God Never Fails to Shield You
Let’s return to Abram, just after he had given his tithe to God through the high priest, Melchizedek: (see Part 7)
Sometime later, the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision and said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram, for I will protect you, and your reward will be great.” Gn. 15:1 NLT
Jehovah is reassuring Abram that the covenant He had already made with him[1] will come to pass. Abram has the audacity to talk back to God, expressing his doubts:
“O Sovereign LORD, what good are all your blessings when I don’t even have a son? Since you’ve given me no children, Eliezer of Damascus, a servant in my household, will inherit all my wealth.” Gn. 15:2 NLT
Our generous and gracious Creator spells it out for Abram once more:
Then the Lord said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!” Gn. 15:4, 5. NLT
Our Lord sure took it up a BIG notch, yes? He is ratifying / justifying His covenant. And Abram believed (placed his faith in) his God. What was God’s response?
And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith. Gn. 15:6 NLT
Abram certainly did not earn this covenant. He was justified by God for his faith.[2] Out of His grace, Jehovah sanctified Abram’s imperfect faith by crediting it – by declaring his righteousness.
Then, God reassures Abram about His previous promise to give him land:[3]
Then the Lord told him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession.” Gn. 15:7 NLT
“To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates— Gn. 15:18 AMP
Abram was curious regarding how Jehovah God would bring this about. He answers that by telling Abram to gather up 5 sacrificial animals and he cut them in half and arrayed the halves opposite one another, separated by pathway in between.
This constituted a binding agreement between God and Abram. While Abram was waiting for God to walk the path, He put Abram in a deep sleep. (No one can see God and live.)[4] Then God walked through the path in such a way that the carcasses were burned! When Abram awoke, he saw the burned sacrifices.
What is key to see, is that He prevented Abram from participating, because God wanted to be the only one bound to this agreement, making it unconditional. Only God was to fulfill it.
Before I continue with Abram, I want to segue off the very first Scripture in this chapter, this time in the Hebrew Bible translation:
“Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you.” Gn. 15:1
‘Shield’ is translated from the Hebrew magen, meaning ‘defense’ or ‘protector’. What God promises one of His children, He gives to them all. So, what is Jehovah telling us? He says that we do not have to be afraid, because the Creator of the universe is our defender and protector.
God is perfect Love, and He Himself is our ultimate reward:
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 1 Jn. 4:18 NLT
Because God loves you so much, He surrounds you with Himself. God covers you on all sides. He repeats this message throughout the Bible:
“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Dt. 31:6 NLT
The Lord is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. Ps. 27:1 – 3. NLT
The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession. Ps. 94:14 NLT
For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children. Is. 49:25
What about Satan?
But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thess. 3:3 NLT
How long will God watch over you?
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Pt. 1:3 – 5. NLT
Until the end of time…
How can we bank on this? It is because God is faithful and trustworthy:
Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. Pr. 30:8
NLT
“The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Is. 40:8 NLT
However, you also have a part to play:
“…what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. And you must always obey the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” Dt. 10:12, 13. NLT
Understand, therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands. Dt. 7:9. NLT
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if anyone keeps My word [by living in accordance with My message] he will indeed never, ever see and experience death.” Jn. 8:51 AMP
We must play by His rules…
Okay. Let’s wrap up this encounter between God and Abram. God gives Abram another vision, this time about his descendants:
“Know for sure that your descendants will be strangers [living temporarily] in a land (Egypt) that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed for four hundred years. But on that nation whom your descendants will serve I will bring judgment, and afterward they will come out [of that land] with great possessions.” Gn. 15:13, 14. AMP
This is a prophecy regarding a future enslavement of Israel in Egypt. One that comes true in about 600-800 years, and of God’s liberation of the Israelites from that captivity. (I think it is a faith-builder, when we see Jehovah’s prophecies come to fruition exactly as He describes it).
[1] Gn. 12:1 – 3.
[2] Rm. 4:3 – 5.
[3] Gn. 12:7
[4] Ex. 33:20