Do not be afraid; God is your very great reward.
Genesis 15:1-6 (NIV)
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
“Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” 5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 23: The Justification of Sinners
We believe
that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins
because of Jesus Christ,
and that in it our righteousness before God is contained,
as David and Paul teach us
when they declare that man blessed
to whom God grants righteousness
apart from works.
And the same apostle says
that we are justified “freely” or “by grace”
through redemption in Jesus Christ.
And therefore we cling to this foundation,
which is firm forever,
giving all glory to God,
humbling ourselves,
and recognizing ourselves as we are;
not claiming a thing for ourselves or our merits
and leaning and resting
on the sole obedience of Christ crucified,
which is ours when we believe in him.
That is enough to cover all our sins
and to make us confident,
freeing the conscience from the fear, dread, and terror
of God’s approach,
without doing what our first father, Adam, did,
who trembled as he tried to cover himself
with fig leaves.
In fact,
if we had to appear before God relying—
no matter how little—
on ourselves or some other creature,
then, alas, we would be swallowed up.
Therefore everyone must say with David:
“Lord, do not enter into judgment with your servants,
for before you no living person shall be justified.”
Summary
If you read this passage in a printed Bible, you'll notice that today's passage comes within a page or two of when God called Abram to go to the land He would show him, and that once Abram got there God would make him into a great nation (Genesis 12:1-3).
Whereas we can read about the events that transpired between that initial call and God's message to Abram in today's passage in a few minutes, the reality is that nearly a decade had gone by, and Abram is nowhere close to being made into a great nation; in fact, he remains childless.
Don't miss the fact that God initiates this conversation, not Abram, and in doing so He reorients both Abram's idea of what God's blessing looks like, as well as our's. Whereas our human nature expects and looks for God's blessing here and now, God says, "I am your shield, your very great reward."
Nonetheless, God goes on to reiterate His promise to Abram that a son - Abram's own flesh and blood - will be his heir. This promised son would be fulfilled in two ways: through Isaac, who would make Abram into a great nation, and through Abram's later son, Jesus Christ.
Dig Deeper
It's verse six that captures our attention today. But not just today - Genesis 15:6 is perhaps one of the most important verses in the Bible, and it captured the attention of the psalmist, and is mentioned in Paul's letters three times and also in James'.
Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. - v6, Ps 106:31; Ro 4:3 (which we just read Friday), 20–24; Gal 3:6; Jas 2:23
It's this simple premise that lies at the heart of the gospel; that, as our Confession puts it,
our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contain... [since] God grants righteousness apart from works.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is our shield and very great reward;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for granting you righteousness, and pray that the faith that by which it it was given to you would increase each day;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Luke 14
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