Amidah 19 – Grant us peace

There is a desire within each of us for peace. This yearning for peace can be for different things, such as world peace; peace within our families or between friends; a desire for people to just leave me alone; or for the torments which bother my soul to cease. We live in a world which lacks peace. Jeremiah wrote, “We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there was only terror.” (8:15; 14:19)

The final prayer of the Amidah is a prayer for peace:
Grant peace everywhere goodness and blessing,
Grace, lovingkindness and mercy to us and unto all Israel, Your people.
Bless us, our Father, all of us as one with the light of Your face;
For by the light of Your face You have given us, Adonai our God,
The Torah of life, and love of kindness, and righteousness and blessing and mercy and life and peace;
And may it be good in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel at all times and in every hour with Your peace.
Praised are You, Adonai, who blesses Your people Israel with peace.

It is appropriate that the final benediction of this prayer is for peace, for the whole prayer lays out the source, the process and the desire for peace.

The source of peace is God: The Amidah begins by looking at God as the source of the answer of prayer. The first benediction looks at the God of our fathers. So many have turned away from this, even though the testimony of the fathers points to God as the source of Peace. The second benediction explains God is the One who can answer prayer. God is the One who is all-powerful. The third benediction looks at the God who is Holy. Perhaps this is why we fear. We are sinful men. Sinful men find no peace.

We want God to grant peace, goodness and blessing. We want Him to show us lovingkindness and mercy. We want the light of His face to shine upon us. But, God is Holy, and we are sinful people, and as long as there is sin, there is no peace.

This prayer guides us as we seek peace with God who forgives our sin. The next steps in this prayer have shown us how to receive forgiveness for sin: We pray for wisdom (4) and understanding of how we sinned and how we can grow closer to God. Understanding leads to repentance (5), which leads to forgiveness (6), which leads to redemption (7) from affliction and healing (8).

During the Amidah we pray for deliverance from want (9). The real yearning in this request is for peace. Jeremiah gave us the hope of peace in this way, “I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security. I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before. I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it." (30:6-9)

Jeremiah says, “The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.” (30:14-16)

Paul wrote it this way in Ephesians, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

“Give thanks to the LORD Almighty, for the LORD is good; his love endures forever.” (Jer 30:11 and 1 Chron 16:34, 41; 2 Chron 20:21; Psalm 7:17; 106:1; 107; 118:1; 136:1; Isa 12:4)

True peace can only come from God. If we find peace from any other source, it is of cheap quality. We are to seek God and His peace. The “peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7

Jesus speaks of this peace at the end of His life: "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.“ (John 14:25-27)

And so we end the Amidah asking God to grant peace. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:7-8)