FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

I Am Your Shield

After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1).

After Abraham’s rescue of Lot and the citizens of Sodom, he was met by Melchizedek. He came with bread and wine to refresh Abraham and his exhausted helpers. It was at this point also that Abraham refused rewards offered by the worldly and immoral king of Sodom, (Genesis 14:18, 23).

As Abraham walked before God he learned tremendous truths about God’s Person and attributes, deepening his faith and appreciation.

1. The first truth Abraham learned was that God is the God of glory—a description of His Person (Acts 7:2)—the Self-existent One, contrasted with powerless idols. Knowing this he willingly obeyed by leaving idolatrous Ur.
2. The Most High God—His supreme Position, Possessor of heaven and earth, delivering Abraham from superior enemies (Genesis 14:18-20, 22).
3. The Shield and Great Reward—Protector, Preserver and Presenter of rewards (Genesis 15:1).
4. After thirteen silent disapproving years from the birth of Ishmael, God appeared again to Abraham as God Almighty (El Shaddai), the Plentiful, the One whose plans need no help from puny man (Genesis 17:1).
5. In pleading for the righteous in Sodom before its destruction Abraham acknowledged God as the Judge of all the earth—His great power (Genesis 18:25).
6. God continued to reveal Himself as the Everlasting God (El Olam), whose Presence spans the past, present, future, and throughout eternity (Genesis 21:33).
7. Finally to crown it all, He is the Provider of redemption, sparing Isaac by giving the ram as Isaac’s substitute (Genesis 22:1-14).
8. In full appreciation of God, Abraham called Him “The LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth” (Genesis 24:3), Who provided a bride for the son of promise. God in grace called Abraham “His friend.”

Adapted and modified excerpts from Day by Day: Bible Promises
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Land . . . I Give to You

Scripture Reference: Genesis 13:14-18

God was going to make an everlasting, unconditional covenant with Abraham and three steps were required before the covenant was given.

He was to leave the idolatrous city of his birth, Ur of the Chaldees, his idolatrous family and his kinsmen.

Abraham did not obey these instructions all at once, but in stages. The Lord told him, “Get out of your country . . . to a land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1) God only said “show” but Abraham acted in faith.

First he left Ur with his wife Sarah, but Terah, his father, went with him, together with a brother’s family, and Lot, his nephew. In Joshua 24:2, God said that “Terah . . . and Nahor . . . served other gods” Instead of going to Canaan, they went to Haran. The name Terah probably means “delay” and he certainly proved to be a delaying influence.

Next, Abraham left idolatrous Terah and his brother, and entered Canaan, but Lot was still with him. The Lord had told him, “Get out . . . from your family.” It was necessary for Abraham to obey completely, and when he entered Canaan, God said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” He did not promise the land to Abraham yet. Perhaps this affected Abraham’s faith, so despite building an altar to the Lord at Bethel, Abraham kept travelling south and eventually came to Egypt. As this was another idolatrous land it is not surprising that this is where Abraham lapsed in faith. Lot was still with him. Only after a stern rebuke from Pharaoh for his deception did Abraham return to Canaan, dwelling in Hebron.

Finally, materialistic Lot separated from Abraham to live near Sodom and only then did God promise to give the land to Abraham and his “descendants forever.” Now Abraham was ready to receive the full covenant of the Lord, having fulfilled the initial conditions.

What a lesson there is for us here! Are we like Abraham at this stage, slow in obeying the Lord completely and deprived of the enjoyment of the Lord’s full blessings?

Adapted and modified excerpts from Day by Day: Bible Promises
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I Will Bless You

Scripture Reference: Genesis 12:1-3

God is sovereign—over all creation and in all ways, (see Isaiah 40:12-31). He is sovereign over time, events, nature, people and spirit beings, including Satan. He plans, purposes, programs and puts into effect. None can hasten, delay, change or stop His decisions.

He is sovereign in creating man, He is sovereign in commanding man, meting out punishment for sin, rewarding the obedient, dealing with mankind through different dispensations, making covenants and promising blessings to man.

He is sovereign in sending the deluge to destroy all flesh because of total corruption and violence, and in choosing Noah and his family to repopulate the earth.

He is sovereign in confounding the one common language of man into numerous tongues at Babel, and in dispersing the rebellious descendants of Noah worldwide.

And when the whole earth was totally engulfed in idolatry, God is sovereign in giving them up, (Roman 1:13-32), and sovereign in choosing and calling Abraham. He is sovereign in entrusting Abraham with the mission to produce the Messianic line and the “seed of the woman.”

So when God told Abraham “I will bless thee,” it was an exercise of His sovereignty. “You shall be a blessing” speaks of God’s goodness, grace and mercy towards Abraham.

God’s promise of blessing to Abraham was four-fold, (Genesis 12:2-3).

1. Personal—his name would be great
2. National—he would become a great nation
3. Universal—all families of the earth would be blessed, (or cursed if they cursed Abraham).
4. Spiritual, Messianic—in Abraham’s Special Seed, our Lord Jesus Christ, all peoples would be blessed—with salvation through redemption, God bestowing upon mankind His fullest blessing through Abraham.

Adapted and modified excerpts from Day by Day: Bible Promises
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Remembering My Covenant

Scripture Reference: Genesis 9:12-17

As Noah surveyed the scene before him, so drastically changed, he certainly needed God’s assurance. This God gave in His covenant with Noah, his sons, (Genesis 9:8), “all flesh that is on the earth,” (Genesis 9:17), and “for perpetual generations” (Genesis 9:12). As the token of this covenant, God “set (His) rainbow in the cloud” as a reminder to men that He would remember His covenant.

The features of the covenant are: (1) the fixity of nature in its various cycles; (2) the fruitfulness enjoined upon Noah’s family, and the filling of the earth; (3) the fear of man—on the part of the animals; (4) food from animal flesh in addition to the green herb; (5) forbidden food—blood, which is the life of the flesh; (6) the forfeiture of life—for murder; (7) floods like the global deluge will never destroy the earth again.

As a result of the catastrophic deluge, we see the world as it is today—mighty oceans, with deep troughs to accommodate the flood waters; seven continents with massive mountain ranges; untenable weather conditions; extremes of climate; glaciers and deserts; fossil remains; subtropical vegetation below the Siberian surface; volcanic and seismic activity; and unfiltered harmful cosmic radiation reducing man’s longevity from around 900 years to today’s 70 years.

Some creation scientists also believe that there was an ice age after the flood. They suggest that this may explain how certain animals became isolated in certain parts of the world. As the ice age lowered sea levels, it allowed people and animals to cross land bridges into all continents, and its cessation caused the isolation of some species of animals, such as kiwis and koalas.

However, whatever the consequences of the flood, scripture teaches that God’s covenant with Noah governs man’s society and nature right till the end of time, as long as the rainbow endures—an everlasting promise, a magnificent covenant indeed!

Adapted and modified excerpts from Day by Day: Bible Promises
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.