Covenant

Your Shield (Great Reward)

Abram had possibly become quite discouraged with life events leading up to this moment. We as God’s people, never get discouraged, do we? So notice that God says, after these things. This is a key note that leads us to believe that it was the events of the recent past events that had called for the need of encouragement. My current past events bring me to a place where I could use some encouragement.

Abram had recently been offered the opportunity to align with the king of Sodom and yet he chose to not do that. Perhaps the offer that God would be his shield now seems like a much better offer.

Notice when God comforts Abram, (NRSV)

God’s Covenant with Abram

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15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” Abram has pushback. What does he fall back to? I call his position the root of his pain. Abram and his wife are childless and they desperately want someone to be their heir. Eliezer is an occupant of the household of Abram and his wife, and Abram lets God know that, as of this moment Eliezer will be my heir.

Covenants are promises, and at times we can feel that what we have been promised will not come to pass. God’s offer to Abram that his reward shall be very great, falls on deaf ears. We live in the present humanness. We cannot know what God knows, at least not as God knows. A covenant promise is what our faith is based upon, and when we have lost hope in our promise we lose our way.

God meets us where we are and gives us the very thing that we need, not what we want but what we need. Abram called upon his Lord to make good on His promises. (NRSV)

The Call of Abram

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12 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. Abram is called by God to action, and God gives him clear instructions. What Abram is now saying is that God you called me into this action and I now call for your promises to be fulfilled. God’s reply comes in this form, (NRSV)

5 He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” Then God tells Abram that he is the one who made these promises. In the events of life, we can lose sight of the promises that God gives us, but what God does for us is give us new vision.

(NRSV)

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. God has a plan, and the amazing fact is, God wants you to part of that plan. As descendants of Abram, you are all part of the vision for the land promised to Abram’s offspring.