Elul 22 (4 September 2026) The KING is in the FIELD! AWAKEN the BELIEVERS! CONGREGATION…
THE GOSPELS: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: BEATITUDE 7, BLESSED are those who MAKE PEACE, for they will be called sons of God, Part 1
7 August 2026
We are proceeding to study the SERMON of YESHUA on the MOUNT.
We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians. We use the Hebrew letters for the name of God, YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD in English is indicated in capital letters in the Scriptures. The reason being that the Jewish writers removed the vowels in God’s name out of fear of transgressing the third Commandment of taking His Name in vain. And today there is a lot of controversy about the pronunciation of His Name. We also refer to Him as Abba Father and use the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.
And today we are studying the seventh BEATITUDE as written in Matthew 5:9 where Yeshua our Messiah taught: “How BLESSED (meaning happy and fortunate) are those who MAKE PEACE! For they will be called sons of God.”
We are going to spend some time studying the meaning of PEACE as defined in the WORD of God:
The word used for PEACE in HEBREW is SHALOM and it is defined in the Jewish Study Bible as: PEACE, tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness and integrity.
Therefore SHALOM not only means the absence of hostility (aggression, anger, unfriendliness, resentment, antagonism, opposition, enmity, argumentativeness) but a presence of WHOLENESS and CONTENTMENT.
So that is the KIND OF PEACE that we RECEIVE when we WORSHIPE and SERVE YHVH THE GOD OF PEACE!
We read a prophecy on the MESSIANIC KINGDOM in Isaiah 9:6-7 saying: “For a Child is born to us, a Son is given to us; DOMINION will rest on His shoulders, and He will be given the NAME Pele-Yoe’etz (Wonder of a Counsellor), El Gibbor (Mighty God), Avi-Ad (Father of Eternity), Sar-Shalom (Prince of Peace).”
YESHUA our MESSIAH therefore is the PRINCE of PEACE and the ultimate PEACEMAKER.
And we see in many verses in the NEW TESTAMENT a reference to THE GOD OF PEACE. Paul says in Romans 15:33 to the believers “…may the GOD of SHALOM (of PEACE) be with you all. Amen (meaning I affirm/ confirm it, so be it, may it become true).” And in Romans 16:17-18 he encourages the believers to watch out for those who cause divisions and put snares alongside the teaching in which they have been trained (alluding to the TRUTH of the WORD of GOD being opposed by people who want to cause division) and he urged them to keep away from them for with their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the innocent. And in verses 19-20 Paul further told them: “For everyone has heard about your OBEDIENCE; therefore I rejoice over you. However, I want you to be WISE (clever, knowing much) concerning GOOD, but INNOCENT (blameless, guiltless) concerning EVIL. And God, the SOURCE OF SHALOM (of PEACE), will soon crush the Adversary (Satan, the ultimate source of opposition to God) under your feet.”
And in 1st Corinthians 14 Paul teaches believers about the necessity of order during their congregation meetings and in verse 33 he says: “for God is not a God of unruliness (disruptiveness, disorder) but of SHALOM (PEACE).”
In Galatians 5:22 we read that one of the FRUITS of the HOLY SPIRIT IS PEACE.
In Ephesians 2:14 Paul explains to believers, YESHUA the MESSIAH HIMSELF, “IS our SHALOM (PEACE).” And in Philippians 4:9 Paul says: “Keep DOING what you have LEARNED and RECEIVED from me, what you have HEARD and see me doing; then the GOD who GIVES SHALOM (PEACE) will be with you.”
So it is clear that YHVH our ELOHIM (the Triune, the three in ONE God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is THE GOD OF PEACE!
HOW DO WE MAKE PEACE/ FIND PEACE WITH GOD THE FATHER
We know YESHUA our MESSIAH was sent by God the Father to take our sins upon Him and RECONSILE man to GOD the FATHER.
It is explained to us by YHVH our GOD as part of HIS MOEDIM (appointed times, alluding to HIS SEVEN FEASTS), and specifically FEAST SEASON 1, consisting of FEAST 1: PESACH/ PASSOVER (the CRUCIFICTION of Yeshua our Messiah), FEAST 2: UNLEAVEND BREAD (the BURIAL of Yeshua our Messiah) and FEAST 3: FIRST FRUITS (the RESURECTION of Yeshua our MESSIAH).
Isaiah 53:5 prophecies: “…He was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the DISCIPLINING that makes us WHOLE fell on Him, and by His bruises we are HEALED.
And we read the following PROMISE of YHVH to ISRAEL in Isaiah 54:10 “For the mountains may leave and the hills be removed, but MY GRACE will not be removed, and MY COVENANT OF PEACE will not be removed, says YHVH, who has COMPASSION on you.” We also read about this COVENANT of PEACE in Ezekiel 34:25 and 37:26 alluding to the RESTORATION of ISRAEL. Also read Romans 5:1-2 and Hebrews 13:20-21.
God’s COVENANT of PEACE therefore REPRESENTS HIS PROMISE of ENDURING PEACE, RESTORATION and RECONCILIATION with HIS PEOPLE, FULFILLED ULTIMATELY THROUGH YESHUA the MESSIAH. This PORMISE of GOD spans across the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT, from God’s PROMISE to ISRAEL (all twelve tribes including Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh who had an Egyptian mother and the mixed multitude who went with them according to Exodus 12:38) to the FULFILLMENT in MESSIAH YESHUA through the NEW COVENANT. It assures believers of God’s STEADFAST LOVE, PROTECTION and RESTORATION, inviting believers to live in PEACE and TRUST in HIS ETERNAL PROMISES.
The Jewish Study Bible explains: the Bible is written to the FOLLOWERS of the GOD of ISRAEL and HIS MESSIAH YESHUA – both Jews and Gentiles bound together in MESSIAH – in anticipation of the RESTORATION of the KINGDOM of ISRAEL (ultimately uniting the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin and the Northern Kingdom of ISRAEL, the ten tribes under Ephraim including believers grafting in, during the THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF PEACE OF YESHUA the MESSIAH), BLESSING ALL NATIONS.
In Colossians 1:19-23 Paul explains: “For it pleased God (the Father) to have His full being live in His Son (Yeshua) to RECONCILE to HIMSELF ALL THINGS, whether on earth or in heaven, MAKING PEACE THROUGH HIM, through having His Son shed His blood by being executed on a cross. In other words, you, who at one time were separated from God (the Father) and had a hostile (aggressive, unfriendly, unreceptive, argumentative/ confrontational/ challenging) attitude towards Him because of your wicked (evil/ sinful/ lawless, morally wrong) deeds, He has now RECONCILED in the Son’s (Yeshua’s) physical body through death; in order to present you HOLY (set-apart) and without defect (blemish) or reproach before Himself – provided, of course, that you continue in your TRUSTING (believing), grounded and steady (firm, stable), and don’t let yourselves be moved away from the HOPE (FAITH) offered in the GOOD NEWS you heard.”
The Jewish Study Bible explains: through the redeeming sacrifice, Yeshua the PASSOVER LAMB (as mentioned by Paul in 1st Corinthians 5:7) has once and for all been sacrificed for the salvation of ISRAEL including all nations (as indicated in Hebrews 10:10 and Revelation 7:9), providing full propitiation (appeasement, conciliation) for all sin (also read 1 John 2:1-2).
In Ephesians 2:8-22 Paul explains: For you have been DELIVERED by GRACE through TRUSTING (BELIEVING/ HAVING FAITH), and even this is not your accomplishment but GOD’s GIFT. You were not DELIVERED by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. For we are of God’s making, CREATED in UNION with the MESSIAH YESHUA for a life of good actions, already prepared by God for us to do. Therefore, REMEMBER your former state: you Gentiles (people not from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) by birth – called the uncircumcised by those (the Jews, belonging to the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the circumcised – at that time had no MESSIAH. You were estranged (alienated, separated) form the national life (the nation) of ISRAEL. You were foreigners (strangers, outsiders) to THE COVENANTS embodying (representing) GOD’s PROMISE. You were in this world without HOPE and without GOD. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of he MESSIAH’s blood. FOR HE HIMSELF IS OUR SHALOM (our PEACE) – He has made us both (Jews and Gentiles) ONE and has broken down the m’chitzah (wall) which divided us (the Jewish Study Bible explains this diving wall in the Temple posted an inscription, ‘No man from another nation to enter within the fence and enclosure round the Temple and whoever is caught will have himself to blame that his death ensues!’ This wall therefore separated Gentiles from Jews and prevented equal access to the sacrifices. Yet just as the veil of the Temple was torn in two when Messiah died, so too both Jew and Gentile are united with the Messiah and may enter into God’s presence together as we also read in Hebrews 9:6-14 and 10:19-22) by DESTROYING in HIS OWN BODY the enmity (hostility, hatred, animosity) occasioned (caused, motivated) by the Torah (Genesis tot Deuteronomy), with its COMMANDS set forth in ORDINANCES (decrees, rules, laws). He did this in order to create in UNION with HMSELF from the TWO GROUPS a SINGLE NEW HUMANITY and thus MAKE SHALOM (PEACE), and in order to RECONCILE to GOD (the Father) BOTH (the JEWS, the Southern Kingdom of Judah and Benjamin and GENTILES, including believers from all nations grafted into ISRAEL, the dispersed Northern Kingdom, consisting of the Ten Tribes under Ephraim) in a SINGLE BODY by being executed on a cross as a criminal and thus in HIMSELF killing that enmity.”
The Jewish Study Bible explains: It should be understood that this does not refer to the Torah with its Commands in itself, but to the ENMITY caused between Jew and Gentile with regard to the interpretation and application the Jews wanted to force on Gentiles, like was the case with the physical circumcision, not understanding that God only used the physical circumcision as a picture, a shadow, but clearly He meant from the beginning that the heart should be circumcised as we already read in Deuteronomy 10:16 & 30:6 (Also read Romans 2:29 and Colossians 2:11).
Further confirmation that Yeshua the Messiah HIMSELF upholds the Torah (the Instructions of God in Genesis to Deuteronomy as summed up in the Ten Commandments) is found in Matthew 5:17-20 and He even predicts damnation for those who instruct others to willfully break it.
Paul also explains in Galatians 6:1-3 “Brothers, suppose someone is caught doing something wrong. You who have the Spirit should set him right, but in a spirit of humility, keeping an eye on yourselves so that you won’t be tempted too. Bear one another’s burdens – in this way you will be fulfilling Torah’s (the instructions in Genesis to Deuteronomy’s), TRUE MEANING, which the Messiah upholds. The Jewish Study Bible comments here that Yeshua did not negate (contravene) or institute a different Torah, replacing the Torah (also known as the Law) of Moses. The Law of Moses (as given to Him by God) and the Law of Messiah (who IS GOD) are one and the same. Yeshua Himself clearly stated in Matthew 5:17 He did not come to abolish the Law (the Torah) but to fulfil it (to give it, its full meaning).
And Paul further explains in Galatians 6:13-16 “For even those who are getting circumcised (alluding to the Jews) don’t observe Torah (the instructions in Genesis to Deuteronomy, summed up in the Ten Commandments). On the contrary, they want you (the Gentiles) to be circumcised so that they can boast of having gained your adherence. But as for me, Heaven forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Master Yeshua the Messiah! Through Him, as far as I am concerned, the world has been put to death on the cross; and through Him, as far as the world is concerned, I have been put to death on the cross. For neither being circumcised nor being uncircumcised matters; what matters is being a NEW CREATION. And as many as order their lives by THIS RULE, SHALOM (PEACE) upon them and MERCY upon the ISRAEL of GOD! (The NIV says: PEACE and MERCY to ALL who follow this rule – to the ISRAEL of GOD, alluding to them being the ISRAEL of GOD the FATHER).
And we further read in Ephesians 2:17-22 “Also, when He came, He announced as GOOD NEWS SHALOM (PEACE) to you far off and SHALOM (PEACE) to those nearby, NEWS that through HIM we both (JEW and GENTILE) have access in ONE (HOLY) SPIRIT to the FATHER. So then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are FELLOW CITIZENS with God’s people and MEMBERS of God’s FAMILY. You have been built on the FOUNDATION of the emissaries (apostles) and the prophets, with the CORNERSTONE being YESHUA the MESSIAH HIMSELF. In UNION with HIM the WHOLE BUILDING is HELD TOGETHER, and it’s GROWING into a HOLY TEMPLE in UNION with the MASTER (Yeshua). Yes, in UNION with HIM, you yourselves are being built together into a SPIRITUAL DWELLING PLACE for GOD (the Father)!
The Jewish Study Bible explains: The metaphor of the MESSIANIC COMMUNITY as a building is seen in 1st Peter 2:4-9. Yeshua as the CORNERSTONE alludes to Psalm 118:22-23, which He Himself quoted. It is also a HOLY TEMPLE, while each believer’s body is already a TEMPLE of the Ruach HaKodesh (the HOLY SPIRIT) as also confirmed in 1st Corinthians 6:19.
In Acts 10:36 Peter says that God sent a message to the sons of ISRAEL announcing SHALOM (PEACE) through YESHUA the MESSIAH, who is MASTER of EVERYHTING.”
And we see each letter of Paul to all the congregations saying more or less what we read in Romans 1:7 saying: “To all those in Rome whom GOD (the Father) LOVES, who have been CALLED, who have been SET APART for HIM: GRACE to you and SHALOM from GOD our FATHER and the MASTER YEHSUA the MESSIAH.” Also read 1st Corinthians 1:3, 2nd Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3, Ephesians 1:2 & 6:23, Colossians 1:2, 1st Thessalonians 1:1, 2nd Thessalonians 1:2, Philippians 1:2, 1st Timothy 1:2, 2nd Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4 and Philemon 1:3.
James follows the same trend, saying in James 1:1 “To the TWELVE TRIBES in the DIASPORA (the dispersion or spread of people from their original homeland referring to ISRAEL, the Ten Tribes under Ephraim): SHALOM! (PEACE!).
And so does Peter, saying in 1st Peter 1:1-2 “To God’s (the Father’s) CHOSEN people, living as aliens (foreigners, strangers) in the DIASPORA (the dispersion or spread of people from their original homeland referring to ISRAEL, the Ten Tribes under Ephraim): chosen according to the foreknowledge of GOD the FATHER and SET APART by the (HOLY) SPIRIT for OBEYING YEHSUA the MESSIAH and for sprinkling with His blood: GRACE and SHALOM (PEACE) be yours in FULL MEASURE.” Also read 2nd Peter 1:1-2.
And John does the same in 2nd John 1:1-3 but this time using a “secret code” to greet the local MESSIANIC COMMUNITY as “the chosen lady and her children” to avoid scrutiny by the Roman government, saying to them: “,whom I LOVE in TRUTH – and not only I but also ALL who have come to know THE TRUTH – because of the (capital letter) TRUTH (alluding to Yeshua the Messiah through the Holy Spirit) which remains UNITED with us and will be with us FOREVER: GRACE, MERCY and SHALOM (PEACE) will be with us from GOD the FATHER and from YESHUA the MESSIAH, the SON of the FATHER, in TRUTH and LOVE.”
And Jude greets believers with similar words in Jude 1:1-2 “Those who have been CALLED, who are LOVED by GOD the FATHER and KEPT for YEHSUA the MESSIAH: May MERCY, LOVE and SHALOM (PEACE) be yours in FULL MEASURE.”
And then in the very last Book of the Bible, John says in Revelation 1:4-6: “To the SEVEN MESSIANIC COMMUNITIES in the province of Asia: GRACE and SHALOM (PEACE) to you from THE ONE WHO IS, WHO WAS and WHO IS COMING; from the SEVENFOLD SPIRIT (the Holy Spirit) before HIS THRONE; and from YEHSUA the MESSIAH, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS, THE FIRSBORN FROM THE DEAD and the RULER of the earth’s kings. To Him, the ONE who LOVES us, who has FREED us from our sins at the cost of His blood, who has caused us to be a KINGDOM, that is, cohanim (priests) for GOD, HIS FATHER – to HIM be the GLORY and the RULERSHIP FOREVER and EVER. Amen (meaning I affirm/ confirm it, so be it).”