There Is The Peacemaker And Then There Are His Peace-joiners; Have You Been Reconciled?

A *reconciler of the LORD is the *beneficiary to the *powerless *because his *reward *abides with him. (MAST)

*[reconciler] literally, the man who joins peace (peacemaker). Someone who joins two or more things together. But the depth of this verb is hidden from its most basic and superficial meaning. Because the verb is participle, the hard labor of the verb is lost in his title. The image of the participle receives all the honor and glory, but the true image of this verb is in the depth of its labor. The underlying meaning of the verb, in banking terms, means, to cause to borrow. That means ‘the peacemaker,’ the participle title of the verb, is the cause of joining the borrower (the bankrupt) to the terms of peace with the banker. This man is the one who is responsible to push this powerless individual into the grip of the banker (Jn.10:25-30), to lay hold of the power that the banker had promised to lend. So the reconciler is charged with the responsibility to convince the powerless individual of their bankruptcy or their need to borrow to possess this power (Rev.3:17-19). On the surface, it looks like glamorous work, but it is much more backbreaking and browbeating than it appears on the face of its glory. Like a banker and a salesman, the peacemaker is charged by the LORD to call people to surrender to His terms of peace, but the very “poverty” of these people is what keeps them from surrendering to these terms. They get in the way of themselves, and so the “reconciler” must be continuously (at work) to expose the poverty and bankruptcy of their self-imposed peace (Col.2:18,23;1Tim.6:20;Phil.4:7;1Thess.5:3); that is, the terms of peace that they created for themselves (Ex.20:4), which is insufficient to pay back what they already owe the banker (1Jn.4:10). So the reconciler is charged with the responsibility that they should borrow even more from the banker so that he can be the beneficiary of the banker’s mercy and grace towards them according to what they “first” owed (1Jn.4:7-11;Rom.5:15,20;6:1). The banker is the LORD, but the reconciler is the salesman, if you would lend me some grace for argument sake, of the LORD’s mercies (Rom.9:23;Eph.2:4). The salesman is not saying, “Let’s strike a deal.” No, he only explains the terms that are already set, to seal the deal (Matt.22:1-14;2Tim.2:19;Rev.7:3). The Hifil stem of this verb is causative of the Piel stem of the joint relationship of these two verbs. Literally, the “joiner” here, is the cause of the “peace” or “the reward” of the whole beneficiary party. This “joiner” works for peace, the paycheck of those reconciled to the banker (1Pet.3:11;James 3:18;Heb.7:2;13:20;1Thess.5:23;2Thess.3:16;Col.1:20).

*[beneficiary] literally, to be favored. But this is also participle to the Hifil stem of the previous verb. This is the same participle of the peacemaker in the Qal stem for the one who is powerless over their own debt. In other words, because of “the labor of the peacemaker,” this “debtor” favors him to be his power of attorney regarding the judgment of “these terms” of peace (Rom.8:1-4;James 1:22-25). As a beneficiary, if you will, he is the “caretaker” of the debt that is owed (Acts 20:28;1Pet.2:25;5:2). As caretaker of the loan, he is made responsible for keeping the debtor accountable to the terms set forth by the banker (Matt.18:21-35;25:14-30;Lk.19:11-27).

*[powerless] literally, weaker or one who is lower. In terms of human sinfulness, it is not to be observed as a “less than,” but as a lower than. This is adjectival to its comparison. The reconciler is made a peacemaker through the outside power of the banker. The reconciler is not sufficient (in himself) to reconcile accounts. He is sent on the terms of the foreign, highest power (Lk.6:35;8:28;Acts 7:48;Heb.7:1). Therefore, out of the human perspective, the weaker or lower debtor grants his own favor (or trust) to the peace-joiner to help him understand the terms of the agreement. The contrast of the adjective is not in relationship to the reconciler but to the banker (or the power of the lender). In that relationship, both the reconciler and the borrower are “less than” the banker. But the borrower is always lower than the reconciler because he is too weak to reconcile the terms himself; or because he surrendered this position to someone else; or, if you’re the spouse (or child) of the borrower (the head of the loan), because the banker made you lower than the “responsible party” (Rom.9:20;1Cor.15:22;Heb.1:5-7;2:5-9).

*[because] literally, the causative conjunction of the Hifil stem.

*[reward] literally, the benefit is his peace; or, peace is his reward. Again, this is the causative reaction of the labor of the peacemaker, probably rendered better as peace-joiner, for his works don’t create the peace; his works only join the peace. The peace is made through the decree of the banker, but the works of the reconciler join the separated parties together (Matt.5:9;Lk.10:20;James 3:18;2Cor.5:18-6:12). Again, Solomon is defending, theologically, the brother who was attempting to reconcile another brother, of the united tribes of Israel, to the peace that they were called to live under, in terms of God’s promise to bless the kingdom (republic) of the priests and of the nobility (Prov.18:19). The reward, then, is the unity of the priests and nobles to reconcile their debts to the terms of God’s promise (Deut. 30:19;Matt.6:12). Failure to understand the terms of God’s covenant was promised to bring curses upon the land. There may be a glory to the “title” of being favored as a “peacemaker,” but the true reward is in possessing the peace rather than the title. It’s not about possessing the appearance of the title but about possessing the reality of the peace (Isa. 57:19;Jer.6:14;8:11).

*[abides] literally, peace fulfills him. In relationship to the desire of the works of the reconciler, which is peace between the banker and the debtor, it “completes” or satisfies him. His own works render him content in what he has done (Jn.19:30). But as this verb is in conjunction with the preposition, towards, and in the (imperfective) voice of the verb, it best rendered, to abide with. While the reward is peace, this peace continues to abide together with him as the ongoing reward of his labor (Lk.10:1-15). His works of peace continue to bring in dividends from these debtors (Rev.22:12). Though he is not paid-in-full from one debtor, he is paid-in-full through the peace of many debtors (Rom.5:19; Jn.19:30; Gal.3:20; 1Tim.2:5). These works of peace, though not a peace of his own creating but of joining, continually “repay” him as a wage for his labor (Lk.10:7;1Tim.5:18). Through the image of the ‘peacemaker,’ which is really through the decree of the banker or harvester (Rom.8:28-30), the reconciler receives double honor for his labors in joining the harvest to the harvester (Lk.10:2;1Tim.5:17). He receives the honor of leading the wayward soul to the reconciliation of the LORD, plus to work alongside that reconciliation for the peace of Heaven (Jn.14:27;Lk.11:2).