Shield and Reward

Gen 15:1  After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.

The mind of Abram is here lifted up to the spiritual and the eternal.

(1) thy shield.

(2) thy exceeding great reward.

Abram has two fears – the presence of evil, and the absence of good. Experience and conscience had begun to teach him that both of these were justly his doom. But God has chosen him, and tells Abram that He (God) will stand between Abram and all harm, and God will be to him all good. With such a shield from all evil, and such a source of all good, he has no need to be afraid. The Lord, we see, begins, as usual, with the immediate and the tangible; but he sets a principle that reaches to the eternal and the spiritual. We have here the opening germ of the great doctrine of “the Lord our righteousness,” redeeming us on the one hand from the sentence of death, and on the other to a title to eternal life.

Observation

Observations; Matthew chapter 9

A thing or two that I noticed in this chapter is in verse 18.This is where a ruler came to Jesus and worshiped him and ask Jesus to come and lay his hand upon his daughter so that she might live.

Matt. 9:18 – “lay your hand upon her and she shall live.”

Jesus proceeded to the home and on the way a woman touched the hem of his garment.

Matt. 9:20 – “touched the hem of His garment.”

Matt. 9:21 – “For she said within herself, If I may but touch the hem of His garment, I shall be whole.”

Each of these were looking for a physical touch of the Lord. If you notice what Jesus said to the woman, “thy faith made thee whole.” With the maid, she could not express her faith or acknowledge the presence of Jesus. The father expressed his faith through worship and the confidence expressed by the statement “lay your hand upon her.” It was not the touch of Jesus. It was the faith exhibited by two people. One had faith that God could heal his daughter by laying his hand on her. The lady had the faith that touching the hem of His garment. It was not the touch that healed. It was the faith that each had. It is the same with salvation. Our faith makes us whole, healed of the disease of sin. Faith in the Lord cleanses us and makes us fit subjects of heaven.