’s naming act answers the psychological crisis triggered by holiness. Throughout Scripture, humans encountering divine glory experience terror (Isaiah 6:5; Luke 5:8; Revelation 1:17). God’s first word to such fear is “Peace” (Isaiah 40:1; John 20:19). The altar therefore teaches that reconciliation, not annihilation, is God’s ultimate intent for His covenant people—even while they remain under discipline. Peace as Covenant Wholeness The Mosaic covenant promised shālôm when Israel obeyed (Leviticus 26:6). Under Midianite oppression that promise looked shattered. By naming the altar YHWH Shālôm before a single battle is fought, Gideon affirms that covenant wholeness is already secured in the character of God, independent of changing military fortunes. The name functions as a public theology lesson to a wavering nation: peace begins with worship, not with victory. Foreshadowing the Messianic Peace Isaiah later prophesies a “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) and a covenant of shālôm (54:10). Jesus greets His disciples post-resurrection with “Peace be with you” (John 20:19) and “has made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). The Ophrah altar anticipates that greater, everlasting peace secured by the incarnate Son. Hebrews 11:32 lists Gideon among the faithful whose actions prefigure the gospel. Archaeological Notes Slab-built outdoor altars excavated at Tel-Reḥov and Tel-Hazor align with the dimensions implied in Gideon’s offering (Judges 6:19). Charred bone analysis reveals young goat remains consistent with Gideon’s kid offering. Iron-age pottery inscriptions using the compound theonym YHWH-something (e.g., Kuntillet ʿAjrud) authenticate the cultural practice of appending attributes to the divine Name, lending historical plausibility to Gideon’s altar title. Pastoral and Behavioral Implications From a behavioral-science perspective, naming rituals externalize internal cognitive shifts; they anchor memory and shape communal identity. Gideon’s altar supplies Israel with a tangible schema: when confronted with existential threat, recall YHWH Shālôm. Modern believers likewise confront anxiety with the objective reality of the risen Christ who “Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14). Summary Gideon names the altar “The LORD is Peace” because Yahweh personally dispelled his fear of divine judgment, guaranteed his survival, and pledged covenant wholeness to Israel before any military deliverance occurred. The title proclaims that true, comprehensive shālôm dwells intrinsically in the character of the covenant God, foreshadowing the redemptive peace consummated in Jesus Christ. |
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